Scottish Parliament's state opening starred Queen Elizabeth, Nicola Sturgeon... and my two-year-old daughter Saoirse – Angus Robertson MSP

The State Opening of the Scottish Parliament is a special day, especially for those of us lucky enough to have been elected to Holyrood.
Queen Elizabeth is greeted by Nicola Sturgeon at the opening of the sixth session of the Scottish Parliament (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)Queen Elizabeth is greeted by Nicola Sturgeon at the opening of the sixth session of the Scottish Parliament (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Queen Elizabeth is greeted by Nicola Sturgeon at the opening of the sixth session of the Scottish Parliament (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

As the new Member of the Scottish Parliament for Edinburgh Central, I was able to take the family along last Saturday to the celebratory event attended by Her Majesty the Queen.

As with the parents of all young children coming to the opening, my wife Jen and I were worried about the potential for a meltdown or public scene of some kind, but everything went like clockwork.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Four month-old baby Flora slept through much of the events in the creche, while her two-year-old sister Saoirse was excited but extremely well behaved in the public gallery.

Saoirse was definitely looking forward to seeing the Queen and the crown being carried into the chamber, but ever since meeting ‘Nicola’ with the big yellow election campaign buses, she has always jumped at the chance to see the First Minister.

Not only did she get a chance to give her a high-five, but the news-agency photo of the greeting went viral on social media.

The State Opening of Holyrood was special for scores of local heroes whose contributions to local communities were marked with an invitation to watch the ceremonies which included excellent performances of music and poetry by the Makar Kathleen Jamie. The Queen was accompanied by the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, the Royal Company of Archers and Lord Lyon King of Arms. It was a day to remember.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Angus Robertson is the SNP MSP for Edinburgh Central and Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Secretary

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.