Four British Army soldiers reportedly collapsed during the opening ceremony of the new Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh on Saturday amid hot weather, as the King and Queen attended the event.
Soldiers taken inside for welfare checks
The soldiers, from the 19th Regiment Royal Artillery, the 2nd Battalion and the Royal Regiment of Scotland, had been providing the Crown's escort from Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood and lining the route for the King and Queen's procession. Footage shared on social media shows one soldier being lifted to his feet by three colleagues after collapsing in front of crowds. Those who fell ill were taken inside Holyrood for welfare checks, but their current conditions remain unknown.
Temperatures reach 15°C after heatwave
The incident occurred as Edinburgh reached muggy highs of 15°C on Saturday morning following a three-day heatwave. Bystanders expressed anger on social media, with one saying: "It's ridiculous that they have to stand in the heat all day." Another wrote: "This makes me angry, they shouldn't be made to stand for that long in this heat."
King Charles urges protection of environment
During the opening of the Scottish Parliament's seventh session, King Charles urged politicians to protect "Scotland's extraordinary natural environment" and encouraged debate to be carried out with respect and courtesy. He stated: "It has long been my most fundamental belief that the natural world and human communities are not competing interests, but deeply interwoven ones." The Record has approached the Ministry of Defence, Scottish Parliament and Scottish Ambulance Service for comment.
