Queen Elizabeth II does not want to see Scotland’s independence because royalty has “Scotland in their souls”, experts say Newsweek.
The Scottish National Party warned on Sunday that it would push for a new referendum on Britain’s departure if it won a majority in the May elections.
And former Prime Minister Gordon Brown wrote in the Daily Telegraph this week that the campaign for a new vote “threatens the end of the UK”.
The debate may well stir up complicated memories for the queen, who was controversially questioned by then Prime Minister David Cameron to intervene during the last referendum in 2014, despite the real impartiality convention.
However, Ingrid Seward, author of The Queen’s speech, said Newsweek the monarch will strongly oppose the dissolution of the union.
Adrian Dennis / Getty
She said: “Of course the queen does not want Scotland to be independent. She is totally in favor of unity. I think Scotland being independent is not something she would want.”
Seward highlighted the 94-year-old monarch’s annual summer visits to Balmoral, his highland property.
She said Newsweek: “Balmoral is the place they all love the most. They really love Scotland. It’s where they want to be.
“Princess Margaret was born there. The Queen Mother lived there. They have a lot of Scotland in their souls.
“Balmoral is Prince Charles’ favorite place on earth, Prince William and Prince Harry used to say that they were never happier than when they were blowing up birds in the sky.
“They are very Scottish and have been historically.”
Boris Johnson is due to visit Scotland later this week, the I reports after voting in the Sunday Times suggested that the majority in the country would vote for independence.
And Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon told the BBC: “Polls now show that most people in Scotland want independence.
“If the SNP wins the Scottish election in a few months with the proposal to give the people that choice, then what Democrat could, with reason, oppose it?”
However, when an independence referendum was held in 2014, Cameron said he asked the queen to intervene.
The monarch was asked about the vote by a royal observer at Crathie Kirk church, near Balmoral, in Aberdeenshire.
In words that were interpreted to support the rejection of independence, she replied, “Well, I hope people think very carefully about the future.”
During a BBC documentary last year, Cameron said: “I remember conversations I had with my private secretary and he had with the queen’s private secretary and I had with the queen’s private secretary, without asking for anything that might be inappropriate. or unconstitutional, but just a raise of the eyebrow, even you know a quarter inch, we think it would make a difference. “
However, Dickie Arbiter, the Queen’s former press secretary, said Newsweek it was unlikely that the queen would be dragged into the referendum debate again, as the coronavirus means that public visits will be out of the question.
Referee said, “It’s Cameron dragging royalty. That’s one person’s interpretation.
“The other story was the queen’s involvement. All she said, perfectly harmless, was that you have to be very careful when voting.
“With Auld Lang Syne, he gave us words that have become a symbol of companionship around the world – and that sense of connection has never been more important than now.”
🎥 During virtual celebrations with @RobertBurnsFed, The Prince recited one of Burns’ most famous poems. pic.twitter.com/nRxvbLsvoN
– The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall (@ClarenceHouse) January 25, 2021
“Will they be dragged again? No. We will probably be in the same situation with the coronavirus in May, so there will be no way to drag the royalty with innocuous questions.”
Seward added: “I don’t think they will be pressured again. It’s too early and due to the state of the country at the moment, they really don’t seem to be interfering with anything. Their role is supportive rather than interference.”
The debate takes place in the midst of a campaign by the royal family to mark the Scottish celebration of burn night, although insiders insisted on Newsweek it was not related to the question of independence.
Prince William and Kate Middleton sent a traditional dinner of the night of “haggis, neeps and tatties” burns to staff at the NHS Tayside hospital in Dundee.
Prince William said: “We know that Burns Night is a special night for Scots around the world, a time for us to come together to eat, drink and celebrate Robert Burns’s life and work.”
Chris Watt / Getty
The couple thanked employees for their work during the pandemic and Kate Middleton added: “We hope you like it and we hope for better times together soon.”
Prince Charles recorded a video of him reading Robert Burns’ “Auld Lang Syne” poem, but he deactivated comments, generating a wave of tweets of derogatory quotes by Scottish nationalists.
One wrote, “Mysteriously, we don’t have an opportunity to respond to this insincere nonsense.”
Another wrote: “I don’t want to live in a country that gives deference to these idiots.
“Free Scottish Republic!”
Award-winning author Petina Gappah wrote on Twitter: “Interesting both BoJo [Boris Johnson] and the Royal Family staging lyrics about Burns Night tonight.
“Something tells me that someone somewhere is somehow scared of the latest research.”