The King has been presented with the keys to the City of Edinburgh in an ancient ceremony marking the start of a two-day visit to Scotland.

His Majesty was handed the keys on a red velvet cushion by the Lord Provost at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, his official residence in Edinburgh.

He wore a blue suit rather than the kilt he donned for last year’s ceremony, his first as monarch.

The traditional Ceremony of the Keys signals the start of Holyrood Week, the sovereign’s annual July visit to the country to celebrate Scottish culture, community and achievement.

This year’s events have been reduced to just two days due to the general election. The Royal family last month postponed any engagements that may have appeared to “divert attention or distract from the election campaign”.

The King, 75, will also be required in London at the end of the week as the newly elected Prime Minister visits him to ask permission to form a new Government.

The King and Queen, 76, flew to Edinburgh by helicopter from Birkhall, their Scottish home, where they had spent the weekend.

The monarch was greeted by a guard of honour provided by Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion in the gardens of the palace. He received a Royal Salute before inspecting the troops through an avenue of Archers, the ceremonial unit that serves as the King’s bodyguard in Scotland.

A royal gun salute was simultaneously fired at Edinburgh Castle to mark his arrival.

The Lord Provost, Councillor Robert Aldridge, then presented the Keys to the City of Edinburgh to His Majesty, saying: “We, the Lord Provost and the members of the City of Edinburgh Council, welcome Your Majesty to the capital city of your Ancient and Hereditary Kingdom of Scotland and offer for your gracious acceptance the Keys of Your Majesty’s good City of Edinburgh.”

According to tradition, the King merely touched them before returning them to the Lord Provost for safe keeping, replying: “I return these keys, being perfectly convinced that they cannot be placed in better hands than those of the Lord Provost and Councillors of my good City of Edinburgh.”

Music was provided by The Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland and Pipes and Drums of 2nd Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland.

In the audience was D-Day veteran Cyril Bird, 100, from Edinburgh, who was serving with the Royal Tank Regiment in Normandy.

His wife, Liz, said: “As a country we do this thing really well. It’s so important to keep these traditions alive and well and very important to my husband and fellow D-Day veterans to be here.

“It’s also marvellous to see the King looking so well considering everything he is going through.”

Later on Tuesday, the King will hold an investiture while the Queen will host a reception to celebrate those who work to promote Scottish literacy.

Their Majesties, joined by The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, will also host guests at a garden party at Holyroodhouse.

Cristiano Ronaldo was left in floods of tears after missing a penalty in Portugal’s European Championship round of 16 win over Slovenia in Frankfurt on Monday night.

The BBC poked fun at Ronaldo’s expense, first calling him “Misstiano Penaldo” in their highlights reel of his penalty miss and then later Gary Lineker posted a doctored image of Ronaldo crying with the former England striker looking on in the background. The picture, in which Ronaldo replaces a tearful Paul Gascoigne from Italia ‘90, was viewed over 350,000 times on X.

Former Chelsea captain John Terry, who missed a crucial penalty in the shootout of the 2008 Champions League final, was critical of the BBC’s stance and posted on Instagram: “BBC this is a disgrace!”

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez praised Ronaldo after a rollercoaster night and said: “He (Ronaldo) doesn’t need to care that much and that’s why I thank him for being the way he is, for caring for the group … I was certain he had to be the first penalty taker and show us the way to the victory,” Martinez told reporters.

“I think we all felt very proud of our captain. The dressing room was delighted with what he’s doing. I think he gave us all a lesson, that you need to live every day as if it’s the last one.

“You need to have real high standards and never give up – life and football gives you difficult moments, and the way he reacted is a real example that we are very proud of in Portuguese football.”

Telegraph Sport outlines how Ronaldo’s evening went from one of frustration to despair before finally ending in sheer relief.

9 minutes

A cocky Ronaldo taunts Slovenia with a bit of showboating by playing keepy-uppy, which does not endear him to a Petar Stojanovic, who brings him down.

