 The next item of business is tributes to her late Majesty the Queen. I'd be grateful if members who wished to contribute were to press their request to speak buttons now. I call John Swinney, Deputy First Minister. Let me begin first of all by extending a warm welcome to Rosamul Call on her election to Parliament today. It is a great privilege to contribute to this debate to recognise the unrivalled record of service by her Majesty the Queen and her commitment to devote her life to the service of her people. Fulfilling that commitment, Her Majesty visited communities the length and breadth of Scotland, the United Kingdom and many countries across the Commonwealth and the globe. In some of her visits, she brought solace and comfort to communities that were hurting. In most cases, she brought much joy. Indeed, on one of her visits to the city of Perth in my own constituency, she brought very good news. During her diamond jubilee in 2012, the Queen granted city status to the city of Perth. The city and Royal Borough of Perth was the capital of Scotland from the 9th century until 1437, but city status was summarily removed on local government reorganisation in 1975. The restoration of city status was the culmination of a local campaign, expertly led by my dear friend and the former provost of Perth in Canross, Dr John Halbert. The awarding of city status took place on a beautiful day in July 2012 on the banks of the River Tey, when the Queen was presented with the keys to the city and the Duke of Edinburgh was awarded the freedom of the city of Perth. It seemed a pretty fair exchange for the great honour that had been bestowed on Perth. That morning, I had been on the radio dealing with the prospect of job losses at the halls of Broxburn sausage factory. When I was introduced to the Queen, I thought she might ask me something about local matters of interest in Perthshire. She rather wrong-footed me, however, by expressing her concerns about the possible loss of jobs at halls of Broxburn and wished me well in my efforts to avoid that happening. I never knew if this was a product of impeccable briefing by royal staff or the reputed keen interest of the Queen to follow the broadcast media, and now I shall never know the answer to that question of intrigue. Although Her Majesty the Queen enjoyed a very long life, her death at Balmoral Castle stunned us all. It also meant that all of the arrangements carefully planned over many years to deal with such a situation were put into place. It has been widely recognised from the moment Her Majesty's Cortège left the gates of Balmoral Castle to the moment she left Scotland for the last time. Our country paid due, respectful and appropriate tribute to Her Majesty the Queen and her deep association with Scotland. I would like to place on record my deepest thanks to all of the public servants in Scotland across many organisations and partners who worked with care, precision and commitment to ensure all of that could be achieved. Her Majesty the Queen clearly loved Scotland, and the days after her death the people of Scotland demonstrated they reciprocated that love for Her Majesty the Queen. I now call Jeremy Balfour to be followed by Daniel Johnson. Thank you, Presiding Officer. It's my honour to speak in this debate this morning on behalf of myself and my constituents of Lovian. Her Majesty was no stranger to Edinburgh and her palace is our neighbour. There have been so many words spoken over the last days about Her late Majesty that show just how much an impact she had on the lives of the people of this nation. The profound sense of loss that has been felt around our islands as well as further afield has been intense and I'm sure her life will be remembered by many generations to come. Presiding Officer, there are many aspects of the late Queen's life that I could pay tribute to, but in the short time that I have I would like to talk briefly about her faith. Throughout her reign Queen Elizabeth II was not forthcoming on her views and opinions on politics or culture issues of the day. She was a professional, ensuring that as head of state she remained politically neutral. We knew nothing about her economic or social beliefs. However, one area in her life that she chose to let the public in was her personal and abiding faith in Jesus Christ. It was a constant theme in her Christmas addresses. It was the base upon which her life was built. I'm a measure against which she weighed all things. In her Christmas address in the year 2000 she said this. To many of us our beliefs are of fundamental importance. For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I like many of you have drawn great comfort in this difficult times from Christ's words and example. Queen Elizabeth II leaves behind the legacy of faith in Jesus. She exemplified the requirements described in the book of Micah of doing justly, love and mercy and walking humbly with her God. She was not perfect and none of us are. But she was an example of striving for Godly virtue. I am certain that she has now swapped her earthly crown for another and had heard the words, welcome home, good and faithful servant. I play that King Charles knows the same love and comfort of Jesus as his mother. We thank God for the Queen. God save the King. I call Daniel Johnson to be followed by Sharon Dowie. Thank you very much Presiding Officer. It's perhaps difficult at the end of this 10 day period of national mourning to find new things or fresh things to say. Except to express that on a personal level I'm surprised by the deep sense of loss and reflection that I have had personally. Indeed surprised that my teenage self would be almost horrified by as a teenage political geek. I spent much time thinking about constitutions and reforms but I have to say not much time thinking about monarchy. Indeed if you asked me about the royal family I would refer you to my dear departed Aunt Mary who was both a Corgi breeder and probably had the best collection of commemorative China in Edinburgh. I'm not sure if her Corgi's were actually directly related to those of the Queen or if that was just heavily implied. Is this a sense of personal reaction which I think has been shared across the nation and indeed across the nations? Because hers was a remarkable life and for all of us who aspire to public service she stands as a shining example. Because while I think the last few days have been an example of state ceremony and those things always come with a sense of shared experience and sense of identity. What has I think been remarkable is how that has been expressed as the Queen's coffin passed the crowds. There were cheers and applause and on the first instance I wondered is that an appropriate reaction. I think it absolutely was because while the people were absolutely mourning they were also giving thanks. Thanks to a remarkable person, a remarkable life and for the job that she did. Because above all else and as be mentioned by John Swinney and Jeremy Balfour hers was a job that she did for others. It was a job that she did not apply for, she did not ask to do, it was a job that she knew she needed to do on behalf of us all. It was this selfless sense of duty that she performed for 70 years that I think is truly remarkable and is the reflection that so many people have had. The fact that she managed to do that job for all those years and not express her personal opinions to simply reflect those of the nation I think is her outstanding legacy and I think is truly remarkable. But above all else is also the values and the virtues that she embodied. She put others first. She is a person, her job was indistinguishable from her family life. That is I think a very difficult thing to balance. And while we're not all monarchs, we are all family members, we are all friends and it's this sense of putting others first that I think is why we're truly giving thanks. Because she put our interests first and she stands as an example of what we should do to put others first. And my reflection and what I would say to my teenage self is that while structures and institutions matter, it's values and deeds and what you do with those things matter above all else. And then that as monarchs or ministers, as shop workers or as teachers, as parents, neighbours or friends, that is the outstanding example and legacy of Her Majesty the Queen. God rest her soul and God save the king. Thank you. I call Sharon Dowey to be followed by Fergus Ewing. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Her Majesty the Queen has been an inspiration for the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth for 70 years. No monarch in modern history has had such an impact on either her nation or the world. We owe her a debt for her leadership, for her calm confidence in times of trouble and her unique ability to unite our nation and lift our spirits. In her 21st birthday broadcast, Her Majesty pledged that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service. Rarely has such a promise been so well kept. She had a sense of duty to which many of us can only aspire. Her Majesty pursued her duties with a tireless dedication, diligently spending many hours reading the context of the red boxes she was presented with every day of her working life. She took an active approach to government, never letting anything slip her by while always remaining politically neutral. We cannot forget that this dedication to duty also had a personal cost, with months spent away from her children while on Commonwealth tours, a reason why she treasured her time at Balmoral so much to spend time with her family. Over the course of the Queen's reign, Commonwealth developed from just seven nations to 56 member states, representing more than a third of the world's population. 15 Prime Ministers, the first being Winston Churchill, have served under her. All have left Buckingham Palace and Balmoral with admiration for her kindness, intelligence, wisdom and wit, as have countless presidents, ambassadors, princes and leaders from all faiths. I had the pleasure of being present when Her Majesty opened this Parliament last year. Even at the age of 95, her charm and intellect were no less diminished, despite the loss of her daily beloved husband Philip. Right up to the very end, she continued her relentless schedule of public engagements and constitutional duties, adapting to the times as she has always done. In the darkest days of the pandemic, she provided leadership and was a beacon of hope to millions. She has led us through war, through the good times and bad. She has been a constant in our lives and an inspiration to millions. We have shared jubilee milestones along the way, seen her jump from a helicopter with 007 and have afternoon tea with a very special beer Paddington. Finally, we found out what Her Majesty kept in her handbag. We were so very lucky to have her. Thank you, ma'am. May you rest in peace now back forever with your beloved Philip. Long live the King. I call Fergus Ewing to be followed by Paul O'Kane. Presiding Officer, it's an honour and a privilege to have this opportunity to pay tribute to Her late Majesty the Queen. Her long life was one of dedicated service. Over the 70 years of her reign, she performed her duties with both wisdom and diligence. Her commitment to that task, made by her upon her accession to the throne, was faithfully delivered over the next seven decades. It was delivered with a selfless devotion, which was quite remarkable. I submit one that was without precedent, either here in Scotland, in the rest of the UK or possibly throughout the rest of the world over that period. Whatever views people in Scotland and the UK may have about the monarchy, it is clear that almost everyone held the Queen in great respect and admiration. In addition to that, those people who had the good fortune to have spoken to and met the Queen also regarded her with affection in addition to that respect. That's no more so than in the Highlands of Scotland and, indeed, throughout rural Scotland. Her home in Balmoral was regarded as her happy place, and she spent much time there in the last precious years with her late husband. She was regarded by those in Braymar and Ballater in particular as a neighbour and a friend. She had, I believe, a great rapport with those whose work is in the countryside, whether they be farmers or crofters, gillies or keepers, the people who care for their livestock, the people that produce our food, that steward the land and manage the wildlife. She understood them all. She also loved the music of the pipes as her personal pipers have testified in recent days. My experience as an MSP and when farming minister, Presiding Officer, was that our farmers in Scotland are rarely given to overt displays of emotion or sentiment, not for them the showing of affection in public, but maybe that was just the reaction to me when I was farming minister. But at any rate, their respect and love for their queen was clearly demonstrated in the now famous tractor tribute by the local north-east farmers. A display captured so well in the aerial photographs that I'm sure were seen throughout the world. They were devoted to her, and they admired and loved her. In the castle of May in Caithness, I was privileged to meet King Charles III when he was Prince of Wales. I was left with no doubt that he's inherited his mother's love of Scotland and of the people of Scotland. He has, over the past sad days, since his late mother's death, shown his own many qualities and commitments, especially perhaps to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. And he now, I believe, carries with him a bank of goodwill and a feeling of confidence amongst the people that he will reign in a steadfast and a selfless manner as the queen. Her Majesty provided us with stability and comfort at difficult times. Her example to all of us in public service of 70 years of selfless service to others is to me and many others quite humbling. Queen Elizabeth was indeed the Queen of Scots, and King Charles III will be the King of Scots. So, in conclusion, it's with both humility and respect that I offer these brief words of tribute to Her Majesty and say in conclusion, God save the king. Thank you. I call Paul O'Kane to be followed by Murdo Fraser. Thank you, Presiding Officer. In the past few days, it has been hard not to be moved by the words written in the book of Ecclesiastes. For everything that is a season and a time for every matter under heaven, a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance. If you do not have faith, the poetry, I think, speaks to the collective experience of these past days. As people across our communities have sought to respond to the death of the longest-serving monarch in our nation's history, and as a family have mourned a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother. Across West Scotland, constituents have cried and laughed as they have shared their memories of the Queen, and of course her many visits in the cause of the service to which she pledged herself at such a young age and carried out faithfully until just 11 days ago. With her launching ships on the Clyde at Port Glasgow, opening the Tannahill Community Centre in Paisley, or visiting factories in Irvine, people remember where they were, each word of the conversation they had, and of course how they felt when they met her in their own towns and villages. She was, of course, the great constant in our ever-changing world, a sense of certainty in a world that is all too often uncertain, enduring with people and places in good times and bad. I was struck when listening to the service of thanksgiving from Belfast Cathedral last week, when the Archbishop of Arma John McDibble said, there were two people whose deaths we could never imagine, our own and the Queen's. I think that blend of constancy and her touching so many lives is why her loss has been so keenly felt, even by those who have no connection to or belief in constitutional monarchy. There has been a real sense of an era ending. Presiding Officer, it was also in that Belfast service that we were able to reflect on the Queen's commitment to peace and reconciliation. Her leadership in letting go of the past, no matter how painful, acknowledging difference and using symbols and language as a way of showing respect and understanding has helped to make the unthinkable reality. As someone who shares both British and Irish citizenship, I thank her for that and believe that we all still have much to learn about the power of rooting ourselves in forgiveness, patience and reconciliation. Yesterday I know that for so many people they felt as though a door closed. Who could help but feel that sense of finality as the haunting pipes faded beyond the doors of the Abbey or St George's Chapel. But like King Solomon in Ecclesiastes, we know that there is a season and a time for everything. And so inspired by her duty, her service to communities like those in West Scotland and her commitment to reconciliation, let us all sow seeds of good in our time. Requies cat in patchy. