![]() ![]() Tens of thousands of people lined Edinburgh's Royal Mile on Sunday to glimpse the queen's hearse as it made its way to the royal residence in the Scottish capital. For the next two days, Scotland will be the centre of national mourning. Her death in Scotland, at her summer home Balmoral Castle in the Scottish Highlands, underscored her close ties to the country. While the British monarch is meant to be politically neutral, the queen hinted at key moments of her desire for Scotland to remain part of the four countries in the United Kingdom. The queen, who spoke about her deep affinity for Scotland, was for some the personification of the British identity. Some Scots support independence but want to keep the monarchy.īut other nationalists hope the queen's passing will eventually give them an opportunity to open up a new front in the battle for independence, and ultimately to break the link with the British crown to become a republic. The two countries have shared the same monarch since the early part of the seventeenth century when the death of the childless Elizabeth I led James VI of Scotland to assume the crown of England too as James I. Scotland's relationship with the monarchy pre-dates the political union with England in 1707 by a century. "It is only right that we can show that not everyone agrees with the pageantry and the archaic institution that is the monarchy," he later told Reuters. He said it is undemocratic to have a monarchy at the centre of a constitutional democracy. One lady said: "I might do them in."īeaton rejected suggestions he was being insensitive because it was only three days since the death of Queen Elizabeth. Then people shouted "shut up", "go home", and "you are a disgrace". Outside St Giles' Cathedral on Sunday, the crowd initially gasped when the protesters started. Next month Britain's top court is set to hear a case about whether the Scottish parliament may legally hold a second referendum to leave the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom government has repeatedly rejected the Scottish government's demand for a second independence referendum. Many also resent overall British rule being in the hands of the Conservative Party, which is far less popular in Scotland than it is in England and fares poorly in elections north of the border. It will also fuel the already heated debate on whether Scotland should be independent.Įngland's political partner for more than 300 years, Scotland rejected by 55% to 45% the chance to leave in a 2014 referendum.īut differences over Britain's departure from the European Union, despite a majority of Scots voting to stay in, has increased support for independence. There is both admiration for the monarchy and those who feel her death marks the closing of a long chapter. In Scotland, the death of Queen Elizabeth has led to a moment of national reflection in a restless country. ![]() The police arrested one woman after she held up a handwritten sign saying: "Fuck Imperialism. Other protesters held up signs saying: "Republic Now", and "Our Republic for a Democratic Future". ![]() Register now for FREE unlimited access to Register ![]()
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