Chief Secretary Chris McEleny said there was “no place” for King Charles in an independent Scotland. In a statement issued after the Queen’s death at Balmoral at the age of 96 was announced by Buckingham Palace, Mr McEleny said keeping the king after the yes would be “obviously absurd”. It comes as the hashtag #AbolishTheMonarchy is trending on Twitter today. Alba Party members voted at their inaugural conference last year to abolish the monarch in an independent Scotland after the Queen’s reign ends. Mr Salmond last night published a tribute to the Queen, revealing the monarch shared racing tips with him. It did not contain a political bent. However, Mr McEleny’s statement was highly political. He said: “The very idea of ​​retaining the monarchy in an independent Scotland to allow Charles, Duke of Rothesay, to be our constitutional head of state would be the antithesis of real independence for Scotland. “It also represents a real challenge for the independence movement in the coming years. “What pro-independence MP would be willing to swear allegiance to Charles as King of Scotland as opposed to an oath to the people of Scotland in the Scottish Parliament? “If the people of the rest of the United Kingdom wish to have King Charles as their head of state, then good luck to them, but this absurdity should be nullified in an independent Scotland.” Offering his condolences to her family, Mr McEleny added: “I am sorry that the Queen has died. “I thought she was a lovely lady when I met her in 2012 in Greenock. I will pray for her.” Mr McEleny’s statement was issued from his Alba Party email account and was reproduced on his personal blog alongside a graphic of Alba with a deleted crown. His statement echoes an earlier post on Alba’s website that makes the same points. The Scottish government’s white paper on independence ahead of the 2014 referendum said the monarchy would continue after a yes vote, but repeatedly linked this to the Queen being head of state. He left open the possibility of a democracy with an elected head of state. He said: “As is the case in the UK, if a party in favor of changing this position were to gain enough support to form a government, it would be open to them to propose a change.” Pro-independence group All Under One Banner has postponed a march in Falkirk tomorrow due to the royal death.