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Thank you. I call Murdo Fraser to be followed by Angus Robertson. Thank you, Presiding Officer. My mother, who died last year, always kept on the mantelpiece in the living room the card that she and my father had received from Buckingham Palace to mark their diamond wedding anniversary. My mother, who was very ill towards the end of her life and suffered from very severe dementia, failed to recognise many faces but the one face she continued to recognise was that of Her Majesty the Queen, which appeared on this card from the palace. I think that's a very small indication of the huge impact that our longest serving monarch had on people's lives that our face had become so recognisable, not just to people in this country, to the people around the world. Now my mother never had the opportunity to meet the Queen. I'm sure she would have loved to have had that and I'm sure if she had, she would have found that she had much in common because they both grew up in that generation that had suffered the provisions of wartime when they were very young. I had the pleasure of meeting the Queen some years ago at Holyrood Palace at the reception and I'm sure some members here who were there will also remember that particular occasion. We all arrived, we were all formally introduced to the Queen as we arrived and we stood around in groups in the Great Gallery as people tend to do on these occasions making small talk. Suddenly I realised a small figure had appeared beside me and I looked down and this was the Queen and she'd arrived with absolutely no fanfare or announcement. She'd just slipped up on us and at that point, Presiding Officer, there was an awkward silence because nobody knew what to say. What do you say to the Queen? I'd read somewhere there was some royal protocol that when you were in the presence of royalty you meant to wait for them to speak first. So we were all terrified to say something and eventually because I couldn't stand this silence anymore I'd remembered the Queen had been at the Highland show that day so I piped up and asked her if she'd enjoyed her visit to the Highland show and immediately her face lit up and she started to speak very animatedly about her trip to the Highland show and all the cows that she had seen. My knowledge of cows extends to the fact that they have four legs and a tail. That could have been a very short conversation but fortunately in the group was my former colleague John Scott who knows a lot about cows. He was then able to join the conversation with the Queen and discuss all the cows that she had witnessed and so the conversation proceeded at a pace but I'm still haunted by the fact that I broke royal protocol by raising that conversation first of all but I think it's the ability of the Queen displayed to put people at ease which was so evident on that occasion that made her so suited to the role she carried out but so successfully over so many years. The other significant element of her life was as Jeremy Balfour reminded us her deep and sincere Christian faith which she was never ashamed to proclaim. Although a monarch and the symbolic head of the nation she regarded herself as the servant Queen a servant to her Lord Jesus Christ and to her people. For 70 years we sang God Save the Queen but we need to do that no more as the Queen has been saved as the Archbishop of Canterbury reminded us yesterday in his sermon in Westminster at Abbey for the Christian death is the door to glory. Instead our prayers today are for King Charles that he might follow her glorious example and so today we sing God Save the King in the hope and expectation that he will do as his mother did that he will be a leader and a servant to his people and he and we should remember the famous lines from Robert Burns but while we sing God Save the King we'll never forget the people Thank you. I call Angus Robertson to be followed by Sue Weber. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. It's an honour to take part in this tribute quite different in circumstances to the last I was involved in for Queen Elizabeth which was to mark her 90th birthday in April 2016 together with the then Prime Minister and then leader of the UK Labour Party I co-sponsored a House of Commons motion as Westminster leader of the SNP which marked her remarkable birthday and long reign at that stage. What I hadn't figured with those tributes was that we were then to personally deliver them to Buckingham Palace where the Queen received us. I'd made mention in my tribute to the stories and we've heard some of them in the last 10 days of her having been out and about in places like this Arthur Seat, Aberdeenshire and elsewhere, unrecognised by the public. My neighbouring party leader in the line-up asked her whether that was actually true. With a twinkle in her eye she replied quick as a flash that it must be. Not long before her 90th birthday tributes I was sworn into the Privy Council by Her Majesty a requirement and honour since the SNP had become the third party in the House of Commons in 2015 and I had taken oversight responsibilities for the security agencies. Similarly to my previous experience I had no idea what to expect at this particular ceremony. Clearly none of the other Privy councillors there did either. After the formalities the Queen turned to me as the only Scott present to ask about the border's railway. Only a few months before she'd opened the service and she'd travelled its length with Prince Philip and with the First Minister. The Queen regaled everybody at the Privy Council meeting about the journey and about the beauty of the borders. Incidentally it was the very day that she'd become the longest reigning British monarch. In more recent years the Queen became the longest reigning monarch of a major European state overtaking Emperor Francis I of Austria-Hungary's 67 years. It was a genuine pleasure and an honour to meet Queen Elizabeth at a good number of state events as it was with now King Charles III. Little did anybody then know that the planning for the circumstances of her death in Scotland would sadly come to pass here. Little did I know that I'd represent here in the Scottish Parliament the heart of Edinburgh where the first public commemorative events of Queen Elizabeth would take place. It's nearly 500 years since the last Scottish monarch actually died in this country and funeral events took place here in the capital. The two monarchs were actually connected in recent weeks and the Crown of King James V lying on the coffin of Queen Elizabeth in St Giles Cathedral. She'd lain the night before and stayed in Holyrood Palace only yards away from where James V lies buried in Holyrood Abbey. Queen Elizabeth will forever be associated with Scotland, given her love of this country, its people and indeed of this Parliament at the heart of our national life. I wish King Charles and his family all the best at the sad time given their personal loss. I look back at the last weekend more and hopefully gain some comfort from the genuine affection that Queen Elizabeth was held. I call Sue Webber to be followed by Pauline McNeill. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I'm thankful that Parliament has set aside time today to allow us all to pay respects to our longest serving monarch. I don't think anyone could have predicted the depth of emotion when the dreadful news came through that I met the Queen on several occasions throughout my life and each occasion left an indelible impression upon me and each one quite different. In 1977 I watched the procession in Edinburgh for the Queen's Silver Jubilee. I was young, but I recall seeing both her and the Duke of Edinburgh in the stunning Scottish stagecoach and this left a lasting impression on me and why I wouldn't it, a young girl watching a Queen in a lovely coach. On 5 July 1985 Her Majesty the Queen visited the Scottish Police College at Tulley Allen. My dad was an instructor there. My recollection was watching her plant a tree in the grounds and some things you never forget no matter how small they are and after planting that tree she went off to the skidpan area. However, I've got no recollection if she was driving or not. On 4 July 2017 the Queen wore a bold floral dress in pink hues. It was absolutely stunning. Breathtaking. And in September 2017 when the Queen was officially opening a roof garden at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary she passed me and we waved. It was just me standing in the rain as she entered Forrester Hill. In June 2019 as a City of Edinburgh councillor I had the honour to be presented to Her Majesty at the Ceremony of the Keys at the Palace of Holyrood House. A ceremony the world is far more familiar with as it has been beamed around the world last week as King Charles III accepted those same historic keys. Last week I was privileged to see her return to Edinburgh one last time. Edinburgh hosted the Queen for three days after her death. My constituents my friends and family and people across Scotland showed our city in the very best light and paid the warmest tribute possible to the Queen. On Friday I attended a poignant memorial service at the Kirk of Calder in West Lothian. It is a testament to Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second's dedication and commitment to our country during her 70-year reign that so many of us have our own memories and collections of meeting her no matter how small. She served our country selflessly and I am humbled to pay tribute to her remarkable reign today. Our new king, King Charles III, addressed Parliament last Monday and it was a privilege to be present for that. Long live our noble king. Thank you, I call Pauline McNeill to be followed by Stephen Kerr. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Today we marked a life that extraordinary women Queen Elizabeth II who, born into British status, was true to her words that she would serve the British public for the rest of her life and she did that touching the lives of so many people. Her knowledge and the knowledge that she gained with her audiences, with world leaders and Prime Ministers I think gave her an astounding understanding of what was important in political and public life. And again, after 9-11, visiting the Muslim leaders in Bradford when the Muslim community felt under attack. She had a strong relationship with this Parliament and she did until her death and during the land reform bill which I chaired, I recall, that our very animated Dennis Canavan had been very, very anxious about continued access to Balmoral. The Queen was clear, in fact she wrote to the committee at the time, quite clear that access to walkers and ramblers would remain on the Balmoral estate. There was no one more delighted than Dennis Canavan that get the Queen's approval for his amendment at stage 2. During the period of mourning I learned more I think that we all did about Queen Elizabeth and I was impressed by the stories of her feisty and forward thinking behaviour. As Princess Elizabeth she joined the auxiliary territorial service in 1945, becoming the first female member of the royal family to join the armed services as a full-time active member and in fact she remains the only female member of the royal family to join the military. During her time there the Princess learnt to drive and to maintain military vehicles. Queen Elizabeth's first military appointment was as Colonel and Chief to the Balaclava Company 5th Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland and then Princess Elizabeth of York was appointed on her 21st birthday. Perhaps due to her training in maintaining vehicles she was a car enthusiast. But this is the story that I liked most. In 2003 when King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia visited Balmoral she offered to mature of the palace. Apparently when the Queen's land rover was brought round King Abdullah got in the front passenger seat and to his surprise the Queen climbed into the driving seat and drove off and of course as we all know in other debates when we were not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia at the time and is still a thorny issue today but she was not used to being driven by a woman that's for sure. His nervous has only increased as the Queen accelerated the land rover along the narrow Scottish estate roads talking all the time as she does through her interpreter the Crown Prince begged the Queen to slow down and concentrate on the road. She was indeed feisty. Long may she be remembered for her incredible kindness to children to the sick and to those in need. May we all apply this to our own lives? It has been a privilege to make these just marks this morning. Thank you. I call Stephen Kerr to be followed by Willie Rennie. Presiding Officer, we all have our memories of our late Queen. I first saw her when I was in first year at Forfer Academy. I played the bad pipes and was part of the Forfer Borough pipe band. Every year we were invited as a band to play at the Brimar Gardering. The masked pipes and drums played her into the arena. That was when I first saw her. All the extra polishing of uniform buckles and buttons and badges was for her. And something told my boyish self that she was worth it because she was my Queen. In 1997 I was part of the Tayside Schools choir that sang for the Queen when she visited Dundee on her silver jubilee tour. We sang a chorus from Boreddon's Prince Igor and the old 100th Sam all people that on earth do dwell. But it was singing God Save the Queen in front of her that touched my heart because she was my Queen. Queen Elizabeth was a Christian woman. Her queenship she saw as a sacred calling and she dedicated her life to serving God and serving people. Her Christmas messages those most personal passages were her testimony of Jesus as saver and redeemer. In 2014 she said for me the life of Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace whose birth we celebrate today is an inspiration to anchor in my life a role model of reconciliation and forgiveness. He