Queen Elizabeth II expressed her gratitude to the Scottish people for their support following the loss of the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret on Saturday as she opened the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh. The monarch’s remarks came as she continued her week-long Golden Jubilee tour north of the border.
“I… reaffirm now my profound affection for Scotland and the importance of the Scottish dimension to my life and the lives of my family,” said the Queen. “My visit here today affords me an opportunity to thank the people of Scotland for their support after the deaths of my mother and sister. I have been so touched by the kindness shown by so many of you over these recent months.”
Later in the day, the Queen continued the visit by hosting a garden party for 8,000 guests at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The Scottish leg of the tour, which began on Friday, has also conferring official city status on the historic town of Stirling, and a chat with the oldest person in Scotland, Lucy D’Abreu, who celebrated her 110th birthday on Friday.
The Queen will continue the Scotland trip with stops in Skye, Lewis and Wick, and is expected to take the Royal Train to Aberdeen, where she will attend a sitting of the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
