 Rwy'r Majesty, Rwy'r Rwy'r Hynes, rwy'n gystafell yn y Gweliadau, ac yn y bydd hynny'n fawr o'r ysgolodau, rwy'n dwyllgor i'r oeddennig i'r felly yma ar y cyfnodau yma. Rwy'n dwylo i'r Parlymynau Scotiau. Ffaltigw Parlymych Naehala-pa. Rwy'n dwylo i'r Majesty, rwy'n dwylo i'r oeddennig, Iein i'r pryd yn y cwybod gyda'r newidster i ni'r iawn ymdwg arfer y pryd o'r pryd i addysgau kunne little arddangos i gyf razor. Felly mae'r pryd yn siarad faith sydd yn ymddug hefyd, mae'r pryd yn bwysig i gydigio ddweudbildungau yw ddim yn ei gweld o'u gwybod. Mae'n nifer o gweithio bwysig dangos o'u gwybod. Mae'n gwybod o'u gwybod o'u gwybod o'u gwybod yn ei f renting un o'u gorffordd llunydd gfaith yma. O'i ychydig i'w myd i wneud methu gyda chyfnod Soliwnig, mae'n f haberbwn i y ffredolionter. Bydd eich prifdoedd o'u cyfrwlol fyddion o'u cyfrwyngu a'u Cymru yn gyd, aeth yn rhan o'r mwy o'r hyn o'r gwneuddyn nhw'n gwybod ar gyfer y cyfraith. Rydw i'n meddwl i'r gweithio'r cyffrin oedd yn 2016 yn ddweud y bydd ymlaen i'r gorffod y byddai o'r cyffrin. a'r ffordd sydd hefyd. Rydyn ni wedi cyfleu sydd obaithol i'n dwylo bod rydyn ni wedi wneud wefnodol. Cyfaint, mae COVID yn gweithio ac yn fwyafu amlaeddiadau ar oeddecheg i ddau gweldau, mae'n bai i gefnogiadau plant oherwydd cyhoedd ym Mhwng. i wedi i'rrifatio i sicr uwch i'i ddechrau'n ei chymniadau i bobl, rydyn ni'n mynd i'r parw ddechrau. Rydyn ni'n gwellio i'r ffriddol i'u meddwl yn dyfodol i'u roiach, yn ei chyfnodd ychydig, yn ei ddefnyddio i defnyddio i ddefnyddio i rwyndiau'u rydyn ni. Ie dinoddd ymgau ei gweldau sgwllt, šfwrdd hynny, mwy oedden nhw'n dweud o'ch gweithio Rethinking of work patterns, for example, and the balance between our working and our caring lives measures to protect public health meant that Parliament couldn't meet in the same way as before, but we adapted. The Parliament came together to pass emergency laws, technology and dedicated staff enabled us to work online and in hybrid form. Our 43 new MSPs have never voted other than in hybrid form. I've not presided over a vote that hasn't taken place both online and in this chamber. A conversation about what changes we may wish to keep is on-going, is continuing in this place, as well as in many other walks of national life. Of course, every parliamentary session brings changes. My predecessors presided over minority, majority and coalition government. This session, too, sees another type of formal agreement between two parties. I'm heartened that this Parliament is the most diverse that we've ever returned. This is the first opening ceremony where we celebrate the election of women of colour. I wish it hadn't taken so long. We know, though, that such progress isn't linear. It can't be taken for granted. It takes continuous effort. We all have a part to play. Let us not stop until we look across this chamber and see Scotland reflected back in all its diversity. The increased electoral turnout in May shows how embedded the Parliament is in the life of the nation. Of course, democratic engagement mustn't stop at the ballot box, as the benefits of working in partnership with our people are profound. We see in our work with the Citizens Assembly and the Climate Assembly. We learn from the children's Parliament and the youth Parliament. We see in the Parliament's groundbreaking participation and communities work that tens of thousands of people come to this Parliament every year, passionately expressing their views—an essential part of our democracy. In this chamber, decisions affecting the lives of people across Scotland will be closely scrutinised and debated. This Parliament can set the tone for that debate. So let's get that tone right. Show that it's possible for people with opposing views to have a constructive conversation and demonstrate that disagreement does not have to be divisive. We won't be afraid to address the local and global challenges of the pandemic and recovery from its effects, nor will we shirk the connected crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. Our interaction with the natural world and other species has far-reaching consequences. Our macker is speaking later. She is someone who believes in paying attention to nature. In her view, maybe a radical noticing could be part of our solution if you're stopping to notice you're not actually trashing the planet. As COP26 approaches, Scotland will become the global focus for action to deliver that solution. As we begin this sixth session, we must challenge ourselves to make the best use of the time we have. When we agree and when we agree to disagree, in the chamber, in committee, in conversation over coffee, we must be parliamentarians as well as politicians. We must maximise scrutiny to best enable this Parliament to hold the Government to account. We must deliver the best outcomes that we can in representing all who call Scotland home, because, regardless of our differences, that surely is our common purpose. Your Majesty, I now invite you to address the Scottish Parliament. Presiding Officer, First Minister and members of the Scottish Parliament, it is a pleasure to be invited to address you on this special occasion. I would like to begin by thanking you for your kind words of welcome. I would also like to congratulate you and the Scottish Parliament as a whole for being able to mark the new session of Parliament in this safe and welcoming manner during what has been a very trying period. Presiding Officer, you carry the weighty responsibility for being a strong advocate for the Parliament and I know you will strive to use your judgment to lead this Parliament by demonstrating fairness, respect and impartiality. Members of the Scottish Parliament, as