stretched out his hands in love, acceptance and healing. Christ's example has taught me to seek to respect and value all people of whatever faith or none. In 2000 the Queen said for me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability for God provide a framework in which I tried to lead my life. I, like so many of you have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ's words an example. And yesterday the Archbishop of Canterbury said people of loving service are rare in any walk of life leaders of loving service are still rarer. Archbishop Justin how in 1953 the Queen began her coronation with a silent prayer at the high altar of Westminster Abbey. The Archbishop said her allegiance to God was given before any person gave allegiance to her. Her service to so many people in this nation the Commonwealth and the world had its foundation in her following Christ God himself who said that he came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. Presiding Officer we are all witnesses to her late Majesty's commitment to strive to follow Christ's example of loving service to others. To the service she gave to the people of Scotland the United Kingdom the Commonwealth and the wider world Queen Elizabeth was a true and faithful servant who kept her promise to God she is Elizabeth the faithful we can only try to follow the Queen's example and to follow the role model that she followed in Jesus Christ. In truth if we seek a way to remember and honour Elizabeth the faithful following her example in loving service is the only meaningful honour that is required. Thank you. I call Willie Rennie to be followed by Audrey Nicholl. We've had many fine contributions this morning very touching contributions from Murdo Fraser about his mother from Fergus Ewing about the Queen's connection with Rural Scotland and also from Pauline McNeill with regard to feistiness which I think was appropriate but there's one thing I didn't think I would learn this morning was that Stephen Kerr was ever a fire boy I was sorry I wasn't here last weekend I was observing the Swedish elections but it did give me an opportunity to see from afar how impeccable how exceptional the organisation was for the tributes last weekend and I think John Swinney was right to pay tribute to all those people who have worked so hard to give that lasting tribute that lasting legacy for the Queen and I want too to thank them for their efforts The choir and the piper yesterday for me were the two stand out moments I have to say the piper sent chills down my spine and the choir was just quite extraordinary and I think overall throughout the United Kingdom and Scotland we should be proud that just like the Queen in our country we gave a great fitting send-off to her As I watched the contributions last weekend I was really inspired by the quality and the heartfelt nature of the contributions both in this chamber but also from leaders right across the world President Macron in France was quite extraordinary Joe Biden likewise but gosh I have to say King Charles went to Northern Ireland that just showed how the world had moved on and how both sides of the divide in Northern Ireland came together to show I think their agony their sensitivity and their heartfelt condolences to the King and that just showed I think the mark in many ways that the Queen not alone but the Queen made to this part she has left a lasting legacy in that part of the world and I think that alone if nothing else we should be thankful for I don't know for those who've lost close relatives and stood at the Kirk as the funeral service ended that for some is an agonising moment it's difficult to hold in your emotions when you've lost somebody so close I can't imagine what the King has felt like from the very moment that his mother died for the last hours weeks, days he has had to put a public face on and show great professionalism I have to say great professionalism but the turmoil in that man and the rest of the family must be extraordinary and we should think about the service that he has already shown just through those simple acts the professionalism is swirling round in his heart but the final tribute I want to make is to the hundreds of thousands of people who have stood in line whether it's here or in London or down the M90 motorway or all through London to pay tribute to the Queen I want to thank them for doing that and I think it was right that so many did so but I also want to acknowledge those who just like the Queen gave a quiet nod or a quiet word of appreciation for the contribution of the Queen over 70 years I think that probably just speaks with great volume as much as those who stood in line because I think the appreciation of the Queen is almost universal not just in this country but across the world understated important but powerful God save the King Thank you Over the last week or 10 days or so in my constituency of Aberdeen South and North Kincardin flowers, flags, pictures and notices of closures on shop doors a kind of quietness all reflecting the sadness and shock felt on the occasion of the death of Her Majesty the Queen indeed across Scotland and beyond we've seen a profound but truly fitting outpouring of sorrow but also celebration of a life given to others sorrow felt by many across the age band and reflecting so many cultures and communities paying tribute to the Queen her dedication, commitment and unwavering public duty people from all walks of life united together to share reflection and sadness as they come to terms with the loss of their Queen for so many the Queen was the only monarch they have ever known in their lifetime a steadying figure leading all who loved her through decades of change conflict and well just the challenges of life a reassuring constant in the lives of many steadying the ship in times of uncertainty and like so many of us she also experienced her own pain and loss, bereavement family break up, ill health and of course Covid but alongside our sorrow a time to re-celebrate the contribution she made to the lives of so many her experience, wisdom and of course that sense of humour giving people she met lifelong memories of a joke shared or a conversation remembered my personal reflection of the Queen is undertaking many security duties at her numerous public engagements in the north-east but also observing her personal routine including Sunday service at Crafty Church on D-side a familiar but relaxed interlude from public duties for her amongst her family and her friends and of course her willingness to begin embracing modern life but at the same time maintaining that all-important royal tradition and I share a final memory this morning the reflections of an artist featured in one of the many royal documentaries aired recently on TV and who painted one of her many portraits on arrival for the Queen's first sitting he was patiently waiting when she entered the room and kindly told him just to tell her what he wanted her to do so he did so to which she turned and looked at him very quizzically and replied you can't make me do that to which he politely responded well I'll try anyway they both smiled and that made me smile too thank you I call Ross McCall to be followed by Jackson Carlaw and Ross McCall's first speech in the chamber thank you two weeks ago when I sat watching television I couldn't have imagined that I would be standing here addressing this chamber and I certainly couldn't have imagined my first speech would be to voice my respect for her Majesty the Queen to thank her for her tireless and selfless devotion to serving her people and this country after she had passed so many changes in such a short time I was privileged to be sitting up in the Presiding Officer's chamber up the stairs last Monday to take part in the very moving proceedings and to hear the address from King Charles III on the train back home I started chatting to a woman who'd been in Edinburgh all day to pay her respects she told me she felt a strong bond with her Majesty that she didn't realise just how deeply the Queen's passing would affect her and that she just had to go a feeling felt by many that made their way here to our capital city she told me that her father was born on the same year as the Queen and even though he had passed a few years ago he, like her, loved his horse racing so much so that he never missed putting a bet on the Queen's horse she left the train before I could find out if that was particularly lucrative for him but that lady hoped they would be passing betting tips and talking horses in heaven an example if one was needed just to how familiar and approachable our Queen came across as I start my new role as a member of the Scottish Parliament I'm reminded of the Queen's Christmas broadcast back in 1974 when many of the concerns facing people were very similar to the issues of today there was a cost of living rise extreme weather events like flooding and uncertainty in our future in this address she said there are indeed real dangers and there are real fears and we will never overcome them if we turn against each other with angry accusations we may hold different points of view but it is in these times of stress and difficulty that we most need to remember we have much more in common than there is dividing us thank you your Majesty for your words of wisdom I hope to work to your example rest in peace ma'am and God save the king I call Jackson Carlaw to be followed by Martin Whitfield thank you Presiding Officer and I say what a pleasure it is to follow Ross McCall to welcome you to the chamber and to wish you every success in the years ahead as others have said what is there left to say what hasn't been expressed what hasn't been said what hasn't been demonstrated over the last two weeks or wasn't represented in the majesty of yesterday's occasion not just the casket with the instrument of states but that magnificent floral tribute so vibrant and full of colour that was so relevant of her majesty herself and I reflected that when she came to the throne in 1952 there were just two and a half billion people on the planet seven years later when I was born there were three billion now there are eight billion people on the planet and 96% of them until now had known no other sovereign or head of state in the United Kingdom other than her majesty the queen for the whole world then she had been this point of reference this point of continuity and I think that is partly why so many people have been affected and have followed the events of the last week for me it was her quiet humour and I want to give three examples two I know to be true, one I hope to be true for those who were here in the 2007-11 parliament we'll recall our late colleague Alex Ferguson as presiding officer when introducing her majesty referred to the fact that his father was in charge to deliver the sermon at Crathey Kirk and Alex told how he'd written the whole sermon out very very carefully and was delivering it when he turned over the first page all the other pages he said tumbled onto the floor in front of him and he was completely lost for words and in a response her majesty said yes I do remember your father and I do recall saying to Prince Philip how commendably brief his sermon had been my second example which I've always treasured which was one that related to Edward Heath and many people may have seen it it was in a documentary to mark her 40th anniversary now Edward Heath was a man who was very full of himself any of us who had dealings with him can testify to that and he was lambasting the American Secretary of State because he long years out of office Edward Heath had been to Iraq and had been negotiating with Saddam Hussein and was telling the American Secretary of State you really need to be doing this too and we cut to some of the bit of the documentary and then he came back and he was still doing it and her majesty wandered up and he said I'm just explaining to the Secretary of State that he needs to get over to Iraq and negotiate to which she responded yes but you're expendable and he isn't advice I've commended to some of my regional colleagues when they've been a little bit uppity from time to time the final example which is the one I don't know to be true but I hope is true was that her majesty was addressing a family gathering went to sit down only to find the footman had removed her chair and she just tumbled on to the floor and she and the whole family just burst into hysterical laughter at the entire event and that sums up what I think is true that her majesty didn't take herself seriously she took her role seriously and to that role she brought dignity, duty, service, integrity and faith and in that moment when she passed I think there was an anxiety a collective anxiety that perhaps those qualities were going to die with her and there was almost a reaching out of the public to embrace those qualities to ensure that they weren't lost maybe we all just for a moment thought that maybe we too should think about dignity, duty, service, integrity and faith and then there was that reassurance whether it was in the Erlen Countess of Wessex and there are two children by count seven and Lady Louise Mumbatt and Windsor the queen's youngest son was it in the duty and dignity of the Princess Royal was it in the calm grace of the Duchess of Rothsy was it in the composure of her two children Prince George and Princess Charlotte or was it in the example over the last ten days of the Duke of Rothsy and the King himself suddenly we felt those qualities were safe we felt safe and life presiding officer life goes on safe the King Thank you, I call Martin Whitfield to be followed by Liz Smith Thank you Presiding Officer to the Chamber for this opportunity on this day and it's a great pleasure to follow as always Jackson Carlaw's free-forming speeches but can I also take this opportunity to welcome Ros McAul to the Chamber and the work that I know that she will do going forward in the 11 days since the sad passing of Her Majesty the Queen much has been written about her remarkable life and dedicated reign over the past 70 years her loss keenly felt by the whole country but most of all by the royal family who lost a mother, a grandmother and a great grandmother all our hearts go out to her family and my deepest condolences are with them but throughout her reign the Queen was always a source of reassurance compassion, unity linking people and communities locally through to a national level in Scotland across the UK and indeed across the Commonwealth the huge sense of loss and outpouring of grief felt by so many millions across the UK and the rest of the world is a testimony to how well loved she was and by so many Her Majesty's great love of Scotland was of course well known in my home East Lothian we were fortunate to welcome her to the county on a number of occasions over the years including her last visit in 2016 to Musselborough Racecourse which speaks volumes of her personal life as well and I know from local people who met or saw her during these visits they will cherish those memories for all time Queen Elizabeth had so many admirable qualities as a person and a leader but for me what shone through above all else was her dedication to public service and the nation during her 70 years on the throne and as the world changed around her she never faltered in that sense of duty her commitment was an inspiration to everybody involved in public service and to the many organisations of which she was of course patron on this I would like just to spend a moment likening that same public