14 minutes

A sign of things to come as the forward cries out and throws his arms up in frustration after a cross from Bernardo Silva goes just over his head. Not long after, he goes down too easily looking for a penalty.

35 minutes

He may have only scored one free-kick in major tournaments but no-one is taking the first dead-ball sighter of the game off Ronaldo, who sends it inches over the crossbar.

39 minutes

Ronaldo manages to laugh off referee Daniel Orsato moving a second free-kick from wide on the left even further out before blasting it miles wide.

56 minutes

He finally gets a free-kick on target but his howitzer is all power and no precision, flying straight at Jan Oblak.

72 minutes

Ronaldo’s head drops as he sends yet another free-kick over the crossbar from even further out after the longest of run-ups.

89 minutes

This is the moment. Diogo Jota’s reverse pass finds Ronaldo, who has just Oblak to beat, but his tame shot is saved.

90+1 minutes

Ronaldo tries to whip up the Portugal fans to make more noise after winning a stoppage-time corner.

103 minutes

Jota wins a soft penalty for Portugal and Ronaldo looks destined to be the match-winner.

105 minutes

But, after a long delay, Oblak pulls off a jaw-dropping save onto the post. The half-time whistle is blown and Ronaldo dissolves into floods of tears. His team-mates try in vain to console him and Portugal’s fans struggle to rally him before he finally composes himself.

120 minutes

After a stuttering run-up, Ronaldo narrowly beats Oblak from the spot with Portugal’s first penalty of the shoot-out. He apologises to the fans for his earlier miss, his relief later palpable after a 3-0 win on spot-kicks.

Are you currently on a state school waiting list because of Labour’s private school tax plans? Email money@telegraph.co.uk.

Sam Howell is running out of time. There are 61 days until the start of term and her daughter, Maddie, 4, who has autism, is facing the prospect of being left without a school place in September.

It’s certainly not for want of trying. Sam has visited a dozen schools over the past year within a 20 mile radius of her home in Burgess Hill, West Sussex, but all can either not cater for her daughter’s behavioural needs or are full.

As a last resort, the council has given her a place at a local mainstream school which says they can only accept Maddie if they receive more funding to adapt the school to fit her needs, a funding application which isn’t guaranteed to be accepted.

The current preschool she attends has also ruled out being able to accommodate Maddie meaning she cannot be held back to wait for a space to open up at a special educational needs school.

Ms Howell fears Labour’s tax raid on private education will pile even more pressure on the state school sector – with children like Maddie left to bear the consequences.

She says: “100pc the system is going to fall to pieces, absolute pieces because there are going to be no spaces for anyone.

“There are going to be children who aren’t getting any help. It will be horrendous.

 “It’s [state schools are] failing the children and you just feel so alone dealing with it.

“There’s not enough staff to be helping, there’s not enough funding. The schools don’t have the experience trying to keep up with the rapid increase of all of these children coming to the surface with learning difficulties and it’s so hard to get a diagnosis.”

Funding for special educational needs and disabilities (Send) pupils in state schools has remained frozen for more than a decade and Sam says the signs are clear to see.

“If you’ve got a diagnosis it’s real, the struggle that child is having whether they are on the spectrum or they’ve got another disorder, these children need help and it’s as if they just don’t belong anywhere and schools clearly don’t have the money to facilitate these children, they are getting lost and it’s failing them massively. It’s awful as a parent to see it happening and to go through it.” 

Sam’s experience presents a snapshot of the experiences of thousands of parents with children who have special educational needs and disabilities. It is precisely why so many have turned to the private sector.

There are currently 111,154 Send pupils in private schools who receive additional support. The figure, which equates to almost one in every five pupils, has grown dramatically in recent years. It’s up 7.5pc from last year alone and almost 70pc in the past decade.

But Labour’s tax raid on private schools looks set to put an end to that.

