Breeks
Very interesting post of yours ‘ 4.20am, it got me thinking.
Ever since Jamie the Saxth shot the craw to London in 1603 the Crown in Scotland has been seen as somehow second rate to the Crown in England, a state of affairs which continues to this day.
I suppose, being a “Baby Boomer,” I have been brought up to respect the current Queen of Scots and what she stands for. The Lady who currently holds that Office of State, I don’t suppose ever gives much thought to that particular job.
No harm to her, but, she was privately-educated, the eldest daughter of the second son of the reigning monarch. Up until her 11th year, her prospects were probably of being married-off with the next decade, to a future Duke. Then her Uncle David went off the rails and her father was thrust into a job for which he was ill-prepared.
The then Princess Elizabeth was then, apparently, taken over by her grandmother, Queen Mary, and taught how to be a Queen. I doubt if much attention was paid to teaching her the political and historic implications of her future role.
I doubt if she gave much thought to her northern Kingdom, other than as a place to holiday.
It is said, she has been a wonderful Queen, for me, she has kept her head down, done what she saw as her duty, but, in reality, if she had put as much into her official duties as she appears to have into her horses, maybe a few of the more-recent Prime Ministers could have done a better job.
Her reign will end probably within the next decade, and many commentators suggest this will be a crisis point for the Monarchy. As one who has seen, up close, what a fine job her son, the Duke of Rothesay has done at Dumfries House, I am hopeful for his prospects as King.
Unfortunately, like his ancestors his main duties will be London-centred. It may even be that, if not during Charles’ reign, which, because of his age when he ascends the throne will be short, but, more-likely during Williams’, with the likes of myself and the other older Scots – brought up to be British as much as Scots – dead or dying-off quickly, surely demands for at least a vote on whether the by then Independent Scotland remains a monarchy, in which sovereignty rests with the people, and the King or Queen is a figurehead, or becomes a Republic.
If the decision is to remain a monarchy, the choice will then be: do we remain tied with the English Monarchy, or do we go our own way and offer the Crown of Scotland to whoever is currently head of the House of Stuart?
I recall, some years back, when my old mate Tom Shields was running the Herald Diary, there were suggestions in The Diary, that HRH the Princess Royal, given how big a Scottish Rugby XV fan she is, as Patron of the SRU, takes up residence at Holyrood as “Guardian of Scotland,” a de facto Head of State for ceremonial occasions, using that old title.
Such a suggestion has merit, should we choose to remain a Monarchy, better a real monarch than a Governor General, if the GG is some flunky whose job is in the gift of Buckingham Palace.
If the decision is the Republic of Scotland, the question then becomes, does the leader of the governing political party then also become Head of State, as happens in the USA, or do we have a Head of State whose duties are largely ceremonial?
I know the Irish, who have a largely-ceremonial President, have been remarkably lucky recently, with Mary Robinson, being followed by Mary McAleese and now Michael D Higgins, but, just as there are no guarantees we get a good hereditary King or Queen, well, it may be the office of State President is too-much for some successful candidate.
However, whether a President – either with executive powers, or merely a ceremonial figurehead – a Monarch actually sitting in Edinburgh with King or Queen of Scots as their only job, or a royal appointee, perhaps even with the ancient title of “Guardian of Scotland” or “Great Steward of Scotland”, keeping the hot seat warm until the genuine King or Queen of Scots can give us the month or so of his/her time each year which the Scottish gig is deemed worthy of, away from the more-important job of being King or Queen of England, someone has to be the top banana in Scotland.
However, while we should maybe giving some thought to this position, this ought not to divert us from the main job – getting out of this cursed Union and into the state of Independence, when we will have to address this and other issues. Yes, we think ahead, but, Independence has to be the only aim at the moment.