service to our role here as elected politicians we chose to stand for office we fought hard to achieve the right to stand in this parliament and represent those who sent us here it would be fitting given Her Majesty did not choose her position but still stands as the finest example of someone who dedicated herself to public service that we remember that we remember that we are here as public servants and leaders with a responsibility to those outside this place at a time of great trials ahead and as Her late Majesty said in 1974 we may hold different points of view but it is in times of stress and difficulty that we most need to remember that we have much more in common than there is that divides us whatever challenges we face as a country in the years ahead we will always be able to draw on the unique example the Queen has left us we can also be assured that King Charles III will continue in the same vein and serve in that same dedicated manner as his mother long live the King I now call Liz Smith to be followed by Richard Lockhead last week in his address to this chamber the King said this throughout all the years of her reign the Queen like so many generations of our family before her found in the hills of this land and in the hearts of its people a haven and a home that message is so much in tune with the wonderful photograph taken by the Countess of Wessex which was released by the Queen just prior to the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh in it she and the Duke are sitting at the top of the coils of Mick says it against the wonderful backdrop of Loch Nogar their smiles in that photograph radiate both the peace and the happiness that they found in their beloved Scottish countryside the rocks upon which their marriage and their devoted service to our country were founded on the occasion of the 2007 opening of the Scottish Parliament and the subsequent reception in Holyrood Palace was a privilege along with other colleagues to be presented to Her Majesty it was no more than 30 seconds but in that time she ascertained my love of climbing when rose and asked if I had ever climbed Loch Nogar when I told her that I had but I hadn't been able to see much because it was so wet and misty she said with that wonderful twinkle in her eye oh dear we must do very much better next time Her Majesty felt most at home in Balmorrow treasuring the richness of Scotland's finest landscapes in the hills in the rivers in the trees and in the gardens both she and the Duke of Edinburgh through so many of their charities believed that young people should be given every opportunity to share in that richness and in the wider understanding of the great outdoors and the environment it is their inspiration that leads me to believe the same and to strive in this place to make that possible God save the king I now call Richard Lochhead to be followed by Alexander Burnett I'm grateful for the opportunity to mark the passing of Her Majesty the Queen and pay tribute to her today and I want to begin also like others have by thanking all officials and volunteers in Murray and across Scotland for all their work these past days at St Giles Church in Elgin on Friday Speaking as someone elected to this place in 1999, along with colleagues, I have sat at the opening of every parliamentary session listening to Queen's wise words and her love of Scotland so it's very appropriate that our Scots Parliament reflects on the reign and long life of the Queen of Scots and as the national records of Scotland reminds us in their tributes she was descended from the royal house of Stuart on both sides of her family I've always found it fascinating to note that in Westminster Abbey the tomb of England's Elizabeth I sits opposite the tomb of Mary Queen of Scots and the Queen we mourn today was a descendant of the latter not the former I can't claim to have known the Queen personally having only met her on a couple of occasions I do recall though that she had a deep knowledge of the areas I represented and an ability to make easy connections and the Queen certainly had strong links to Murray both her late husband Philip and her sons including the new king were educated at Gordonson and the Queen last visited Murray in November 2014 along with her late husband the Duke of Edinburgh on what was their 67th wedding anniversary our local paper The Northern Scots reproduced its coverage of our many visits throughout her reign on 19 August 1961 it was reported she embarked on a 120-mile long triumphal tour through the fishing villages and towns of Bamshire the fertile lake of Murray into the crisp, tangy air of Nairn over the rugged bar in Davamure the lovely valley of the Fyntorn at Glenfurnas to pitch the risk Granton on Spay and then the report does go on to say only once did the Queen use an umbrella my constituent Marion Ingram from Hoatman was born just six weeks after the Queen in 1926 and she talked last week of her fond memories of the Queen's many visits to the area and she said, I saw her whole reign and followed her through her entire reign especially in wartime when she went and helped out at the war so many constituents like Marion are grieving because they've lost a much loved monarch others because her passing works at the end of an era and is of historical significance and others because the Queen was also a much loved member of a large family and her passing prompts calm reflection for many people following the loss of their own loved ones so for most of us for our whole lives every stamp we stuck on an envelope or coin or purse or backnote we carry has had the Queen's face on it so for many reasons the Queen has been a constant in a fast changing world our legacy is the longest reigning monarch is a long life of duty and service and our passing changes the world around us and as we mark the passing of the Queen I'm reminded of the quote from her ancestor and another Queen of Scots, Mary in the end is my beginning on behalf of my constituents rest in peace I call Alexander Burnett to be followed by Foisal Chowdry The dog bit me above the eye and the Queen came to tea now probably not the holiday diary my primary teacher expected but one of my earliest encounters that arose mainly through Her Majesty's great friendship of over 80 years with my late grandmother it was the first of many meetings that I was so honoured to enjoy and will forever treasure as a younger old Her Majesty touched many lives including Mary Ingham in Huntley who turned 100 a fortnight ago Mary proudly received what was to be one of the last of those famous telegrams which I know colleagues like I have been proudly shown by constituents now with Balmoral being in my constituency I learnt first hand Her Majesty's knowledge of detail selected to stand for the Aberdeensha seat and by chance at a birthday celebration I cheekily inquired if Her Majesty had any local issues she wished to raise my attempted humour however quickly backfired as I received an extremely detailed critique of how a planning application for a cottage fallen foul of local guidelines never have the words I'm afraid that's a council matter ma'am being so well used as I retreated but Balmoral Royal Deeside in Aberdeensha was Her Majesty's retreat the procession eight days ago was a fitting tribute to both her love of the area and how she championed the countryside for the gamekeepers and gillies who first carried her coffin to the farmers who turned out their tractors her love for all things rural was as clear as the water of the Gildaberne she was a firm supporter of rural workers generous in her support of the gamekeepers welfare trust which looks after country workers and supports those with mental health problems with her unparalleled and unwavering selfless duty came a passion for the countryside and conservation the queen was a great supporter of agriculture and patron of many including the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland the Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs the Highland Cattle Society and even more locally the Royal Horticultural Society of Aberdeen the Balator Royal Horticultural Society the Braymar Royal Highland Society and the Royal Northern Agricultural Society so it was fitting that the Deeside farming community came together at Carthys to show their respect with a guard of honour and many of those patronages have or will be passed on to other members of the Royal Family but the greatest baton passes to her son already in his love, clear in his love of the countryside and of Scotland so wife, mother, grandmother, queen thank you ma'am for a lifetime of service long live the king Thank you, I now call for his childry to be followed by Pam Gwzel Ffasiding officer firstly I wish to express my condolence to the Royal Family on the loss of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth she will greatly missed I had the honour of meeting the Queen when I was a kid when my sister and my cousin presented flowers to her Majesty she made us feel at ease this fond emotions resurfaced when I met the Queen once again at the Royal Garden Party with my wife and again after that as a politician I'm very grateful for those memories today we celebrate not only the Queen's legacy in this country but her role in bringing our family of nation and their people ever closer together in friendship and peace after reflecting over the past week on the loss of her Majesty I would like to focus particularly on her legacy of the Commonwealth I was an infant when the founding father of Bangladesh Bangladesh Mujibur Rahman took a newly independent Bangladesh into the Commonwealth of Nations it was the first international organisation that Bangladesh joined such was the offer of partnership that it presented Queen Elizabeth Obersu the building of the partnership in 1953 she defined the Commonwealth as an eternally new conception built on qualities of friendship loyalty and the desire for freedom and peace her Majesty pledged to give her heart and soul to that new partnership of nations every day of her life I think we can say Presiding Officer that she did just that in her note of condolence Bangladesh Prime Minister Shekhasina described her late Majesty as a motherly figure and recalled her personal memories with the Queen it is the loss of this personal connection which we mourn as well as the loss of our Queen in closing Presiding Officer the dignity and grace with which the late Queen held herself has been standing and hand across the Commonwealth for 70 years we are thankful for her long life of service and we offer our prayers to her family and our new king thank you thank you I call Pam Gozel to be followed by Cookabstuit thank you Presiding Officer it is a great honour to speak in the chamber today to pay tribute to the long reign and full life of her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on behalf of my constituents in the west of Scotland region and my community I would first of all like to express my condolences to his Majesty King and the Royal Family and dear friends I personally know all too well how it feels for losing a parent it's a sort of pain you can never prepare yourself for and one that never leaves you and to that end I think I speak for everyone when I say that the strength displayed by his Majesty and the Royal Family over this past week has been tremendous and I thank them for working tirelessly during what is arguably one of the most difficult moments of their lives they made it possible for the entire nation to mourn the loss of our Queen and witness pivotal moments of historical significance and on that note the nation would not have been able to mourn the way we had done without the hard work undertaken by civil servants the armed forces Royal Navy the Kings Guards and many others including all the volunteers so to them we owe our thanks Her Majesty reset the boundaries from modern Britain and indeed the modern women in a male dominated world her commitment to public service was unshakable at times of political uncertainty her wisdom and wealth of experience was a shoulder for both political leaders and the nation it was the commitment to her family to her own public service to her kingdom and the common wealth which has inspired and paved the way for myself and many other women in a male dominated world in a woman's self and many other women in times like this hearing individuals share what she meant to them is a source of great comfort I have certainly chuckled at the videos and stories shared whereby the Queen's sharp sense of humour was clear to see but that was reflected throughout her reign during our darker days she consoled us with hope and strength and during our better days she celebrated and laughed with us I give my thanks to Her Majesty for her internal love and everlasting loyalty to the British people we shall now owe our unwavering loyalty to His Majesty King Charles III God save the King Thank you I now call Co-Cab Stewart to be followed by Sandesh Gohani Thank you, Presiding Officer At times of great loss we are gifted an elusive opportunity to stop to take a moment and allow ourselves some space for introspection The passing of Her Majesty the Queen has been deeply felt throughout the nation and I join my colleagues across the chamber in expressing my sincere condolences to His Majesty the King and his family throughout this time of mourning When Jane Austen passed away in 1817 the epitaph was written by her brother James carved in stone in Winchester Cathedral it reads their grief is in proportion to their affection they know their loss to be irreparable In the days following the announcement of Queen Elizabeth's death on September the 8th the genuine fondness felt by so many have been amplified by countless tributes and warm anecdotes from those who met her as well as those who simply felt connected to her and of course more solemn moments of silence and reflection Whilst I never had the chance to meet Her Majesty personally I know that we share an appreciation for a much cherished building within my own constituency Glasgow's Kelvin Grove art gallery and museum housed within immense walls of ornate red sandstone dating back to 1901 lies one of Europe's great art collections and an important landmark in the city that I call home Following a three-year restoration project the gallery was reopened by Queen Elizabeth in July 2006 She expressed her delight to be involved and her admiration for what she considered to be a great institution Today we recognise a remarkable and historic moment and have bid farewell to the longest-raining monarch the UK has ever seen As I am sure many of my colleagues do too remembering clearly the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977 I was in primary school in England and in my school they organised a jubilee party with fancy dress The theme was countries of the Commonwealth The bunting was out The silver coins were to be given to each child We all hurried to school excitedly in our costumes My friend was dressed confusingly in what appeared to be some kind of Dutch ensembla Eyebrows were certainly raised given the Netherlands was not part of the Commonwealth but you try explaining that to a very enthusiastic nine-year-old It was the only costume in the cupboard and she wasn't missing this opportunity to wear it The Queen was indeed a consistent presence for many decades bringing comfort to many and dedicating her life to public service I'd like to end on words from a Christmas broadcast in 2002 addressing the nation Her Majesty reminded us in her stoic fashion Our modern