As part of the nationwide celebrations marking the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth on in the summer of 1937 a series of Youth rallies were in cities across the U.K. intended to showcase the vitality, loyalty, and unity of Britain’s younger generation, the event brought together thousands of boys and girls from a wide range of youth organisations, including the Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, Boys’ Brigade, Church Lads’ Brigade, YMCA groups, and school cadet units.
On the 8th of July 1937, Murrayfield Stadium hosted one such rally, and over 5000 Scouts from Midlothian District and beyond were in attendance as they received a visit from the King, Queen and royal princesses - Elizabeth and Margaret.
The Scouts and Guides played a particularly visible role. Their displays highlighted skills such as signalling, first aid, map reading, and teamwork, all framed as contributing to national preparedness and good citizenship—values seen as essential in the interwar years. Messages of loyalty were read aloud, affirming allegiance to the new King and Queen.
It was written in the Scotsman Newspaper the following day that:
No sooner had the Royal party taken their seats than the arena was cleared. Those among the youth organisations who had no active part in the displays that were to follow streamed up the terracing opposite the stand from which they watched and cheered the rest of the proceedings. On to the field, empty now except for a small stand covered with a tiger skin, which at a glance at the programme found to be a "Council Rock" dashed a pack of Wolf Cubs whooping and cheering, to form a circle round this focal point of their display. Reinforcements arrived in the shape of eager Boy Scouts, who charged onto the pitch and made an outer circle round the Cubs. Flags were carried forward, nearly 50 of them in all, and the stage was all set for the Grand Howl, which was given with great zest.
The 1937 Rally of Youth ultimately served a dual purpose: it acted as a joyous public celebration of the new monarch, but it also reflected the social priorities of the decade—encouraging physical fitness, moral character, and civic responsibility among Britain’s young people. It remains one of the most memorable youth-focused events associated with a 20th-century British coronation.