Mr Cameron apologized privately and later called the remarks a “terrible mistake”. However, they provided the rarest glimpse of a view from a monarch who has spent decades treading carefully through the complexities of Scottish politics. William, Kate, Harry and Meghan reunite in Windsor – latest updates Fifteen years earlier in 1999, the Queen was determined to be at the center of the ceremony to open (or as some argue ‘reconvene’) the Scottish Parliament. A green thistle themed silk dress and a purple coat were specially ordered. Image: The Queen at the opening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 Her speech and presentation of a ritual race was meant to be the highlight. “This parliament has set itself many challenges,” he told the newly elected politicians. “To be modern, not only in the use of technology but also in the way it interacts with the people of Scotland in a climate of openness and accessibility.” The monarch, once again, was not just adjusting to her country’s changing constitutional position, but putting herself at its center. Watch Sky News live from 10am. as a group carries the Queen’s coffin from Balmoral to Edinburgh The New Labor years were full of upheaval in this regard, with the Government devolving powers to Wales, power-sharing initiated in Northern Ireland and the removal of most hereditary peers from the House of Lords. Later, the prospect of Scottish independence raised challenges even if, under the SNP’s plans, the Queen remained head of state. These changes meant that the sovereign had to modify her role. From 1999, the First Minister of Scotland would regularly be invited to confidential one-to-one audiences, but these would be smaller than those with the Prime Minister. Image: Pictured in 2021, the Queen prepares to deliver a speech to the Scottish Parliament The first minister would be welcome at Balmoral for a weekend in the summer – but only for one night as opposed to the two offered to the prime minister. The Queen remained politically neutral in the 2014 independence referendum, although Mr Cameron’s remarks, as well as the monarch’s comments days before the vote outside Crathie Kirk near Balmoral, were seen by some as a sign of her views. “Well, I hope people will think very carefully about the future,” he told one well-wisher. With Nicola Sturgeon seeking a second referendum in 2024, independence remains a live constitutional issue. Image: During an audience with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon King Charles knows the arguments, the personalities and the institutions. He wore a highland dress and face mask at Holyrood last October as his mother opened the sixth session of the Scottish Parliament. He spoke of the “difficult conditions” of the pandemic and “countless examples of resilience and goodwill”. Her son will likely need both of these qualities to meet the challenges of Scotland’s constitutional development in the coming years.