we all step out from adverse and uncertain times, occasions such as this today provide an opportunity for hope and optimism. Marking this new session does indeed bring a sense of beginning and renewal. The Scottish Parliament has been at the heart of Scotland's response to the pandemic, with people across this country looking to you for leadership and stewardship, and I hope that you will remain at the forefront as we move towards a phase of recovery. While some of you will have differences of opinion, I trust that you will continue to work together. Your service here is carried out in the presence of the mace, and I encourage you to draw inspiration from the founding principles of wisdom, justice, compassion and integrity. These words are a reminder of your responsibilities to the people of Scotland, and in the years ahead I hope that you can reaffirm their importance to everything you do as a member of this Parliament. Today is also a day when we can celebrate those who have made an extraordinary contribution to the lives of other people in Scotland, locally or nationally, during the Covid-19 pandemic. I have spoken before of my deep and abiding affection for this wonderful country, and of the many happy memories Prince Philip and I always held of our time here. It is often said that it is the people that make a place, and there are few places where this is truer than in Scotland, as we have seen in recent times. We all know of the difficult circumstances that many people have encountered during the last 18 months. However, alongside this, there have been countless examples of resilience and goodwill. Following my grandson's time as Lord High Commissioner, Prince William has told me many heartening stories that he heard firsthand of people and communities across Scotland, uniting to protect and care for those who are isolated or vulnerable. It is only fitting that we use this occasion to acknowledge and thank these remarkable people who have made such a positive difference to so many. Members of the Scottish Parliament, as I said earlier, the beginning of a new session is the time for renewal and fresh thinking, providing an opportunity to look to the future and our future generations. Next month, I will be attending COP26 events in Glasgow. The eyes of the world will be on the United Kingdom and Scotland, in particular, as leaders come together to address the challenges of climate change. There is a key role for the Scottish Parliament, as with all parliaments, to help to create a better, healthier future for us all, and to engage with the people that they represent, especially our young people. Presiding Officer, First Minister, members of the Scottish Parliament, the Duke of Duches of Rothsay and I will continue to follow your progress with the closest of interest, and we extend to you all our warmest good wishes as you embark on this sixth session of Parliament. Thank you, Your Majesty. I would now like to invite you all to enjoy a performance from Chorus Tladd and Oren Simpson from the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music. Chorus and Oren will perform an up-tempo and lively instrumental duo from the main pier in Plockton. Their set is a medley of three tunes and includes Pipe Major Jimmy McGregor by John Scott, The Newfoundland Jig and In Response by Oren Simpson. Great privilege in introducing musicians in exile, a group of talented asylum-seeking and refugee musicians as they perform their song Always on the Move, to ensay off the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon MSP, who I now invite to address the chamber. Your Majesty, your royal highnesses, Presiding Officer, fellow members of Parliament and distinguished guests. Your Majesty, we are deeply grateful for your presence here with us today, but our pleasure of course is tinged with regret at an absence. This is the first time you have opened our Parliament without the Duke of Edinburgh by your side. On behalf of everyone in our chamber and across Scotland, I convey again our deep sympathy and shared sorrow at your loss. Your Majesty, thank you for honouring us by opening this sixth session of our Parliament and for your kind and thoughtful address to us today. You have been a steadfast friend of our Parliament since its establishment in 1999, and I know how much all MSPs down the years and across all parties value the support and the wise counsel that you offer us. Your address is the highlight of a day, which is both a ceremony and a celebration. It is a democratic and a cultural moment. The wonderful music, traditional and modern, that we have just listened to underlines that. The last song that we heard from musicians in exile reminds us just how deeply our culture is enriched by the contribution of new Scots from around the world. We are a nation that welcomes people from wherever they come. A nation proud to call itself simply home for everyone who chooses to live here. It is fitting that the growing diversity of modern Scotland is now reflected more clearly in this new Parliament. We now have, among our members, more women than ever before, more people from ethnic minorities than ever before and more people living with visible disabilities than ever before. When members were sworn in, they took oaths in Gallic, German, Urdu, BSL and many other languages and dialects besides. All parties still have more to do. Of that, there is no doubt. Maes election marked an important milestone in ensuring that this Parliament, an institution that exists above all to serve the public and give expression to the priorities and aspirations of our nation, now looks and sounds much more like the people that we represent. That really