WHILE some have sought to exploit crowds mourning the passing of a widely respected lady as evidence in their minds of an affinity binding Scotland to the Union of Parliaments, rather than perhaps more legitimately to the Union of Crowns, the Queen made the decision to spend the final days of her reign in Scotland (as evidenced by the Prime Ministerial “handover” at Balmoral).
This was no accident, as she would have been fully aware that whatever her personal affection for our country, her passing in Scotland would have significant implications, including possible political misrepresentations, for the ceremonies to follow.
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The absence of Union flags among the crowds in Scotland indicates that the vast majority of mourners here understood this and honoured her intentions, but regrettably this appreciation was not reflected by many commentators in the media.
Is it too much to hope that the admirable sensitivity of Elizabeth “Queen of Scots”, Elizabeth II of England, to the distinctive characteristics and different aspirations of the nationalities comprising the United Kingdom will be reflected in appropriate coverage of the remaining ceremonies?
Stan Grodynski
Longniddry, East Lothian
CONGRATULATIONS to The National for getting the balance just right in covering the death of the Queen. Both Tuesday’s “Has the UK gone mad?” and Wednesday’s front page featuring Kevin McKenna’s comments stood out as a little bit of sanity amongst the otherwise wall-to-wall sycophancy of the Unionist press propaganda.
The National’s coverage has been far from anti-royal. Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh and Scott Crichton Styles contributed very fair and nuanced articles correctly reminding us that many supporters of the monarchy also support independence. Indeed, Kevin McKenna’s article, although more scathing in its criticism of royal ceremonials, was also refreshing in bringing perfectly reasonable views out in the open to be viewed in the clear light of day.
Pity the poor souls south of the Border who have virtually no access to alternative views to the “Fleet Street” orthodoxy!
Thank God for The National, the voice of reason in a crazy world.
Rhodri Griffiths
Alford
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CONGRATULATIONS to The National and Kevin McKenna for saying on your front page what millions are saying to each other but with no-one in public to voice it (No room for this circus in a modern democracy, Sept 14). The best questions I have heard came from children: “What exactly did the Queen do?” “How did he get the job so quickly?”
We know what to expect from most of our press. We expect the BBC to be deferential. But day after day of obsequious, excessive, repetitive, mindless coverage is not journalism. It is not even dignified coverage because of its excess. They have got themselves on a treadmill and seem unable to get off it.
But we are good at demonstrations and intellectual critique and humour, so what better opportunity than a coronation? Police Scotland had better sort themselves out by then.
Isobel Lindsay
Biggar
NEVER has the nation been subjected to a finer display of pomp and privilege. A form of mass hysteria has taken the place of intelligent behaviour. Kevin McKenna sums up the situation. Not unlike the Brexit bus, the royal bandwagon is being rolled out to ensure the UK remains a billionaires’ fiefdom.
The police action is an example of how to keep the lid on democracy. Will Scotland’s desire for independence face the same treatment or worse? Sad to see a genuine respect for the deceased being used as a political weapon.
Iain R Thomson
Strathglass
IF I go to Bavaria and prance about in lederhosen, the locals will probably consider me patronising if my best attempt to speak their language is to speak English with a comedy German accent.
Charles Windsor has really got no business turning up at our parliament and claiming some sort of affinity for Scotland. This sham was laid bare by his selective reference to Burns.
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The honest man tho e’er sae puir, is king o’ men and we need bow to no man because of his inherited wealth and privilege. It takes more than parading about in the kilt to make him one of us. Let’s see him fully embrace our culture and set aside the titles he bestowed on his son and all the tinsel show that his family is so fond of; the man o independent mind looks and laughs at a’ that.
His pretence at being some kind of Scot is nothing more than a tool to get us Scots to think of ourself as British. Guid faith we maunna fa’ that!
Ni Holmes
St Andrews
MORE bad temper from King Charles on Wednesday at a signing in Belfast. But in the meantime his office staff are given redundancy notices as his and Camilla’s offices move to Buckingham Palace. So everything else in this country is to be stopped, halted, and postponed – even cancer care and food banks – but the new King can make his staff redundant during this period of “mourning”.
This could not have happened without his permission. Is he determined to make this whole country republican before he is even crowned?
Winifred McCartney
Paisley
HEADLINES about redundancies, inheritance tax exceptions and petulant hissy fits about pens might just mean it would have been better to have learned something from the Tory leadership contest. More is not always better.
I Easton
Glasgow
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