THE Queen today spoke publicly about Prince Philip for the first time since his death.
Her Majesty, 95, recalled the “many happy memories” she and her husband shared as she officially opened the new session of the Scottish parliament at Holyrood this morning.
She told MSPs in the socially distanced debating chamber: “I have spoken before of my deep and abiding affection for this wonderful country, and of the many happy memories Prince Philip and I always held of our time here.
“It is often said that it is the people that make a place, and there are few places where this is truer than in Scotland, as we have seen in recent times.”
The Duke of Edinburgh, who died two months’ before his 100th birthday, had a number of connections to Scotland.
He was educated at Gordonstoun, which led to the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme, and took annual breaks in Balmoral with the Queen.
Her Majesty was today welcomed by Alison Johnstone, Scotland’s first Green presiding officer and the equivalent to the Commons speaker.
The Greens, who currently share power with the SNP, want any future independent Scotland to have an elected head of state, rather than a monarchy.
Addressing MSPs, the Queen confirmed she would attend next month’s Cop26 global climate summit in Glasgow.
She said: “The eyes of the world will be on the United Kingdom — and Scotland in particular — as leaders come together to address the challenges of climate change.
“There is a key role for the Scottish parliament, as with all parliaments, to help create a better and healthier future for us all, and to engage with the people they represent, especially our young people.”
The monarch, who was wearing a green wool coat and floral dress, was joined this morning by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall – who are known in Scotland as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay.
During the ceremony, Nicola Sturgeon also expressed her sympathy with the Queen, saying the pleasure of her visit was tinged with regret over the absence of her late husband.
Afterwards, the Queen, Charles and Camilla met Scots who had been recognised for their contribution to communities during the Covid-19 pandemic.
One of those was Linda Williams, a shopkeeper from Edinburgh who set up a hardship fund at the Premier Broadway Convenience Store in Oxgangs.
She said: “It has been such a hard 18 months for everyone, and I think we played a small part in making life a bit easier for our customers and neighbours by setting up a free same-day delivery service and starting a hardship fund to help those who slipped through the cracks of the financial help that was available.
“Our community rose to the occasion magnificently; people were incredibly generous with their donations, and the whole experience became a shining light of hope during a hard time.”
