Description
Quotation: But underlying it all was a sense there might have been a little more at play, with two high-profile senior royals presenting a strong focus and face for the monarchy in Scotland at the same time as rumblings continue about another referendum on Scottish independence."In one sense, everything that the monarchy does is 'soft diplomacy,' but the monarchy is the one U.K.-wide institution which, despite recent travails, still commands broad support," Craig Prescott, a constitutional expert at Bangor University in Wales, said via email.
"Part of the reason for this [is] the Queen's mantra that the monarchy 'must be seen to be believed.' This applies to Scotland as much as it does to the rest of the U.K."
Still, there is also the generally held perception that the royals should — and generally do — keep their distance from politics.
"Politics is for politicians, not princes," said Prescott. "It's also the case that the [Scottish National Party] have suggested that the Queen would be head of state of an independent Scotland. In that sense, [the monarchy] has relatively little to gain by getting involved."
However, a difficulty could emerge, Prescott added, if the U.K. government advised the Queen to get involved, something that could be seen as interference and might backfire, both for unionists and the monarchy itself.
"We saw a hint of this, when an idea was floated within the U.K. government that Prince Edward and Sophie could take up permanent residence in Scotland, and act in a Governor General-type role," said Prescott.
"When this became public, the idea was dismissed by many, especially on the independence side of the argument. The idea could be seen as reducing the status of Scotland within the U.K., when the debate is about whether Scotland should enjoy independent nationhood, rather than its status within the union."
| Period | 6 Jun 2021 |
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| Held at | CBC, Canada |