The party has said pupils with an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) will be exempt from VAT. What they haven’t mentioned is this document, which sees the local authority cover the cost of school fees, is nigh on impossible for families to access.

Labour’s own shadow education secretary previously admitted the system is “broken” with the backlog stretching back two years in some instances for children to have their paperwork processed.

Of the 111,154 Send pupils in the private sector, 103,508 don’t have an EHCP. Using Labour’s own estimations it means up to 7,246 pupils, often with diverse and complex needs, will be forced out of private schools and into a state system which is already crumbling. In Scotland, no such funding scheme exists.

Sam says it is hardworking single-parent families like her who will be the losers of Labour’s policy.

“There will be a domino effect, it will be awful,” She says on the shortage of spaces.

“Surely they [Labour] can see how bad this is? It’s nationwide, this issue.”

Sir Keir Starmer has repeatedly defended the controversial policy by saying the £1.5bn the party hopes to raise as a result of the levy will be spent on state schools, including the flagship pledge to recruit 6,500 new teachers.

The figure may sound grand but given there are more than 25,000 state schools in Britain, it means for every school that gets one additional teacher, three schools will get none. A brief look at Labour’s manifesto shows none of the £1.5bn raised would be spent on support for Send pupils in state schools.

Julie Robinson, the chief executive of the Independent Schools Council, which represents around 1,300 private schools, has called on Labour to carry out a “full impact assessment” to understand what impact its VAT levy will have on Send pupils.

She said: “Over 100,000 children and young people without an EHCP receive specialist Send support in our schools.

“VAT on their parents’ fees will disrupt education for thousands of them, placing further strain on state Send provision, which is already in crisis.

“Without a full impact assessment, Labour cannot say what the immediate effect of its policy would be on Send services and local councils.

“There is a real risk that they would unintentionally pour fuel on a fire that is already very much ablaze.”

As for Sam, she is at a loss with what to do and feels she will be left with no choice but to keep her daughter at home come September, which will see her fall further behind her peers.

“Maddie is dysregulated and has unpredictable behaviour. She can get very upset or aggressive because she can’t control her emotions and her communication is behind,” she says.

“I feel forced to say ‘ok let’s chuck her in this mainstream and hope for the best’ but as her mum I just don’t feel comfortable with it. I feel for them and I feel for my daughter.

“Because of how unequipped they are, I will have to keep her with me and just deal with it.”

An NHS test revealing every cancer-causing mutation in tumours has given new hope to children after a successful trial.

Experts from the University of Cambridge said whole genome sequencing would become the new “gold standard” test for young cancer patients.

A study found it consistently outperformed existing tests, improving the care of children with tumours or leukaemia, and providing doctors with greater insight into how to treat the tumour as well as the risk posed to family members.

The test works by providing a readout of the entire genetic code of a patient’s tumour and identifies every single cancer-causing mutation.

Doctors can then tailor the treatment to the patient, increasing the chance of success, as well as working out the chance of cancer coming back.

Researchers from Cambridge and Great Ormond Street Hospital (Gosh) in London, said the “cutting-edge” test would replace the need for multiple biopsies and the 738 standard tests currently used.

The scientists said whole genome sequencing could also provide more benefits than the other combined tests because it looks beyond tiny regions of the cancer genome and can establish whether cancer runs in the family and siblings are at higher risk.

‘All the information in a short space of time’

It could benefit around 1,000 children with cancer in England each year and the study authors want to see it rolled out across the NHS.

Dr Jack Bartram, senior author at Gosh and the North Thames Genomic Medicine Service, said it was the first time the test has been studied in real-time and offered to any child with suspected cancer on the NHS.

He said the test gives “all of the information upfront in a very short space of time”, with results back in as little as 10 days.

The study, published in Nature Medicine, examined data from 281 children with solid tumours and leukaemia, who had biopsies of their tumours or other samples taken.

Whole genome sequencing improved the immediate care for almost one in ten children, while also providing all the benefits of current standard tests and giving results in a quicker timeframe.