matters, especially at this moment of change and transition, as our world and our country within it emerges from crisis and considers the future that we want to build. Our wonderful macker, Kathleen Jamie, will shortly recite a new poem for us. In one of her earlier poems, The Beach, Kathleen describes the aftermath of a storm. The poem's narrator, reflecting on beach comers, marvels in those words at people's capacity for resilience and optimism. What a species, all of us hoping for the marvellous, all hankering for a changed life. Right now, as we battle through the storm of a global pandemic, that hope, that hankering for change is perhaps felt more strongly by more people than at any time in our recent history. That gives this Parliament a momentous responsibility and a historic opportunity. Covid has been the biggest crisis to confront the world since the Second World War. It has caused pain and heartbreak. It has exposed and exacerbated deep inequalities within our society. However, it has also revealed humankind's boundless capacity for inventiveness, solidarity and love. For those of us in public service, it has reminded us that with collective political will, changes that we might previously have thought impossible or just too difficult can indeed be achieved. In the months ahead, we must take the same urgency and resolve with which we have confronted this pandemic and apply it to the hard work of recovery and renewal, to the task of building a fairer and greener future for this and the generations who come after us. Seizing this moment is first and foremost about the substance of our discussions about what we seek to achieve. In the words of Scotland's first macker, the late Edwin Morgan, those of us so privileged to serve in this national parliament must not let our work and hope be other than great. However, it is also about how we conduct our politics. Those of us who sit in this chamber will disagree, often and often very vigorously. However, in the years ahead, we will also, I hope, find the resolve, indeed the courage, to reach beyond our disagreements and find consensus and common purpose where we can. There is, I believe, a desire across our country as we emerge from the trauma of the pandemic for a better, more hopeful approach to politics and to governance. At a time when the challenges facing Scotland and the world are so great, we cannot, must not, allow our responses to be small. The responsibility, therefore, indeed the duty of this sixth Scottish Parliament, is to rise to that challenge, to lead our country out of crisis and towards a better future, and to do so with wisdom, compassion, justice, integrity and courage, to live up to those ideals on which this Parliament is founded, to discharge the calling that you set out for us, Your Majesty, in your speech at our inaugural opening 22 years ago, when you counseled us to exercise wisdom in using the powers of this Parliament and to serve and serve well all of the people of this land of ours as we strive together to achieve our hopes for the marvellous, our hankering for a changed and a better life. I would now like to introduce Michael Biggins, the winner of the 2021 BBC Radio Scotland's young traditional musician of the year. He will perform a medley of A-Fond Kiss by Robert Burns and his own Curran Street. A fleeing Jamie, to read the poem, she wrote specially for today's ceremony, The Morrowbird. Mack her. The Morrowbird, suppose we begin with a glacier bearing a massive stone till the world warms leaving the boulder abandoned alone through aeons of desolation before a wind brings crumbs of earth, tundra forms with reindeer, then one day a bird from an uncanned to airt the future circles appraisingly and drops a gift, a hazelnut, which sends forth the tree that inaugurates the forest, pine green and berry bright. The wood holds sway a thousand years then feels the first axe bite. The rest we cry history, chi and castle, empire, mine and mill till we win the right to be governed according to our will, which brings us to this chamber where at our provisional behest today you take your places, well here is a first request, then birds back, quelling over, bedraggled and dismayed, she soared to sight the horizon but returned afraid, she soared to sight the horizon, her wings flashed gold but turned back preparing herself to tell what must be told and perched on a certain boulder, her lifelong friend, she's ready so please listen as she calls you to attend. All things pass and change, that's I've been the way but the stark vision I saw up there must be a lad for that no lone child or woman or man will be enough, you'll want your multifariousness when it all gets tough, stones it won't be sufficient just to sit in your doubts and say nay, trees don't be waving your arms about in some new breeze every day, it's maddening your own age old injustices remain but now your human influence pervades the wild domains, on you depend the puddock's leap, the hare's breath, the drone of summer breeze, the whales dive in the ocean and you need them, so please let the morrow birds handle be wisdom, leavened with music and song, we seek good governance parliament, act bold, be kind, stay strong. Thank you very much indeed Makker. Our final performance this morning is from the National Youth Choir of Scotland singing We Hold the Future and this was filmed in the stunning surroundings of Farland Point, Isle of Cumbria. You would like to join me in thanking all our performers for providing an outstanding programme of entertainment for us today. I would also like to thank Her Majesty the Queen and the Royal Highnesses, the Duke and Duchess of Rothsy and I now close this meeting of the Parliament.