Queen Elizabeth II passed away at her beloved Balmoral Castle in Scotland, and the coffin was moved to the Edinburgh Palace on the 11th. Queen Elizabeth II has inseparable familial ties and historical ties to Scotland, the country that constitutes the United Kingdom. This final journey back to London is inevitably full of politics; with the transfer of the monarchy, Scotland has once once more raised the voice of independence.
Scotland’s 2014 referendum on independence from the United Kingdom was rejected by half the votes, and the current ruling Scottish National Party (SNP) advocated for another referendum following Brexit in 2016. Despite the political distance between Scotland and the London authorities, most Scots place as much value on the monarchy as the British and share a shared history. When the news of the Queen’s ill health came out on the 8th, SNP leader and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon expressed concern for the first time. Sturgeon advocated secession from the United Kingdom, but wanted to keep the monarchy. She tweeted: “The passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth is a time of deep sadness for the United Kingdom, the National Association and the world. The Queen’s life has been one of extraordinary devotion and service.”
However, sporadic republican voices are still emerging at this moment of monarchical power transfer and constitutional tension. On the front page of Scotland’s Herald on Sunday, next to a photo of the new King Charles III, the sensational headline: “Savior of the United Kingdom, or the last King of Scotland?” Wherever she lives, she often wears a kilt, and even following her wedding to Princess Diana, she chose Balmoral for her honeymoon.
Charles III and Queen Camilla on the 12th received condolences in the upper and lower houses of parliament. He told members of the audience that his mother had made an oath to serve the country and the people since she was a child, and practiced it with “unparalleled dedication”. “She set an example of selfless performance of duty, and with God’s help and your advice, I am determined to follow her example faithfully.” Afterwards, Charles III and Camilla went to Scotland for a traditional ceremony, where he met Sturgeon for the first time .
In addition to the shock that the Queen’s death brought to the United Kingdom, the continuation of the British Association was also tested. The Caribbean island nation of Antigua and Barbuda (Antigua and Barbuda) Prime Minister Browne (Gaston Browne) told Britain’s “ITV News” following a ceremony to confirm Charles III as head of state in the country on the 11th that the transformation into a republic was “completed”. Independence to ensure a final step towards becoming a truly sovereign state”, a referendum might be held in three years, but he stressed that it would not be an “act of hostility” towards Britain and would not involve leaving the British Association.
