The Queen shared a joke with the Duke of Buccleuch at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on Thursday afternoon as she was presented with a gift from the historic Reddendo parade.

Traditionally, monarchs are presented with two arrows from the Queen’s Body Guard for Scotland Archers.

She was presented with a striking glass sculpture designed by Colin Reid, which she joked with the Duke of Buccleuch was “much better” than two arrows.

On examining the gift, the Queen remarked: “Oh, how lovely.”

Traditionally, the Reddendo was a gift presented as an act of service from the Royal Company to the Sovereign, as a display of loyalty in return for certain privileges.

The parade is now ceremonial and represents the company’s role as the Queen’s bodyguard in Scotland.

According to Captain-General of the Queen’s Body Guard, the Duke of Buccleuch, more officers were gathered as part of the parade in her honour than “ever before”.

The monarch, 96, looked on as more than 300 officers and archers from the Queen’s Body Guard for Scotland took part in the Reddendo parade.

Dressed in a dusky blue Angela Kelly outfit with matching hat, the Queen smiled and waved as she emerged from the Palace of Holyroodhouse, her official residence in Edinburgh.

She then watched the ceremony from a chair while the Prince of Wales, known in Scotland as the Duke of Rothesay, greeted members of the parade, shaking hands with some of the archers.

The Royal Company of Archers acts as the sovereign’s ceremonial bodyguard for Scotland – a role first created in 1822 during a visit to Scotland by King George IV.

As Princess Elizabeth, the Queen first became acquainted with the Royal Company during a visit to Scotland with her father, King George VI in 1937, when he inspected them at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

During today’s ceremony, members of the Royal Company took off their hats and performed three cheers for the Queen.