James MacMillan's royal connections revealed after King Charles honour

King Charles has honoured one of Scotland’s most celebrated composers during a special ceremony at Dumfries House.

On Friday, 18 September, the King received Sir James MacMillan at the Ayrshire estate, where he formally invested him with the insignia of a Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle. 

The honours recognise MacMillan’s remarkable contribution to classical music and his wider work supporting musical talent. 

He is also the founder of The Cumnock Tryst, an annual music festival in his home region of Ayrshire. 

His music was used for Queen Elizabeth II’s entrance to the reconvened Scottish Parliament in 1999, while he also composed a choral work for Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Britain in 2010.

The King's Medal for Music honour had already been announced earlier this year, when the Palace confirmed MacMillan as the recipient for 2025 alongside pianist Kathryn Stott, who received the medal for 2024. 

The ceremony came just a day after Dumfries House hosted a very different gathering, when Charles brought together some of the world's leading artificial intelligence figures for discussions about the future of the rapidly developing technology.