world places such heavy demands and attention that we need to remember our responsibilities to others is greater than ever I now call Sandish Gohani to be followed by Sarah Boyack Thank you Lots of members have told a personal anecdote about Her Majesty so I'll tell you mine Upon opening Parliament Her Majesty was sat in a seat next to you Deputy Presiding Officer and I swear our eyes locked That's the closest that I got to meeting her But like millions across the globe respecting her didn't rest on meeting her So much has happened since our Queen died on September 9 The world was transfixed at satellite broadcast and social media which covered Her Majesty's final journey from Balmoral to Edinburgh and on to London for yesterday's State Funeral Scotland and this Parliament performed its duty with reverence Presiding Officer and Parliament staff for all your work behind the scenes and the outpouring from people's hearts over the past 11 extraordinary days demonstrated there's no sentimental difference between the way people here in Scotland feel about our monarch and the way in which others down south in Wales or Northern Ireland feel During the toughest months of the pandemic and lockdown who can forget the Queen's calm, compassionate address to the nation she said I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge and those who come after us will say the Britons of this generation were as strong as any she ended with better days will return we will be with our friends again we will be with our families again we will meet again how true her words were as for King Charles he has been remarkable over these past 12 days so dignified and so engaging while all the time grieving for his beloved mother and for anyone listening who have had their grief for a lost loved one reignited and are struggling I would say cruise bereavement offers a free service to help I feel it's important to remember that during his time as Prince of Wales our King has been deeply concerned about the environment and the climate emergency in fact the then Prince Charles was raising his concerns long before climate change was even close to a mainstream political party so going forward I hope our King will be a champion on environmental issues and for all things important to our youth and young adults I'll close now by saying thank you to your Majesties thank you to our Queen for your lifetime of service and God save the King I now call Sarah Boyack to be followed by Miles Briggs thank you in his tribute to her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II present Emmanuel Macron said to you she was our Queen to us she was the Queen and in that one line he summed up the constant that Queen Elizabeth II was for all of us in Scotland, the UK and across the world for most of us we referred to her like Majesty as the Queen and she was the only monarch we'd known and she was a constant we were all familiar and used to and in the many tributes over the last few days it's been fascinating to hear and hear today as well the references, the many references to the Queen's love of Scotland and for me at the beginning of all summers royal week saw the Queen carry out visits and hold garden parties just next door in Holyrood palace to congratulate people across Scotland for their achievements and endeavours in our communities and I think the Queen's incredible strength, length of service and dedication she was also an inspiration to millions of women here in the UK and across the globe when I was growing up there were very few female MPs even fewer female cabinet members but the Queen was a constant sometimes so female in the public eye before the sex discrimination act and the equal pay act she showed that the glass ceiling could be smashed and that women could hold positions at the top and succeed and there was a lovely picture out there last week of the then presiding officer Ken Macintosh introducing the Queen to three of our then female leaders here Nicola Sturgeon, Ruth Davidson and Kezia Dugdale and the connections with the Parliament I think have been really impactful and we've all spent time during the last few days talking to friends and family about the impact of the Queen in our lives and those interconnections and in our family it was looking at the photo of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland which the Queen visited during the silver jubilee and it was personal to me because in the audience were my dad and my granddad who were elders at the time but it also then became the personal link because the building they were all meeting in was the same building the Queen returned to to open our Parliament in 1999 and I think it's worth recording that the Queen showed a great understanding of devolution when she opened the Parliament she talked about being confident in the future of Scotland and then she made several other visits over the last 22 years the pace of change that others have talked about during what we will look back on as the Elizabethan area has been immense and as we transition to our new monarch for us only the second head of state we have known it is important that we continue the bonds across the nations and regions in the UK but we also as others have said reflect on the commonwealth the Queen supported the commonwealth and enabled it to transition over the last 70 years so let us think about how we reflect on the importance of supporting our neighbours and families whether it's here at home in Scotland or across the commonwealth our shared history gives us huge opportunities but it also gives us responsibilities to work with our commonwealth neighbours and we will continue to face a number of challenges going forward not least the climate emergency its impact on our environment which King Charles III is well versed in Parliament is now well established and has matured during the Elizabethan area era and under King Charles III I hope we continue to play a leading role both in the UK and in the commonwealth and as we celebrate the lifelong contribution of the Queen I hope the collective response of her passing is of some comfort to King Charles and his family and I just want to finish on this point they have demonstrated a powerful work ethic visiting not just our parliaments over the last few days but reaching out and talking to people in our communities across the UK just as the Queen did and I hope they now take some time themselves to grieve and to have that space because we know the work ethic is central to all of them but everybody needs that space to grieve and to think about the loss of their family member thank you thank you Deputy Presiding Officer and as Alexander Burnett and Fergus Ewing stated in their excellent speeches today many people will have been deeply touched by the fitting tribute that was the cavalcade of tractors and horses borduring the M90 at Glenfaug and Riders as the Queen made her final journey from Balmoral to the capital the Queen's lifelong passion and love of horses and horse racing is well known Her Majesty's first appearance Musselbur as a child whilst visiting family friends in East Lothian the young Princess Elizabeth was seen playing in the parade ring She visited Hamilton Park racecourse in May of 1947 with her father sister and an unknown gentleman a one Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten where over 21,000 Scots flocked to see the royal family that day Over her life the Queen entered over 3,400 race horses into UK races 566 races The Queen's last winner in Scotland was at Perth in May of 2003 appropriately named First Love a horse which she had also bred as is why well known she was a dab hand at breeding great race horses The Queen's last visit to a Scottish racecourse as Martin at Whitfield highlighted was in July of 2016 when Her Majesty helped Musselbur racecourse in my region to celebrate its 200th anniversary the Queen dropped into the Sheepseed pub in Duddingston for a supper in the window seat public dining area of that establishment Throughout her life horse racing gave the Queen a diversion from life as our monarch but more importantly a diversion from the sobering business of global and domestic affairs her trainer Richard Hannon used to say when the Queen visited his stable she would say it's nice to come to a place that doesn't smell of fresh paint but it's well known that her advisers must make sure that a copy of the racing post newspaper was always tucked in her daily correspondence The Queen inherited her love of horse racing as many do from her own parents the Queen mother she would name her racehorses often with a clear message such as duty bound, discretion and constitution Jockie Frankie Duttory rode more than 50 winners for the Queen in over 30 years and he stated at the weekend that the sport had lost its greatest ambassador and I agree Deputy Presiding Officer, the Queen and the Queen mother redefined horse racing from being a sport of kings to making it the sport of queens The industry and the profession is so grateful to her for her support for horse racing Thank you very much God save the king Thank you I now call Neil Gray to be followed by Graham Simpson Thank you I thank the Queen for her opportunity to pay tribute to her Majesty the Queen personally and on behalf of my Airdran Shots constituents Today's events are a culmination of the longest of goodbyes to the longest-raining monarch a long goodbye that of course started here in Scotland and I join colleagues in thanking all those in North Lanarkshire and across Scotland for their work during the period of morning It has been 10 days of reflection and just as we have heard so in this session we have heard a mix of personal stories touching rhetorical flourishes with dedications to the late Queen of Scots My parents have been staying with us this weekend My dad is 78 He is probably amongst the youngest in our society who remembers the death of King George VI and the coronation of the Queen Elizabeth 78 My daughter, he was 8 as my eldest daughter, Isla is now when Elizabeth became Queen It blows my mind to imagine how Isla is 70 years from now and how much may have changed in her lifetime and how much has changed in my dads and the Queen's have seen in theirs and above all else it is that constancy that longevity that I feel has earned the Queen so much respect in spite of our views of the monarchy She started her reign by allowing white television cameras into her coronation for the first time and ended it in the era of 24 hour news At the time of the coronation my dad remembers TV sets selling out from local shops, families and neighbours sharing a living room, huddling together to watch the tiny picture and she ends it with her funeral probably becoming one of the most watched TV events in history The Queen meant so much to so many for so long For many she personified the idea of identity, she personified service and also had a mythical air of authority that brought some their deference and not just in these aisles but around the world She was an astute politician and diplomat and well respected by generations of political leaders but she meant the most to her family who have honoured her life and memory over the past two weeks not least Princess Anne who accompanied her mother every minute of her journey from her funeral to Buckingham Palace Grief is always personal it is unique and as the late Queen put it herself is the price we pay for love but for the royal family their grief is also public having lost all of my own grandparents I cannot imagine having to not only go through my own grief but to lead others in theirs and lead all the ceremonials and protocols and travel linked with the transition of the monarchy It must have been a conflict of emotions for the family grief for their mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and their feeling of wanting to support the new king their husband, brother, father and grandfather in his new role it must have been all consuming We have also been reflecting at home that we are unlikely to see another Queen as monarch in our lifetimes and what Elizabeth did for female empowerment subtly but also strikingly as she often sat as the only woman in her room full of heads of state our Queen Elizabeth was a life well lived in service and for that we give thanks I hope she rests in peace I now call Graeme Simpson to be followed by Douglas Lambson Thank you very much and before I start I just wanted to say that I think our presiding officer has done a fantastic job in representing this Parliament Yesterday during the funeral I opened the window and there was nothing it was just silence and not only was East Kilbride quiet but everywhere was quiet because none of us who watched the funeral could have failed to have been moved and just as many of us will have felt real emotion as the news of her Majesty's death came through some of us were taking part in parliamentary business here accepting the worst I did my bit here in this chamber but I was at home when the death was confirmed and though I never met the Queen I like millions was upset and that feeling has remained and it's been a strange feeling but I felt comforted too that most of Britain has been in the same position Why? I think the Archbishop of Canterbury summed it up very well at the funeral yesterday when he spoke of Her Majesty dedicating her life to serving the nation and Commonwealth and he went on Stephen Kerr mentioned this earlier he said people of loving service are rare in any walk of life leaders of loving service are still rarer but in all cases those who serve will be loved when those who cling to power and privileges are forgotten I think the Archbishop got that right you don't have to be an Archmonarchist to recognise that we had in the Queen someone who gave her life to this country and all its people who loved every part of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth especially Scotland and who was above all a loving and caring person I knew she was there for us all and I think that in some way explains the way we all felt when she died All of us in this Chamber enjoy some of the privileges that Justin Welby spoke of we all got the chance to welcome the King to this Parliament last week and to see the Queen's coffin move up the royal mile I will never forget that Scotland has lost a friend but that in the King we still have one Scotland and the United Kingdom is lucky to have him as our monarch long lived the King I now call Douglas Lumson to be followed by Michael Marra Thank you Presiding Officer and it's an honour to speak today I listened to the First Minister last week describing the first time that she caught glimpse of the Queen and I must admit one of my earliest memories I have of seeing the Queen was in very similar circumstances I was just five years old when the Queen was touring the country as part of her silver jubilee celebrations in 1977 we stayed across from Woodhill House in Aberdeen and the Queen was set to visit and officially open the home of the old Grampian regional council and I was allowed to go and watch the Queen come out of the building and drive off in her big car I was young at the time I didn't understand much at that age but I did understand that this was special and the Queen was special and as a five-year-old you took days like that for granted but thinking back I was lucky most people would never see the Queen but as a wee five-year-old I had and I would go on to see the Queen on a number of other occasions the opening of the new rooftop garden at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary the