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| Queen's diamond jubilee: Alex Salmond plays down muted Scottish celebrations | Queen's diamond jubilee: Alex Salmond plays down muted Scottish celebrations |
| (4 months later) | |
| Alex Salmond has played down the muted response to the Queen's diamond jubilee in Scotland and said there was "deep affection" for her among Scots. | Alex Salmond has played down the muted response to the Queen's diamond jubilee in Scotland and said there was "deep affection" for her among Scots. |
| There have been far fewer public celebrations in Scotland, with about 100 street closures for parties compared with 9,500 in England, and a minority of towns and cities staging other events. | There have been far fewer public celebrations in Scotland, with about 100 street closures for parties compared with 9,500 in England, and a minority of towns and cities staging other events. |
| Salmond, one of the guests at the jubilee thanksgiving service at St Paul's Cathedral, said these differences reflected a "different style" in Scotland, but not a lower level of public esteem for the Queen. Some commentators have said street parties are not a strong part of public life in Scotland. | Salmond, one of the guests at the jubilee thanksgiving service at St Paul's Cathedral, said these differences reflected a "different style" in Scotland, but not a lower level of public esteem for the Queen. Some commentators have said street parties are not a strong part of public life in Scotland. |
| The first minister said Scotland was staging its own celebrations this summer to mark the Queen's reign, including the annual royal week in July and during the Edinburgh military tattoo in August, which this year has a jubilee theme. | The first minister said Scotland was staging its own celebrations this summer to mark the Queen's reign, including the annual royal week in July and during the Edinburgh military tattoo in August, which this year has a jubilee theme. |
| He said most Scots would happily see the Lion Rampant, the Scottish version of the royal standard, flown instead of the saltire, the white cross on blue widely regarded as Scotland's national flag. | He said most Scots would happily see the Lion Rampant, the Scottish version of the royal standard, flown instead of the saltire, the white cross on blue widely regarded as Scotland's national flag. |
| "We get several bites at this cherry, so maybe there's just a difference in the way people celebrate things in Scotland, but our deep affection for Elizabeth, Queen of Scots, is nonetheless very powerful and very strong," Salmond said in a BBC interview. | "We get several bites at this cherry, so maybe there's just a difference in the way people celebrate things in Scotland, but our deep affection for Elizabeth, Queen of Scots, is nonetheless very powerful and very strong," Salmond said in a BBC interview. |
| "Obviously people are very proud of the saltire but the flag that should be being flown in Scotland, in my view, is the royal standard, which is the Lion Rampant, which is very much in many senses the people's flag as well as the monarch's flag in Scotland." | "Obviously people are very proud of the saltire but the flag that should be being flown in Scotland, in my view, is the royal standard, which is the Lion Rampant, which is very much in many senses the people's flag as well as the monarch's flag in Scotland." |
| Despite strong republican sentiments within the SNP and among Scottish voters, Salmond and his party are keen to promote loyalty to the crown to avoid alarming moderate voters or producing further political controversy about independence. | Despite strong republican sentiments within the SNP and among Scottish voters, Salmond and his party are keen to promote loyalty to the crown to avoid alarming moderate voters or producing further political controversy about independence. |
| There is very little active campaigning for a republic in Scotland but opinion polls show Scottish voters are often more ambivalent about the monarch than elsewhere in the UK. A study published in April by the thinktank British Future found that 41% of Scots were proud of the Queen, compared with 80% of English voters and 35% of Welsh voters. | There is very little active campaigning for a republic in Scotland but opinion polls show Scottish voters are often more ambivalent about the monarch than elsewhere in the UK. A study published in April by the thinktank British Future found that 41% of Scots were proud of the Queen, compared with 80% of English voters and 35% of Welsh voters. |
| A YouGov poll for the Sun in January found a deeper split, with 46% of Scots saying they wanted to keep the royal family after independence, compared with 41% who favoured a republic. Another YouGov poll, in February, found increasing support for keeping the Queen as head of state if Scotland became independent, up from 55% in July 2008 to 60%, with 24% preferring a republic. | A YouGov poll for the Sun in January found a deeper split, with 46% of Scots saying they wanted to keep the royal family after independence, compared with 41% who favoured a republic. Another YouGov poll, in February, found increasing support for keeping the Queen as head of state if Scotland became independent, up from 55% in July 2008 to 60%, with 24% preferring a republic. |
| The Scottish government released a "Queen of Scots" smartphone app last week to promote the jubilee and the monarch's Scottish links. The SNP is keen to promote the notion of a separate Scottish identity for the monarchy. The Queen is regarded by some Scots as Elizabeth I, as the English and Scottish crowns were united in 1603 at the end of the reign of the monarch more commonly known as Elizabeth I. | The Scottish government released a "Queen of Scots" smartphone app last week to promote the jubilee and the monarch's Scottish links. The SNP is keen to promote the notion of a separate Scottish identity for the monarchy. The Queen is regarded by some Scots as Elizabeth I, as the English and Scottish crowns were united in 1603 at the end of the reign of the monarch more commonly known as Elizabeth I. |
| Salmond said: "Clearly for people Scottish identity is becoming more and more powerful. There's no conflict between that and having respect for her majesty, because her majesty will be Queen of Scots after independence and there's no difficulty in that." | Salmond said: "Clearly for people Scottish identity is becoming more and more powerful. There's no conflict between that and having respect for her majesty, because her majesty will be Queen of Scots after independence and there's no difficulty in that." |
| Prof John Curtice, a polling expert at Strathclyde University, said many Scots were indifferent to the monarchy largely because of their weak associations with British identity. "Ambivalence is the right word," he said. "We know that Scotland feels predominantly Scottish, although most people have some sense of British identity, but for most people that is secondary, and they don't respond to it to the same degree as people south of the border. The monarchy isn't regarded as a particularly Scottish institutution, it's a British institution." | Prof John Curtice, a polling expert at Strathclyde University, said many Scots were indifferent to the monarchy largely because of their weak associations with British identity. "Ambivalence is the right word," he said. "We know that Scotland feels predominantly Scottish, although most people have some sense of British identity, but for most people that is secondary, and they don't respond to it to the same degree as people south of the border. The monarchy isn't regarded as a particularly Scottish institutution, it's a British institution." |
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