“Scotland has always had a uniquely special place in the hearts of my family and myself.” King Charles and Queen Camilla marked the 25th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament today. During their visit, the King gave a heartwarming speech where he reflected on his love for the country. Report by Bangurak. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Presiding Officer, First Minister, Members of the Scottish Parliament, Ladies and Gentlemen.
00:09The Queen and I are so very pleased to be able to join you today in marking the 25th
00:15anniversary of the Scottish Parliament.
00:19This Parliament opened on the first day of July 1999 on the cusp of a new millennium.
00:27It marked a new dawn for Scotland, one filled with anticipation, optimism and hope.
00:36Alongside the late Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, I listened in the Palace of Holyroodhouse
00:42that day with great interest as the then First Minister spoke of a new voice, of new dreams,
00:52of a new and renewed Scotland.
00:56It was an extraordinary occasion for all manner of reasons, not least the fact that it came
01:05almost 300 years after the Act of Union of the Westminster and Scottish Parliaments on
01:12the 1st of May 1707.
01:16It was a landmark in a long, rich and complex story which we have shared over many centuries.
01:27For those present on that day 25 years ago, the new Parliament was a great and perhaps
01:34even a somewhat daunting prospect.
01:37The hopes of the thousands that lined the streets of Edinburgh and the great responsibility
01:44that accompanied them rested upon the shoulders of each newly elected Member, 13 of whom still
01:52give such dedicated service today.
01:57From that day until this, through its work over a quarter of a century, this place has
02:04not just thrived but, in doing so, has borne witness to the enduring relationship between
02:11the Parliament, the Crown and the people of Scotland.
02:17The mace which is placed before us was a gift from my late mother on that day 25 years ago.
02:28On it are engraved the qualities to which we all aspire and that represent the very
02:35foundations of the relationship we share – wisdom, justice, compassion, integrity.
02:45In those intervening years, much has changed in our world, but those most Scottish of values
02:52have remained steadfast.
02:56We are often told that we live in an era of polarisation and division.
03:03If that is so, then it is perhaps even more important, not less, that in the vital areas
03:11of representation, of political debate, of policy-making and of discourse, these values,
03:20together with hope, civility and generosity of spirit, are never far from the heart of
03:28even the most difficult of issues.
03:32It seems to me that such an approach is why this Parliament has grown in its experience,
03:39in its ability to touch and to improve the lives of so many individuals and communities
03:47throughout this great land.
03:50These values and this approach have been championed consistently by the six presiding officers
03:59who have served their country faithfully and diligently.
04:05We are all, at the end of each day, united by our love of Scotland – because of its
04:13natural beauty, of course, but also because of its strength of character, based as it
04:20is on the extraordinary diversity of its peoples, whose range of ideas, skills, energy, passions
04:30and frequently deeply held beliefs never cease to inspire me.
04:36From the central belt to the North Highlands, across the islands, in Ayrshire, in the borders,
04:45the cities, towns and villages, all the coastal communities, who, I wonder, could not fail
04:54to be moved by this complex Caledonian kaleidoscope?
05:01Speaking from a personal perspective, Scotland has always had a uniquely special place in
05:09the hearts of my family and myself.
05:13My beloved grandmother was proudly Scottish.
05:16My late mother especially treasured the time spent at Balmoral.
05:22And it was there, in the most beloved of places, where she chose to spend her final days.
05:31Back in July 1999, we heard Ian Crichton Smith's poem, the beginning of a new song.
05:42Let it be true to itself and to its origins, inventive, original, philosophical.
05:50Its institutions mirror its beauty.
05:54Then, without shame, we can esteem ourselves.
06:00That day was a turning point.
06:02Today is an important milestone.
06:05As we look ahead to the next quarter of a century and beyond, there remains much more
06:11to be done for Scotland, for the United Kingdom, and equally in addressing the challenges we
06:19all share as inhabitants of a planet whose climate is changing dangerously and whose
06:26biodiversity is being seriously depleted.
06:30Let this moment, therefore, be the beginning of the next chapter.
06:36The achievement of the past and the commitment shown in the present give us the soundest
06:41basis for confidence in the future.
06:47Presiding Officer, First Minister, Members of the Scottish Parliament, Ladies and Gentlemen,
06:54I can only offer my most heartfelt appreciation of the public service you embody, together
07:01with every possible good wish on this special occasion and for the years to come.