People of Scotland had the chance to say their farewells
The sad news of Her Majesty the Queen’s death has had a profound impact on so many of us.
For more than 70 years, the Queen was a constant, reassuring presence in our lives.
Indeed, she is such a part of the fabric of our nation that it is difficult to imagine a world without her.
As our longest-ever reigning monarch, the Queen saw 15 different prime ministers come to office during her time as monarch.
Since her ascension to the throne in 1952, Elizabeth II also witnessed tremendous social, cultural and political changes.
It speaks to the remarkable nature of the Queen that, even as the world around her changed dramatically, she remained a consistently-beloved figure.
Indeed, even among those who do not support the idea of a monarchy, there was a general respect and admiration for the way the Queen conducted herself, and the seriousness with which she undertook her duties.
With the Queen passing away at Balmoral, her Aberdeenshire home that she loved so much, it gave the people of Scotland a chance to say farewell to Her Majesty.
I am pleased that so many people across the Scotland were able to line the streets to pay their respects as the Queen’s coffin cortege journeyed from Balmoral to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.
This is a clear sign of the respect and love that the people of this nation had, and will continue to have, for Her Majesty.
Yesterday, the Scottish Parliament was afforded the opportunity to both pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and to welcome His Majesty King Charles III and the Queen Consort to Holyrood.
I hope that the King will take some comfort from the words of tribute that were echoed across the chamber yesterday.
While there may be significant political differences at Holyrood, the Scottish Parliament was united as we came together to pay our respects to a remarkable monarch and a remarkable woman.
It was a pleasure to welcome the King to Holyrood for the first time as monarch.
His Majesty has previously visited the Scottish Parliament on a number of occasions, most recently the opening ceremony in 2021, and I am sure I speak for MSPs of all parties when I say that we look forward to welcoming him for many years to come.