When King Charles ascended to the throne, his former title of Prince of Wales was passed down to his son Prince William, with his wife Princess Kate becoming the Princess.

They also inherited the Duchy of Cornwall, making them the Duke and Duchess, and retained their titles Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, which they were given when they married in 2011.

However, there is another lesser-known title that was bestowed on William and Kate in 2022, which is generally only used when they travel to Scotland.

The future King and Queen are known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay when they are north of the border, with the Royal Family attending events in Scotland this week as part of Holyrood Week.

While Princess Kate remains off work due to her cancer treatment, on July 3 her husband the Duke will attend the Thistle Service at St Giles’ Cathedral.

The band will then play the National Anthem before the King and Queen are greeted by the Interim Moderator of St Giles’ Cathedral, the Chancellor of the Order of the Thistle, the Dean of the Order of the Thistle, and the Secretary of the Order of the Thistle.

The Order of the Thistle is the greatest order of chivalry in Scotland and heralds 16 Knights and Ladies with this honour, the highest in the country.

It was not always possible for women to be recognised in the same way as men, however, the late Queen Elizabeth changed the rules in 1987 to allow everyone to be honoured on the same level.

Appointments are made to the Order of the Thistle in recognition of an individual’s contribution to society, either by holding public office or achieving significant milestones.

In addition to the 16 Knights and Ladies, The Queen, The Duke of Rothesay, The Duke of Edinburgh, and Princess Anne are Royal Knights of the Thistle.

From July 2 until July 5 the royals are marking Holyrood Week with a series of engagements in Scotland, including a garden party held at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on Tuesday evening.