Princess Anne in Edinburgh: St Giles Cathedral, McEwan Hall & the French Consulate

The Princess Royal had a busy day in Edinburgh on Thursday, with visits to McEwan Hall, the French Consulate and St Giles Cathedral.

Princess Anne’s first stop was at the University of Edinburgh, where she formally re-opened McEwan Hall. Anne is the Chancellor of the University, a position she has held since 2011. Prior to her appointment, her father, The Duke of Edinburgh, was Chancellor between 1953 and 2010.

McEwan Hall, part of the University of Edinburgh, which Princess Anne formally re-opened in her role as Chancellor (C/ kaysgeog Flickr)

McEwan Hall was constructed between 1888 and 1897, with the building being used for graduation ceremonies and exams. The Hall has been undergoing renovations since 2015, which has involved restoring and conserving its original features. Princess Anne was there yesterday to mark the formal re-opening of the building.

The Princess Royal also opened St Cecilia’s Concert Hall and Music Museum while in the city.  St Cecilia’s is Scotland’s oldest purpose-built concert hall. Anne attended the official ‘fanfare’ and also unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion.

Great day for @FranceintheUK with the inauguration of the new premises of the Institut français @ifecosse and Consulate in Scotland @cgfEdimbourg by HRH the Princess Royal pic.twitter.com/xG5VgYHvBP

— Institut français UK (@ifru_london) 29 de noviembre de 2017

The Queen’s daughter next visited the French Consulate General. She was there alongside Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to attend the inauguration of the new premises of the French diplomatic mission and French Institute in the city.

Princess Anne had the honour of unveiling a plaque to mark the official inauguration of the premises, which was hidden behind a curtain designed to look like the French tricolore.  The Princess and the First Minister were joined by the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Frank Ross, and the Consul général de France, Emmanuel Cocher.

In addition to unveilling the plaque, The Princess Royal was also given the opportunity to pay tribute to Émilienne Moreau-Evrard, a member of the French resistance during World War II.

Ambassador Jouyet and HRH the Princess Royal, accompanied by the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, the Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, Frank Ross & Emmanuel Cocher, Consul général de France pay tribute to Émilienne Moreau-Evrard, member of the French Resistance pic.twitter.com/LrWph0N3nZ

— Institut français UK (@ifru_london) 29 de noviembre de 2017

Anne and Nicola Sturgeon were also in attendance at St Giles’ Cathedral on the Royal Mile for a 100th anniversary service for the Scottish Women’s Hospital Movement. The service paid tribute to Dr Elsie Inglis, who was a key player in the women’s suffrage movement and one of Scotland’s first female surgeons.

Of course, Scotland has a famous history in the development of medicine, including Joseph Lister’s introduction of carbolic acid into surgery to kill off germs.

Embed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty Images

Anne laid a wreath at the service of thanksgiving to show her respect for Dr Inglis, who died in 1917. The 67-year-old Royal was joined at St Giles’ Cathedral by descendants of Elsie Inglis to pay tribute to the influential woman.

Princess Anne visited #Edinburgh today to attend a service commemorating the Centenary of Dr Elsie Inglis, one of #Scotlands first female surgeons and a key figure in womens suffrage.#ElsieInglis#Suffrage#StGilesCathedralpic.twitter.com/uRhw8Xgh8C

— Rabbie’s (@Rabbies_Travel) 29 November 2017

After a busy day of engagements, The Princess Royal then returned to London, where she held a dinner to mark the 70th anniversary of the British Horse Society at Buckingham Palace. Princess Anne is Vice Patron of the society, given her love of horse-riding, a passion she has passed on to her Olympian daughter, Zara Tindall (née Phillips).