opening ceremony of the sixth session and I was a little bit older but Her Majesty seemed a constant always smiling always speaking to people always showing compassion always waving and always serving and it's that public service that is so remarkable 70 years as Queen but a lifetime of service that we should all respect and as we've heard already the Queen spent so much time at Balmoral and it was clear that the Queen had a deep admiration for Scotland and I was so proud to see the crowds give Her Majesty one last send-off as she was driven from Balmoral through the north-east of Scotland down to Edinburgh and Presiding Officer like millions other I was glued to the TV yesterday as the nation said one final farewell to Her Majesty and one part of the ceremony really struck me like no other and it was at St George's Chapel that the Crown, the Orbed, Zepter were removed from the Queen for the last time in her 70 year reign for me it was so special because my grandfather Thomas Shaw was on ceremonial duties when the Queen was coordinated and given these items for the very first time and we now watched that these items were being taken from her one last time and Queen Elizabeth reign was a link to so many people we have all loved and lost through the years because she wasn't just a Queen for a 67 million of the population that we have in this country at present and the many millions more across the Commonwealth but for the millions of loved ones that have come and gone before us for me where she was my Queen a constant and a servant to our United Kingdom that connection has now gone but the memories will remain Thank you and long live the King Thank you I now call Michael Marra followed by Russell Finlay Thank you, Presiding Officer excuse me I rise to add my condolences to the family of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II the very real affection for the late monarch felt by my constituents in Aberdeenshire where she was known as a neighbour and friend has been noted extensively this last week the many thousands of people from across the North East who lined the route of the funeral cortege from Balmoral to Dundee last Sunday was testament to the goodwill the respect and the loss felt by so many those roads and streets were lined by ardent supporters of monarchy by lifelong republicans and by the vast majority who dwell somewhere in between they all came to give their respect and tribute for one woman's life lived in public service and to witness a moment of national history what has struck me most in the vast coverage of the last 11 days is the struggle to understand the space between the person and the performance between queen and crown between meaning and mourning the private and the public the best of empathy was in those first hours as we felt not just a jolt of history but the sad death of an elderly and kindly woman that provoked all of our losses of grandmothers, aunts and mothers the pandemic made so much of that grief more immediate for so many those lost in care homes and in isolation the late queen bore witness to that pandemic as the book end of a storied reign sat alone and apart the singular stillness of the watcher witness to war to privations and pains and to joy that witness was a mirror to the nation the queen's reign reflected a visibly aging country a reign of singular longevity was afforded by living through a medical revolution that has greatly extended many lives in our country and as the 20th century became the 21st and as birth rates have declined Scotland has grown older and we've come to look more like the queen and I think our personal losses echo more clearly as a result position, privilege and protection set her apart from the day to day but there was, I believe, a real sense that she carried a full measure of the people's pain when she famously shed tears for the war generation at the Sematath those pivotal years in arms that rent families and on which our national fate turned she had worn uniform in that conflict and she recalled to us family members of that generation who toiled at home who breached the bloody beaches of France and who, come to peace stitched things back together as best they could beyond the pomp there were her values of hard work fortitude, stability faith and a longing for peace at the heart of the astonishing scenes yesterday in London and Windsor there was a coffin of wood a grieving family and a fate equal to every living thing my condolences and those of my constituents to our loved ones may perpetual light shine upon her and may she rest in peace Thank you, I call Russell Finlay to be followed by Karen Adam Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer I was going to begin by thanking my welcoming my new colleague Ros McAll it's been almost two weeks of sorrow and solemnity pomp and ceremony pipers and parenting bears world record cues and the giving of respect countless words have been spoken and written about Her Majesty since her death 12 days ago there have been intimate memories from friends and family respectful recollections from world leaders and politicians affectionate anecdotes from journalists clergy and celebrities today we learned that she popped in for tea with Alexander Burnett but for me the words that have landed most powerfully of all have been those of ordinary folk from across our United Kingdom a young woman called Becky from Ayrshire took a night bus from Glasgow arriving at London's Victoria Station early last Thursday morning she joined the five mile queue for Her Majesty's line and state at the palace of Westminster later that same night having paid her respects she got the bus back home to Scotland now hers was not an act of perfunctory public grieving it was a sincere an important pilgrimage one of personal remembrance a BBC journalist happened to chance upon Becky amongst the tens of thousands standing in line her touching story would otherwise have remained unreported and unknown Becky told the BBC I love the Queen and I just wanted to come down she's just like your granny suppose without knowing her you feel that you do know her I'm so glad I came here the authenticity of her words and deeds moved me so if you happen to see this thank you Becky there are countless others like Becky from all across the west of Scotland and all corners of the United Kingdom their private stories untold Her Majesty did not court or crave public approval the love and respect for our late Queen was as deep and as pure as the waters of Scotland's lochs and as solid as the rock of our towering mountains Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II me she rest in peace and God save the King Thank you I now call Karen Adam followed by Jamie Greene Thank you Presiding Officer Friday evening tradition my granny's house would be for her to don her camel coloured Mac coat put on her red lipstick and comb up her hair ready for the big shop at the supermarket in Dice it was a weekly highlight and you know I would always ask for some lipstick too my granny always took pride in her appearance and held self respect in high esteem and she would say in her accent she was she grew up near Strathpeffar so you'll know she spoke the perfect Queen's English she would say well you never know when you'll meet the Queen and on one such big shop trip there was a cavalcade of fancy cars coming past us from the airport and my granny excitedly thought that she might catch a glimpse of the royals on their way to Balmoral and sure enough it's Princess Diana a bit louder than that though I turned quickly to my window and caught the unmistakable blonde hair the head tilted against the window and her hand under her chin and that really was excitement for us and I'll never forget that moment but mostly because of my grand's reaction to my grandparents the royal family in particular the Queen as she became was an anchor during some of the most exciting events in history I don't underestimate how powerful it was for many women like my gran holding the fort at home doing her duty as a fire woman in wartime just as Princess Elizabeth did back then in the final year of the war when she donned a uniform herself joining the Auxiliary Territorial Service it meant something to my gran to have a woman to go on to become the head of that royal family not least a model of feminine strength and someone who then and during her long service was a figure of strength during periods of crisis that generation took responsibility seriously and did what they said they would do they knew that if they strayed even a tiny bit that it could have disastrous consequences for them and others they keep calm and carry on a silent generation the Queen emulated this but she was quite clear that she didn't want to do that for herself she always steered that to the crown she did not attribute the glory to herself but to her purpose and of course her unwavering faith in it it's an incredible task to serve with such adoration while diverting it to your cause and not absorbing it onto yourself or your own ego that's true integrity she exemplified that humility while she served and she showed that that humility was as essential as the service itself a few historical interviews have been shown over the last few days and the most striking one for me was when she was asked why she did it and she responded with because I said I would an example to us all indeed an especially poignant in our chamber where trust is placed upon us we know the importance of doing what we said we would do I will always remember her and those who followed her example were the deepest of respect thank you thank you I now call Jamie Greene to be followed by Rhoda Grant thank you Deputy Presiding Officer may I first start by welcoming our new member to this chamber but do so whilst noting the regrettable absence of others it is clear that words are indeed so often the cause of so much division and disagreement not just in politics but in the world outwith it is however in silence that we are united in silence we stand shoulder by shoulder on Armistice day as colleagues not as political foes we give two minutes of solemn silence together out of respect to those who gave their lives in the service of others we stand shoulder to shoulder in silence in moments of national grief and national tragedy because it is in silence that we are truly the same well that and queuing apparently there was a queue to see the queue and even then that was an offshoot of the actual queue itself legend has it that one woman from Edinburgh queued seven times perhaps she joined the end of it thinking it was the beginning of another I too joined that queue though and it is so hard to articulate that moment in the deafening silence of St Giles Cathedral the quiet respectful nods the head bows to one another as we all filed past with dignity there was a real sense of gravity and sadness about it all but also respect and order about it all I think that queue sums us up as a people in my view willing to and able to poke fun at ourselves but we are equally entrenched in history and camaraderie strangers befriending strangers even as we speak today my own mother is sitting at the bedside of a dying 92 year old woman in Inverclyde Royal Hospital she doesn't know her she does so because she volunteers for the no one dies alone charity and what might seem like a real start contrast to being mourned by billions of people the principle is the same share grief and loss because these things are easier to do together than alone what it also says however is that Her Majesty the Queen led incredible life in a man's world she was the original girl power perhaps her own sadness stems from her own memories memories have been young memories of being elected and taking the oath memories of the opening of parliaments of shaking hands at reception of the balcony waves of yesterday's speeches memories not just of the queen but of our own because the elderly and frail have suffered the most at the hands of the events of the last few years we know that too well and just of us here today will have lost grannies and parents the passing of the queen is a reminder of our own fragile mortality and that of those around us it was the untimely reminder that time is actually not always with us almost six months to the day since I last gave a speech of loss in this place but in the case of Her Majesty what a life well lived it is my greatest regret that I never got to meet the queen but I'd like to close with her own sage advice given to us in her 1991 Christmas broadcast she said there are any number of reasons to find fault with each other with her governments and with other countries and with ourselves too seriously none of us has a monopoly on wisdom you must always be ready to listen and respect other points of view such wise words no least to us so let that be her legacy to us because whoever you are wherever you are every day in the service of others is a humbling blessing Rest in peace ma'am Thank you I call Rhoda Grant to be followed by Brian Whittle and others welcome Rosam called to the chamber today Presiding Officer we've come to the close of an Elizabethian age a time of great change where Queen Elizabeth remained a constant in our society and last week has been incredibly tough for so many people people who closely followed the royal family as closely as they followed their own extended family were especially affected but others who did not were also deeply affected her passing as united people regardless of political belief and none and even those who would prefer an elected head of state recognised her unparalleled commitment and service to her country looking back over her reign so much has changed her coronation was televised but that was the cutting edge of technology at that time largely through her belief in the value of diverse nations coming together to celebrate humanity the queen played a leading role in creating the modern commonwealth 56 countries across six continents working together Scotland was special to her and she was special to Scotland I was brought up on the west coast and remember seeing the royal Britannia at close range as the royal family holidayed locally there were many stories of people bumping into the queen none deliberately as people believed in giving her the time and space and privacy she needed with her family on one occasion a friend of mine saw some people walking around an old school building that was no longer in use and she was a little concerned that they were trying to break in and went to investigate only to see a woman disappear through a window luckily one of the party was outside and explained to my friend that it was indeed the queen that was disappearing through the window to have a better look she had of course been invited to look but couldn't find the key but she didn't let that stop her my friend beat a hasty retreat rather than carrying out a citizens request arrest so many people have warm memories of the queen and so many wish to pay tribute to her life of service as we have seen over the last few days being followed by the new king and the rest of her family while they grieve they have carried out official duties to provide comfort and continuity to the nation I do hope they will get time to deal with their own loss in private and I hope it is a comfort to them to see the regard into which she was held I call Brian Whittle to be followed by Fulton MacGregor Thank you Deputy Presiding Officer I'm grateful and privileged to have the opportunity to add my few words to the many many tributes to our late Queen Elizabeth