Disappointing photos show what it was like to attend King Charles' coronation celebrations in Scotland

Although Charles' official coronation was held in London in May, the king was presented with the Honours of Scotland — the Scottish crown jewels — in a ceremony at Edinburgh's St Giles' Cathedral on July 5. 

The coronation was officially commemorated there with a national service of thanskgiving, and attended by members of the royal family including Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Although the service was closed to the public, people were invited to watch a royal procession on Edinburgh's Royal Mile as the king, queen, and members of the royal family made their way from the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the monarch's official residence in the Scottish capital, to the cathedral. 

The event seemed promising, but as it went on I found that it felt chaotic and unorganized. Here's how my experience unfolded in photos.

I traveled from my home in Glasgow to Edinburgh via train before heading to the Royal Mile on foot. The city was bustling with tourists, bagpipers, and members of the public on their way to work. 

When I first approached stairs leading toward the Royal Mile, a security guard told me I wouldn't be able to enter because there was an event. 

"But isn't the procession open to the public?" I asked, and he responded by stepping aside to let me through. 

In June 2022, I attended Trooping the Colour, a birthday parade in celebration of the late Queen Elizabeth II in London. I remember feeling overwhelmed by all of the people in the crowd, many of whom were dressed up in royal and Union Jack-inspired outfits. 

The crowds in Edinburgh appeared smaller in comparison and I didn't notice anyone who was dressed up. But even so, people were waiting eagerly and I noticed a small group waving Union Jack flags.

I couldn't get a good view of the cathedral's entrance as it was blocked by members of the public, police officers, and a large group of anti-monarchy protesters. 

One area of the street was packed with hundreds of protesters from Republic, a group that's campaigning to have the British monarchy abolished in favor of an elected head of state. Similar to Charles' role, an elected head of state would represent the UK independently of its politicians, according to Republic's website. 

There were a handful of journalists in the crowds undertaking interviews and filming the protest. There was also a small counterprotest of people holding signs that read: "Charles King of Scots."

By the time it reached 12 p.m., I had already explored the Royal Mile and interviewed members of the public and protesters. I decided to cross the street and grab lunch before the event began. When I returned shortly before 1 p.m., the street was overflowing with people and security had blocked off the road with barriers.

I wasn't the only person who had made this mistake. One man who stood next to me in the crowd asked security if they could let him through to stand with his wife. He had only stepped away for a few minutes to get a Starbucks, he explained, and when he returned the barriers were up. 

Security let the man through, but the rest of us weren't so lucky. 

I could no longer see any glimpse of the cathedral where Charles was due to enter. 

The parade began just after 1 p.m. and consisted of royal guards on horseback followed by members of the royal family in cars. It was extremely difficult to get a photo, as anyone in the crowd behind the barriers was squished together.

Like me, many of the people around me were frustrated they couldn't see the royals. Meanwhile, others expressed annoyance that the king had disrupted their day.

I overheard multiple people ask security if they could let them through the barriers as they had to get to their job, a restaurant reservation, or to their apartment.

"Why does he need a second coronation anyway?" I heard one person ask a friend, while one woman called her boss to inform them she was "stuck behind the king." 

Unlike the joyful atmosphere I found at Trooping the Colour in London, there was an air of irritation at this royal event.

The barriers stayed up for a while after Charles entered the cathedral, which caused a bit of a commotion within the crowd around me. I overheard people ask security when they were planning to let us through, to which they received mixed responses.

One guard responded that they didn't know, while another guard said we could be waiting for at least an hour. At one point, the security guard at my section turned his back to the crowd and ignored those calling out to him with questions. 

Thankfully, the barriers were removed after 20 minutes. 

But overall, I didn't think the event was worth the waiting around. I should have just stayed at home.

Representatives for the Scottish government and Buckingham Palace did not respond to Insider's request for comment on this story.