You may remember London 2012, when the late Queen Elizabeth II was “parachuted” into the Olympic Games’ opening ceremony by Daniel Craig’s James Bond.
Well, this stunt for King Charles III and Queen Camilla doesn’t quite live up to that, but it comes close – and those inside The Hydro were delighted to see the monarch and his wife actually emerge from the TARDIS to open the ceremony, judging from the cheers and applause ringing out.
It’s a fun Scottish spin on a piece of protocol. The head of the Commonwealth must open the Games, so why not have the travelling time machine from the long-running BBC series Doctor Who, which has featured many Scottish actors as the titular character, including David Tennant, journey ’round Scotland for a bit of entertainment?
In a pre-recorded skit, one of Scotland’s greatest athletes, Sir Chris Hoy, and Scottish actor Greg McHugh accidentally materialise at various landmarks around Scotland, including Edinburgh Castle, before finally arriving at Balmoral Castle – the British royal family’s home in the Highlands.
There, they finally pick up their precious cargo, and away we go! After the King and Queen walk through the arena, an 18-strong Royal Scottish National Orchestra Youth Chorus kicked off God Save The King.