a quite remarkable lady who dedicated her life in the service of our country and did so with a compassion and quiet dignity that all public servants should aspire to from the age of 14 when she gave a radio address during the Second World War to assure Britain's children that all would be okay to the 21 year old who publicly declared her life short along to the service of our country to a more recent address to the nation during Covid again assuring the nation that we would endure and we would meet again we acknowledge the decades in which she has led our nation with a calm thoughtfulness through some of the most difficult times if we ever needed any evidence of the global impact she has made on behalf of Great Britain and Northern Ireland we need only witness the world leaders in attendance at the funeral yesterday and the global outpouring of sadness and good wishes what struck me was not just the comments we would have expected from those of us who are supporters of the royal family but also the respect and compassion for many of the staunchest of Republicans recognising the late Queen's ability to enter any arena and play a significant part in diplomacy and bridge building on behalf of our country and I'm remembering here Deputy Presiding Officer in the peace process in Northern Ireland and all sides of that process have recognised that in their own reflections as I read this morning in some of the Belfast media and from some individuals perhaps that we would not have expected this from so the thousands upon thousands of people she met will testify to she had a rare quality for those few moments of making whoever she was speaking to the most important person on the passing of the Queen my mother looked out an old scrapbook in which there is a press cutting picture of a young athlete meeting the Queen in 1986 the Queen visited the Commonwealth Games village in Edinburgh the picture shows me in full Scottish battle dress a ridiculous mad crop of hair shaking hands and bowing to the Queen she already knew that this was my first major championships and during their discussion and hearing my nervousness she said to me how well I've done to get to this place and how much she was looking forward to watching me compete such a huge impact on a young man the Queen was coming to the stadium specifically to watch me compete that's what I heard anyway four years later towards the end of a lap of honour at the Auckland Commonwealth Games decked in a saltire in the stadium again having come to the stadium to watch me compete and I'm wondering here if she realised quite the incredible impact she has had on so many signing off for the late Queen's life long dedication to the service of her country I simply say thank you ma'r I also want to say that I've never been so proud of my country in the way that Scotland has shown itself to the world to shine at such a difficult occasion we hope that the King Charles and their old family will have time to grieve for the loss of their mother grandmother and great-grandmother to the late Queen God bless you ma'r and God save the King Thank you I call Fulton MacGregor to be followed by Alexander Stewart Thank you, Presiding Officer and it really is a great honour and privilege to speak in this debate today at the end of what has been a historic period in history and I'd like to begin like other members have by passing on my heartfelt condolences to the royal family following the passing of her Majesty I think the last week to 10 days has demonstrated the profound love the people of Scotland have for the Queen and the love she had for Scotland her devotion to public service throughout her 70-year reign and her whole life indeed was unsurpassed in modern times and we really will never see her like again in Scotland she was respected by almost all political differences as we have witnessed here today and over the last week descendage from King James the Six Mary Queen of Scots and King Robert the Bruce she really was Queen of Scots I think that she chose to spend her final days in Scotland and how Scotland was presented to the world in the days after really was very fitting indeed in a tribute to the relationship between the Queen and Scotland like elsewhere in the country touched the hearts of many of my constituents in Coatbridge in Creson I understand that the Queen's last visit to my constituency was to Coatbridge in 1953 at the beginning of her reign and during a busy post-coronation tour sorry now obviously I won't go without saying I wasn't born then indeed neither were my parents but I know many of my constituents will remember this occasion fondly as thousands lined the streets of Coatbridge to catch a glimpse of the royal party as he walked through the adjoining centres of Airdrie of course in my good friend and colleagues Neil Gray's constituency and then on to Coatbridge thanks to the Lancer family history society I was able to find a copy of an article in my local newspaper the Coatbridge and Airdrie advertiser which was published on 4 July 1953 they described the event as an I quote a rousing scenes of enthusiasm unprecedented in the history of the two towns and I'm sure many members will have similar stories of and over the last couple of days I've contact with some constituents one in particular Christine MacRown who alone a young child herself at the time has especially made handkerchief passed on by her grandmother who was there that day she sent me a picture of this which has stayed in her family these past 70 years and I think demonstrates again just how much this event meant to many people locally and I also managed to find some fantastic pictures of that costume my constituency during the coronation where pipe bands parades and a cricket match all took place to celebrate the event again just another example of just how much this event was celebrated by local people I'll simply end by saying may you rest in peace Queen of Scots and with the words on the wee posters my two sons have had printed out after talking about it at school farewell man I'm very grateful for the honour to pay tribute to Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II today I was extremely saddened at the awful news of Her Majesty's passing I possess a deep and enduring admiration for our longest-reining monarch not least due to her tireless work and service to the community and the commonwealth the Queen had the ability to ensure she had the ability to ensure that she had the ability the Queen had the ability to ensure a strong bond of strength for our United Kingdom she also played a crucial role in supporting international co-operation she was instrumental in binding diverse nations in the commonwealth together she had a deep love of Scotland often being quoted that this here was where she found true happiness and tranquility she shared and cared deeply about the community and royal decide as she did for all parts of the United Kingdom and the commonwealth Deputy Presiding Officer I had the privilege and the pleasure of meeting Her Majesty on a number of occasions the pinnacle of that was the opportunity when I received my MBE at Holyrood palace in 2016 I shall never forget the brief but highly entertaining and amusing conversation we had that morning it is astounding to think she became Queen when she was only 25 25-year-old she had an enormous undertaking to put on these young shoulders but she took on that and she followed it through all her life Her Majesty's loss is immeasurable to our country and to the commonwealth the period of national mourning has given us all the opportunity to pay our respects to the late monarch Scotland and Edinburgh played a pivotal role showcasing Scotland to the world it also gave us the opportunity to ensure that she received the send-off she rightly deserved I had the opportunity to be in London over the last few days where hundreds of thousands of people chose to pay their respects tribute in line or by laying flowers for the late Queen Deputy Presiding Officer there was an outpouring of grief but there was also the pride of a nation I paid tribute to the armed forces and everyone who was involved who performed their duties to ensure that the state occasion was one to remember but we must remember the monarch was a much-loved mother grandmother and great-man mother my thoughts and prayers are with the royal family at this emotional and solemn time God save the king Thank you Mr Stewart and I call Paul Sweeney to be followed by Finlay Carson Thank you Deputy Presiding Officer It was 55 years ago today that was a very proud occasion on Clydeside tens of thousands of people gathered at John Brown's shipyard to watch the late Queen launch the greatest arguably engineering achievement in our country's history the ocean liner QE2 and it was particularly a proud occasion for my family as my granddad to help build that ship on Clydeside like many thousands of working people in the west of Scotland and there was tension in the air and we actually knew what the ship was going to be called at that time it had been cryptically named Q4 and also was known as contract 736 so there was great expectation in the air and only two people in the shipyard actually knew what the name was going to be the shipyard director and the owner of the Canard Line and they shared rather awkward glances cos they knew that the ship was meant to be called Queen Elizabeth II I named after the previous Queen Elizabeth which had been launched in 1930 he actually named after her mother the Queen mother in 1938 so there were a bit whilst everybody else was celebrating as the Queen triumphantly announced I named the ship Queen Elizabeth II they realised actually she'd named the ship after herself which wasn't the intention so I think the Queen certainly struck a right note with the crowd as she has throughout her reign even if it came to the consternation of certain interests elsewhere and it was a similar occasion for the proudest memories before entering politics I worked in the shipbuilding industry and in 2014 it was a moment of great pride for me to witness the late Queen smash a bottle of single malt whisky on the hull of the new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth II the largest ship ever built for the Navy as she christened it at Recythe Dockyard and it was a ship that I had helped build for lots of Glaswegians they will have similarly personal recollections of the late Queen she was a great friend of Glasgow her longevity and constant presence meant that she bore witness to some of the most remarkable events in our city story and indeed our country story over the last century and I think that's why there's been a particularly visceral outpouring of grief because it's not simply commemorating the passing of a monarch it's commemorating the passing of a generation one of the last filial bonds that everyone has with that era that lived memory that lived experience to think that her introduction to Glasgow came at the age of just 12 as she joined her parents to tour the iconic Empire Exhibition at Bellowiston Park in 1938 on the eve of the Second World War the exhibition itself was a gleaming white streamlined modern city within a soot blackened sandstone city celebrating the plethora of world leading industrial and commercial achievements so what was then the second city of the empire has emerged from the Great Depression and indeed the Queen would celebrate the tradition of launching ships on the Clyde no less than six occasions all the time celebrating with thousands of Glaswegians in recognition of their great industrial achievements because in building a ship everyone feels they've built it themselves and in a way having the Queen coming along and sharing that recognition was a really powerful experience for many people and indeed to many Queen Elizabeth was the ultimate embodiment of that public service her selfless unwavering commitment to her public duty was unrivalled and regardless of what anyone thinks about the abstract debates about the institutional monarchy or concept of accession now is simply a time to play a sincere tribute to a kind woman an inspirational leader who dedicated her life as a humble servant of our country and the people of the Commonwealth Thank you very much Mr Sweeney and I call from the Carson to be followed by Elena Wetham Thank you Deputy Presiding Officer it's indeed an honour and privilege to be able to pay respect and tribute on behalf of the people of Galloway and Western Friest this morning I confess my peace today will not be my apology that others have delivered today but I hope it still paints a picture of how we hold our late Queen in our hearts they say rightly or wrongly that every picture tells a story indeed in some instances a photograph is actually worth a thousand or ten thousand words as it's not only providing evidence but emotion and a sense of involvement even if you weren't exactly there at the time it was taken and in the last few days all of us will have viewed pictures of the most recognised face in the world our Queen Elizabeth II and experienced a range of emotions from sadness, loss, happiness, respect love and a sense of pride so perhaps you can understand why despite the obvious gloom and sadness being experienced across the nation there was a sense of pride and happiness expressed in my hometown of Cacubria last week a touching moment that briefly lifted the spirits in small communities like Cacubria and Douglas as they watched King Charles pay his own emotional tribute to the Queen, his mother, a grandmother and of course great-grandmother and as the new King expressed his sorrow and thanked his mother for a life lived to the fool many may not have noticed the photograph placed on the desk in front of him as he gave his television address to the UK and beyond Dressed in a powder blue coat and hat the picture was taken during a royal visit to my constituency in 2010 of all the millions of photographs taken during her 70-year reign it was one of the Queen smiling broadly during her trip to Cacubria my hometown that was selected it's remarkable an honour for my hometown given that Her Majesty actually covered more than one million miles taking in 117 countries out of a potential 195 which really does take some doing of course most importantly for my constituency it involved a number of royal visits to Dumfries and Galloway and were blessed to have had numerous royal visits the Princess Royal indeed her new king are no strangers and I'm sure Murdo Fraser will be pleased that I can confirm without breaching any confidence that His Majesty given my conversations with him will follow in his mother footsteps in taking a great love of talking about cows the Queen's first visit to my region was three years after her coronation when she visited the Burns mausoleum to lay a wreath on the grave of Robert Burns she was escorted on that occasion by William Wallace who just happened to be the provost of the Royal Borough of Dumfries at that time Her Majesty visited again to open Dumfries in Galloway Royal Infirmary in 75 and later the new place headquarters in Cornwall Mount but perhaps the most memorable visit came in 2010 when the Queen visited Wallet Smart in Castle Douglas before finishing off at Curcubrie where the royal couple enjoyed meeting the local community sampling of course a wonderful seafood and tried the west coast seafood delicacy aptly named Queenie scallops naturally those royal visits have created many special memories for those fortunate enough to have actually met her Majesty during these occasions sadly I