In almost a third of all cases, it gave doctors insights that went beyond the standard tests.

The team concluded: “Whole genome sequencing faithfully reproduced every standard-of-care molecular test (738) and revealed several previously unknown genomic features of childhood tumours.

“We show that whole genome sequencing can be delivered as part of routine clinical care to children with suspected cancer and can change clinical management by delivering unexpected genomic insights.”

Dr Bartram said that, at present, medics “keep going” with standard tests such as blood tests and biopsies “until you get the diagnosis and find the genetic driver for a tumour”.

“The beauty of this is that you get all of that information upfront so you don’t have to pick from your shopping list of tests,” he added.

In some cases, unexpected mutations were found that increased the risk of cancer in the future, meaning a child may be offered regular scans to check for cancer as they age.

Dr Bartram said one important check was whether siblings were at risk, adding: “Parents often ask, ‘what causes cancer?’ or ‘is my other child at risk?’

“With this (test), you could confidently say (for example), that of the cancer genes that we know of in 2024, there is no increased risk in the family or the second child.”

He said that while genomic sequencing has been around for a while, the results of the trial showed the test should now be used routinely in clinical practice.

“Our hope is that every child has this test carried out at diagnosis across the country so it improves their outcomes,” he said.

Dr Bartram said his team had been “amazed” by the findings, adding: “Our bar is already set very high, certainly at Great Ormond Street and Addenbrooke’s, so our standard of molecular diagnostics is incredibly good and probably up there of being the best in the world.

‘Cutting-edge view of cancer’

“Our genomics laboratory already offers very advanced DNA sequencing, so even with that, this is above and beyond that.”

Dr Bartram said the NHS’s genomics service is “world-leading” and what patients are now offered is “pretty much unparalleled across the world”.

Prof Sam Behjati, senior author from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospitals, said: “Whole genome sequencing provides the gold standard, most comprehensive and cutting-edge view of cancer.”

Eddie Pessoa de Araujo, from London, now aged nine, had whole genome sequencing while he was under the care of Great Ormond Street.

When Eddie was six, he developed low-grade fevers over several months, before a chest X-ray discovered a huge mass in his chest that was half the size of his lung.

The mass was so big it had moved his heart towards the centre of his chest and he was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

He is now clear of cancer and rang the end-of-treatment bell last week.

His mother, Harri, said the family had not hesitated to have the genetic test.

“For us, we wanted as much information as possible about Eddie’s treatment, it was an absolute no-brainer.”

She added: “Having access to whole genome sequencing gave us some sense of reassurance.”

Dame Judi Dench and Dame Sian Phillips have become the Garrick Club’s first female members.

The West End club, which was founded in 1831, had refused to admit women as members until a historic male-only policy was overturned following a vote of its 1,500 members in May.

Women were previously only allowed to enter the club if invited and accompanied by a man.

It is understood that approximately 60 per cent voted in favour of the change, with 40 per cent against. Members in favour of the change included Stephen Fry, James Naughtie and Lord Sumption.

The Garrick, based in Covent Garden in central London, had faced mounting pressure to change its admission policy following the resignation of several of its members, including four senior judges.

The actresses were named as distinguished members at the start of the club’s annual meeting, according to The Guardian.

Dench, 89, is an Oscar-winning actress who has performed for the Royal Shakespeare Company, and as M in the James Bond movies. Phillips, 91, has had an equally distinguished career in film, theatre and television and was made a dame in 2016 for services to drama.

The announcement of their fast-tracked memberships was met with applause by some when their names were announced.

Ordinarily, the membership process takes between two and five years, but following the vote, some members had felt unease that a woman might not be admitted until 2026.

The club’s committee can admit four new members each year if it chooses to do so.

John Simpson, the BBC’s world affairs editor, said the Garrick will be made “even better” after admitting the pair.

