The Press in Scotland | Will the queen’s death serve the separatists?

(Edinburgh) While the Scots testify en masse, with fervor, to their attachment to Queen Elizabeth II, whose body has been lying in state in Edinburgh since Monday, others are asking themselves questions: the death of the monarch will give momentum to the Scottish independence movement?

Isabelle Ducas
The Press

“The Queen was one of the things that helped keep the country together. In a world where there are so many political changes, she was a positive and unchanging force for people who shared the same values ​​as her”, testified Brian Watts, met in the streets of Edinburgh, shortly after the funeral procession during which the royal remains were taken to Saint-Gilles Cathedral.

“Now that she is no longer there, we risk experiencing a period of political uncertainty which will benefit the separatists. »

The 59-year-old tourist guide, dressed in the traditional Scottish kilt, is not himself a fervent monarchist. But he recalls that if the nationalists “had won the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence, [leur plan] was to keep the Queen as Head of State”.

On Sunday, when the declaration officially proclaiming Charles III as king was read in Edinburgh, a well-attended event, some people in the audience launched boos. A 22-year-old woman carrying a poster reading “Fuck imperialism, abolish the monarchy” was arrested for disturbing public order. Flags of Scotland were seen at some windows along the route of the funeral procession.

In 2021, according to a poll by think tank British Futures, 45% of Scots wanted to retain the monarchy, while 36% believed the end of Elizabeth II’s reign was a good time to establish a republic. In the UK as a whole, attachment to the monarchy reached 60%.

Damaged links

The now King Charles III, less popular than his mother, will he be able to embody this figure who guarantees the unity of the nation? Some political commentators and experts doubt it, believing that this moment of mourning could further weaken already damaged ties.

“The passage of the Crown is a moment of vulnerability, perhaps even fragility”, judged, in the Scottish daily The Herald, Adam Tomkins, jurist and professor of constitutional law at the University of Glasgow.

In power since 2007 in Scotland, the Scottish Independence Party (SNP) experienced a resurgence after Brexit, with Scotland voting 62% to remain in the European Union.

Despite the repeated refusal of the British government, the Scottish Prime Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, announced at the end of June that she wanted to organize a new referendum on independence on October 19, 2023. A decision which will be examined on October 11 and 12 by the British Supreme Court.

The Scots had already been consulted on the subject in 2014 and had voted 55% to remain within the United Kingdom. But the SNP believes Brexit has been a game-changer and the Queen’s death, a symbol of continuity, could give Scots one more reason to take the leap.

“The strongest monarchy in the world”

Independence or not, the monster crowd that gathered in the streets of Edinburgh to see the funeral procession pass on Monday shows how important the institution is for the Scottish population, according to Pat McCorry.

“It’s the strongest monarchy in the world!” It’s good for the UK and it’s good for Scotland, ”says the pensioner.

He himself was in line, with thousands of people, to have the chance to go and pray in front of the coffin of the queen, in the Saint-Gilles cathedral.

The line of mourners ran for several blocks late Monday, just before the doors of the cathedral opened to the public.

Earlier in the afternoon, the funeral procession had left the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Queen’s official residence in Scotland, where the coffin had spent the night, to go to St. Giles Cathedral.

Side by side, the four children of Elizabeth II followed the hearse on foot for more than a kilometer in the old town of the Scottish capital: Charles III, Princes Andrew and Edward as well as Princess Anne marched in rhythm, all in military uniform except Andrew, stepping back from the monarchy following the sexual assault charges he ended by paying millions of dollars.

In the religious ceremony following the procession, the Crown of Scotland, in solid gold, was placed on the coffin. Then the remains of Elizabeth II, a symbol of stability during decades of upheaval, must remain on display in the cathedral for 24 hours, to allow the public to pay homage to her.

After the religious service, Charles III received the Prime Minister. Then, in the evening, the royal family held a private funeral wake.

In the morning, the new king had received, in the British Parliament in London, the condolences of the presidents of the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

“As I stand before you today, I cannot help but feel the weight of history that surrounds us and reminds us of the vital parliamentary traditions to which Members of both Houses are dedicated,” the Sovereign said in a short speech.

He said his mother was “an example of dedication [qu’il est] determined to follow faithfully with God’s help and your guidance.

With Agence France-Presse