never actually met the Queen but did see her from the crowd waving a little flag as my mother used to drive miles often taking him out of school to cheer on the royal family across the region my mum actually bore a close resemblance to the Queen my sister used to tease her about sounding like the Queen when she put on her posh voice to lead the lesson in the church and of course we all regularly hear about the remarkable ability that the Queen had in putting people at ease and she learnt about the special roles that the individuals played in helping their communities it was a gift that she had and that we have often heard in the last few weeks and for a generation our Queen was hugely influential across the world but many had that feeling of intense bereavement like she was a family member she was held in people's hearts much like a loved and respected Antio Grani in the last few days she's been described as the Queen of the world the Queen of Scots but she was also the Queen of Cacubrie she was the Queen of many communities the Queen loves Scotland the Queen she wasn't just the Queen she was our Queen Your Majesty, God bless you and keep you God save the King Thank you Mr Carson and I call Eleanor Whitham to be followed by Craig Hoy Thank you Deputy Presiding Officer my colleague Siobhan Brown and I heard the news that the Queen had passed away on her drive back to Ayrshire and both of us were caught by surprise by the well of emotion I was dealing with unexpected feelings of loss Queen Elizabeth was the one constant in our collective consciousness for over 70 years and like my beloved grandfather one year her senior who passed away just last year she was part of that greatest of generations those who lived through war and rationing and lived life with a sense of duty and stoic strength as our elders in this generational cohort pass away we feel the shifting of time keenly I was bereft when my grandpa passed away a man with strong values of social justice which he bestowed upon his children and grandchildren for me the death of the Queen is inextricably linked to the loss we feel for the make, do and men generation and as an Ayrshire daydiaman I am sure if they had ever met they could have talked to coups or a day when I immigrated to Canada as a wee six year old the Queen was the one familiar in a new land far away from everything and almost everyone I knew and loved her face on the unfamiliar currency and even the world wide broadcast of the royal wedding the following year helped to my gradual acclimatisation as a new Canadian when we as a family pledged our oath of Canadian citizenship we also pledged our oath to Her Majesty the one great constant now whilst I may have dawned a certain infamous t-shirt by a famous punk band in my teens and like Daniel Johnston railed against the system I can attest to the great work done by the now king at Dumfries House in Cymnac in my constituency safe from ruin by the then Prince the country mansion in wonderful grounds are home to the Prince's Foundation and is the site of the Queen's last visit to Ayrshire where she was welcomed by thousands as she opened the beautiful walled garden named after her and I urge all of you to visit especially in the summer time 3,000 roses and row upon row of Delfinium's bloom spectacularly it was also at Dumfries House that I watched on with great amusement as the now king Charles grabbed his wife and burled her around the dance floor as an Elvis impersonator sang Don't Be Cruel at one of East Ayrshire's vibrant communities tea dances held regularly to bring the community together to combat social isolation Charles and Camilla gave everyone there that day to show to remember and I won't forget the smiles on the faces I sincerely hope that the king will be able to continue to enjoy his frequent sojourns to Ayrshire and we thank him for the regeneration he has imparted Finally, as a member of the scouting family I thank the Queen for her duty and patronage over her 70-year reign we can all live by the scout pledge she embodied to do our best and to help others Al-Aren Elizabeth Merci for your service and rest in peace Thank you Mr Swetham and I call Craig Hoy to be followed by Maurice Golden Thank you Deputy the passing of Queen Elizabeth offers an opportunity to pause to remember, to reflect and to be thankful thankful for the life and the work of her late majesty and to remember what she meant when we are here to represent Deputy Presiding Officer almost everybody felt they knew the Queen even those who had never met her my late Granny Greger who was born around the same time as her majesty said she was the sister that she'd never met but others were of course privileged to meet or work with the Queen like Pat Morris from Gullin in East Lothian who spent two hours with the Queen at Balmoral photographing her dogs she said last week I forgot who I was talking to she was friendly kind, amusing and very natural or the late Bill Scott a friend I got to know in London a humble Glaswegian with a gentle wit and a deep sense of faith Father Bill first served as a curate in the Gorbos in Glasgow but went on to become sub-dean of Her Majesty's Chapel's Royal before becoming domestic chaplain to the Queen in Buckingham Palace but had no time for pretense describing his role only as being a sort of vicar in the palace indeed like many associated with our monarchy Bill rose to Kipling's challenge of being able to walk with kings nor lose the common touch Presiding Officer the Queen was deeply connected to all of our communities her reign was yes regal but it was never remote the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh the Queen's consort will now do put themselves at the heart of our communities visiting Harrington in 2007 the Queen met with representatives of the Lamp of Lothian Trust which brings together the community by restoring derelict buildings making them available for community use she also visited the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick in 2009 where Her Majesty and Prince Philip joined my constituent rheradmer Neil Rankin to present volunteers with the Queen's Award for Enterprise and on the same day that she became Britain's longest serving monarch the Queen took a train trip to Tweedbank to formally open the Borders Railway including opening Newton Grange Station in Midlothian and when you look back at these visits it's clear to see that the Queen had an innate capacity to bring our communities together Presiding Officer the Queen brought her own sense of majesty to our monarchy just as she did in life she brought unity to our nation Thank you Mr Hoyt I now call Maurice Golden to be followed by Siobhan Bray Thank you Deputy Presiding Officer in the days since the death of Her Majesty the Queen I've been struck by the number of people able to recount their own experience of meeting the Queen that the Queen left such a lasting impression on so many is testament to her extraordinary reign and to her personal warmth kindness and humour I never met the Queen although did have the honour of being in her presence on several occasions in this place in Holyrood Palace and at Buckingham Palace but my favourite anecdote was from former Royal Protection Officer Richard Griffin He and the Queen came across some American hikers while walking around the grounds of Balmoral they asked her where she lived not realising who she was and she replied I live in London but I have a holiday home just on the other side of the hills the hikers asked if she had ever met the Queen and she replied well I haven't but Dick here meets her regularly Her Majesty displayed signs of fun that delight in making other smile and that ability to retain a common touch throughout her reign in this Her Majesty's platinum year she was presented with a loyal address written by local school children it said you've shown a caring manner determination and dedication to help other people we think you're doing a great job we are lucky to have had you as our Queen for so long the Queen responded most addresses are usually pompous this is so much nicer Deputy Presiding Officer the abiding memory Scots will have of our late Queen is of a dutiful faithful and joyful monarch our Queen loved Scotland dearly and Scots returned that love lining towns and villages I had the honour of paying my respects here in Edinburgh as well as in Breakin they filled our streets and cued through the night to pay her their respects that respect was earned through a lifetime of service to her people and her people are proud beyond measure Elizabeth II as their Queen we now honour her memory as we support her son our new king God save the king Thank you Mr Golden I now call Siobhan Brown to be followed by Jimmy Hawker-Jawson Thank you Deputy Presiding Officer the news broke of deep concern regarding the Queen's health as we all sat in here for First Minister's questions continued throughout the rest of the day although there was a quiet and somber atmosphere of concern as we watched journalists adorn black ties and the TV stations changed to rolling news I was driving home from Parliament on Thursday evening when the official sad news of the death of Her Majesty the Queen was announced at 6.30 it will be one of those times that you never forget where you were, who you were with and what you were doing it was a moment in history that had always been a constant in our lives and it was an end of an era it is right that we reflect and we celebrate her exceptional public service over her 70 years not only in Scotland but across the world where she touched many hearts if I may pay tribute on behalf of my constituents the times the Queen visited my corner of the world in the Air Press were contrune and left lasting memories for many on the 3rd of July 1956 the Queen arrived by train at Trun train station where she then visited many locations across Ayrshire and met with dignitaries at the county buildings and on the low green in air on the 27th of March 1991 the Queen and Prince Philip attended an event hosted by Jackie Stewart at British Aerospace at Presswick at this event the Jetstream 41 was rolled out being the first plane designed and built in Scotland and as we know this was the beginning of great things for Presswick airport and the surrounding area which is now a global leader in aerospace industry and aerospace technology on the 5th of July 1995 the Queen accompanied by Duke of Edinburgh visited Burns College in Allaway and opened the Tamashantra experience before inspecting a guard of honour by the Ayrshire Ymenry the Queen then attended a civic lunch held at Ayrtown Hall the Queen's love of horse racing is renowned and only several months ago as we celebrated the platinum jubilee several trees were planted at air race course to mark the event as these trees grow they will serve as a reminder and a symbol of the Queen's legacy which will continue way after her death the Queen had a deep genuine affection to Scotland and her Scottish roots in fact her bloodline can be traced back to an Ayrshire woman of tremendous strength and determination Marjorie the Countess of Carrick who was a mother of Robert the Bruce who held his parliament in air in 1215 the Queen's deep love and affection and respect for Scotland has been evident in the major role the Queen wanted Scotland to play in the past few weeks of mourning Her Majesty vowed on her 21st birthday that her life would be dedicated to serving the nation and the Commonwealth and she kept this promise to the very end a life dedicated to public service over 70 years showing unwavering strength dignity, respect and grace at all times qualities that we should all reflect on and the likes of which we may never see again may you now rest in peace Thank you Deputy Presiding Officer The last two weeks have been a time of great emotion a time of national and personal reflection for many we mourn the loss of a Queen of 70 years of ever present and seemingly permanent fixture in all of our lives but amongst the sadness there has been the opportunity to remember and to celebrate the remarkable life of a remarkable woman one for whom so much of her story was written here in Scotland for while Her Majesty's funeral was a global event with princes and presidents from across the world yesterday we buried our Queen one born to a Scottish mother and for whom Scotland was such an important part of her life the royal family are ingrained in the highlands and islands the area I represent the heir to the throne now his royal highness prince William is both the Duke of Rossie and the Lord of the Isles the late Queen mother chose the castle of May in Caithness as the place she would spend much of her time in Scotland in association His Majesty King Charles has continued and Princess Anne continues to be a regular visitor to my region and was on sky only days before her mother's death and visits by Queen Elizabeth herself are remembered fondly particularly in my home of Orkney in 1960 in her first visit to the islands Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh sailed through Scapaflow on board Britannia my grandfather dipped the flag as the royal yacht sailed past our house a very young then Prince Charles and his sister Princess Anne were put ashore to the small uninhabited island of home of Houghton Her Majesty returned in 1978 to attend the Orkney county show presenting prizes to the winners and again in 1987 to mark the 850th anniversary of St Magnus Cathedral and other colleagues have highlighted her love of the countryside and of rural Scotland was clear her attendance at countless rural and farming events was very important and she was one of many and many will remember the wonderful clip of Her Majesty during her 90th birthday celebrations when relatively unmoved by many of the acts she'd been forced to endure over a long time she responded most excitedly to cows being paraded in front of her pointing them out to Prince Philip with a massive smile on her face and uncontrolled glee it was a passion and a knowledge well recognised by the farming community I'm proud to be part of Martin Kennedy the president of the National Farmers Union of Scotland said of Her Majesty here in Scotland we fondly remember her long standing enthusiasm and support for farming, rural life and the countryside as well as her patronage and visits to the Highland show so on behalf of myself and my constituents thank you Your Majesty thank you for over 70 years of service for your calm and reassuring presence through the most difficult of times challenges of recent years and for how you touch the lives of so many people and so many communities throughout our country and across the world God bless you ma' may you rest in heavenly peace God save the king thank you Mr Harcord Johnson that concludes the tribute to Her Majesty the Queen it's now time to move on to the next item of business next item of business the next item of business is consideration of a business motion 5947 in the name of George Adam on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau on changes to this week's business any member who wishes to speak against the motion should press the requested speak button now and I call on George Adam to move the motion I think Mr Ross is getting too excited at my two minutes here but moved who wouldn't be Mr Adam no member has asked to speak against the motion therefore the question is that motion 5947 be agreed are we all agreed the motion is therefore agreed there are no questions to be put at decision time so that concludes decision time and I close this meeting upon