Writing on Twitter, he said:

Dench’s late husband, the Shakespearean actor Michael Williams, is believed to have been a member of the Garrick and she often visited the club as his guest.

There is an oil portrait of the actress by Scottish artist Jennifer McRae hanging in the club.

Dame Mary Beard, the historian, Amber Rudd, the former home secretary, and Cathy Newman and Ayesha Hazarika, both news presenters, were also nominated as prospective members.

The agents of both Dench and Phillips were contacted for comment.

A devout social worker who was rejected for a job because of his views on homosexuality has accused a judge of setting a “dangerous precedent for Christians” after he lost part of his discrimination claim.

Felix Ngole, 46, claims Touchstone Leeds discriminated against him because of his religious beliefs when they refused him the job as a hospital discharge mental health support worker in 2022.

He has vowed to appeal after an employment tribunal upheld part of his claim but ruled he was not discriminated against by the failure to employ him.

Mr Ngole said it set a “dangerous precedent as it gives employers the freedom to block Christians, and anyone who doesn’t promote LGBTQI+ ideology, from employment”.

He added: “I have never been accused of forcing my beliefs on anyone. I have supported vulnerable individuals from all backgrounds, including LGBT.

“If we get to the point where if you don’t celebrate and support LGBT you can’t have a job, then every Christian out there doesn’t have a future.”

Offer was withdrawn

He had previously won a Court of Appeal case against Sheffield University, which had wanted to prevent him from completing his social work degree after it became aware of a Facebook row in which he said homosexuality and same-sex marriage were a sin.

Touchstone agreed he was the best-qualified candidate and offered him the job, based in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. However, after management discovered the legal row about his views the offer was withdrawn and he was called back for a second interview.

In a published written judgment, employment judge Jonathan Brain agreed that Mr Ngole was directly discriminated against when Touchstone rescinded the initial job offer, but rejected further claims of discrimination around the second interview and the final decision not to give him the job.

The tribunal also rejected Mr Ngole’s claims of indirect discrimination and harassment.

During the hearing earlier in 2024, Touchstone argued that vulnerable LGBT patients requiring mental health support could be more likely to harm themselves if they found out about Mr Ngole’s views on homosexuality.

But the Cameroon-born grandfather, who lives in Barnsley, argued that his religious views would not prevent him from looking after someone who is LGBT.

Judge Brain said: “The expression of his beliefs rooted in his religion was a material reason for the decision taken by Touchstone to withdraw the conditional job offer on June 10 2022. The direct discrimination claim must therefore succeed.”

But the ruling went on: “Offering a second meeting or interview was the least intrusive way of proceeding.”

It added “It is difficult to see how being properly questioned about that suitability once his orthodox Christian views had come to light reasonably could be considered a violation of his dignity or to create an intimidating environment for him.”

Judge Brain said: “They [Touchstone] simply could not take the risk of the discovery by a vulnerable service user of the claimant’s views. The effect upon such an individual may be potentially devastating.

‘Actions were justified’

“Balancing the interests of the respondent in preserving the mental health of their service users against the wishes of the claimant to work for the respondent and his ability to work elsewhere gives of only one answer.

“The balance favours the respondent, and their actions were therefore proportionate and are justified.”

Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre which supported Mr Ngole, called the judge’s reasoning “contorted”.

She said: “This ruling opens up the reality of employers discriminating against and denying employment to anyone who does not celebrate and promote complete LGBT affirmation.

“We are creating a society where social workers, doctors, nurses and psychologists, for example, have to be silent or face accusations that merely holding their protected beliefs could lead to patients coming to harm.”

Touchstone said: “We very clearly and publicly pride ourselves on being a strong ally to the LGBTQI+ community, as well as all religious communities.

“We would never want to lose the trust of the communities that we work so hard to support and serve, nor are we prepared to compromise our values at any time.

“We believe we did the right thing in defending this action and acting in line with our values, with the principle aim being to protect our service users, staff and all involved with our charity.”