The Royal Opening of the Scottish Parliament

Good morning and welcome to the Royal Opening

Over the next hour, we'll be bringing you live

as the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh officially mark

the start of what is Holyrood's 5th session.

A short time ago, the Crown of Scotland left Edinburgh Castle,

accompanied by Alexander Douglas Hamilton, the 16th Duke of Hamilton

- Scotland's premier peer, who is not only the traditional

bearer of the crown but the hereditary

keeper of the palace of Holyrood House, from where

they are heading to the chamber. Let's take a look. MSPs and their

guests are there. For those of you wondering

about the chronology of things, although this

is the opening ceremony of the parliament, it's also

the last day before the summer So, you might detect

an air of demob happiness. And we're expecting The Queen

and the Duke of Edinburgh to make the short journey from the Palace

of Holyrood House to the Scottish I'm joined this morning

by Aileen McHarg, Good morning. Good morning. We have

a few seconds in hand. This event today is very different to the

annual State Opening of Parliament at Westminster. What are the main

differences? Having just asked you a question, I will have to interrupt

you briefly. That is the queen was a car with the Duke of Edinburgh,

making the short drive to Queensbury house. Tell us some more. The key

difference is, during the State Opening of Parliament in

Westminster, the Queen of the speech is where she announces on behalf of

the Government, her government, the programme of legislation for the

coming session. That does not happen. At Holyrood, it is purely a

ceremonial occasion. The announcement of the legislative

programme will take place when Parliament comes back from recess in

autumn. It will be the First Minister who announces her

legislative programme. This is really just a ceremonial occasion,

harking back to the first parliament in 1999. Although that Parliament

was elected in May, it did not get its legislative powers... That is

why it is happening today. And our political correspondent,

Andrew Kerr, is just Amid the throng. Give us a brief

account of what we are expecting. The Queen has made her way to the

Queensberry house entrance of Parliament for the beer waiting with

anticipation to hear what Her Majesty will be saying. -- entrance

of Parliament. We are waiting with anticipation. We have had to mulch

with events in the past few weeks. We'll be hearing from the First

Minister as well -- tumultuous. We'll be hearing from the First

Queen is being greeted by the Lord and Lady Provost. In a previous

life, the Lord Provost was a computer teacher at school. Meeting

there the Presiding Officer of Parliament, Ken Macintosh. It is the

first time he has fulfilled this role. He was the first Labour member

to be elected to the post. The Queen is being introduced to the two

Deputy presiding officers, Christine Grahame and Linda Fabiani. The Duke

is saying hello. Incidentally, Ken Macintosh is wearing the Macintosh

kilt. He knows quite a lot about tartan, as his wife's family firm is

the Tartan maker for the Royal family. If they need something to

talk about, they can talk about that. In terms of talking, I will

hand you over now to Brian Taylor. You see the political leaders, the

leader of the Conservative Party and the other political leaders awaiting

Her Majesty in the garden lobby. This is about pageantry, ceremonial,

the formal opening of the first session of Parliament with Nicola

Sturgeon as First Minister in that parliament it also takes place

against an environment. Against the background of the past week. Perhaps

for some, perhaps for those leaders, perhaps for others in the country,

the arrival of Her Majesty, which we now wait perhaps the gameplay

project is a note of continuity in troubled and very uncertain times.

Ken Macintosh, who greeted Her Majesty, we have a reference to

that. Everyone looking to see whether Her Majesty The Queen also

that. Everyone looking to see makes a reference to the quite

remarkable events of the past week or so. This is the fifth session of

the Scottish Parliament but it is actually the eighth time that Her

Majesty has addressed Parliament. It included such occasions as the

opening of this building, the Holyrood building, 9th of October,

2004, with Majesty entering the garden lobby. The Duke of Edinburgh

is being escorted and the company. garden lobby. The Duke of Edinburgh

It is the eighth time Her Majesty has addressed the Scottish opening

of Parliament, including in Aberdeen for the opening of this building.

Now greeting the First Minister. It has been quite a week for

politics. It has been quite a year for Her Majesty herself. She is now

90. She said when she was in Northern Ireland, she has two

birthdays, including her official one, so we have been quite busy, as

she pointed out herself. The Duke of Edinburgh following her, as he does,

as consort. He is now aged 95. A little word with Patrick Harvie of

the Greens. Now, in a slight departure from custom, Her Majesty

is going around the corner to take the lift up to the floor, where the

chamber is. The MSPs and others sit there, awaiting the arrival of their

royal guest. Earlier, they were entertained in a programme of music

by the National Youth Choir of Scotland. Several MSPs were singing

along to that. Guests looking from the gallery as well. He just spotted

something. The scene looking down to the area where the Mace will be

placed, that is the symbol of parliamentary power. You can just

see the green, which is probably reserved for the Crown. They are

racing up the glass corridor. Not to be caught out by the Queen as she

knits up the lift. Kezia Dugdale there and Willie Rennie. -- nips.

The Queen of representative is there. Marching in, striding in,

desperate to get their places before the royal party arrives and the

formalities begin. As Jackie was discussing earlier, it is a ceremony

that has gained some tradition of its own, particularly the Riding. I

like the idea that the writing, done in medieval times, with the

courtiers and the Palace officials, has now been resurrected as a

demonstration of popular sovereignty. -- Riding. A little

word between the First Minister and her deputy. Sitting on the right.

Now, coming up the glass corridor towards the chamber of the Scottish

Parliament, Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by Ken Macintosh,

Presiding Officer. Now, as I said, we are expecting Ken

Macintosh to make some references to the events of the past week. We are

expecting him to address the subject of the solidarity and cooperation he

feels and others feel are required in these particularly difficult

times. We are all looking out whether Her Majesty makes reference

to that as well. This has traditionally been an occasion for

mainly ceremonial, but sometimes there has been just a little hint or

two, either from the Poseidon officer, or the Queen, of a

reference to times. -- the Presiding Officer. Now a fanfare for Her

Majesty The Queen. That is the Mace of Parliament being

carried by Philip Horwood. He is the head of security and says this is

probably the last time he will do it. He has carried the Mace on seven

times. He reckons this will be his last go. 22 years he served in The

Black Watch. He is wearing The Black Watch tartan today. Inscribed with

their words, wisdom, justice, compassion and integrity. Supposed

to be the founding principles of the Scottish Parliament. They could use

them right now. As the Herald 's move to one side,

and there is the Crown, the Crown of Scotland.

Part of the royal honours of Scotland. The oldest surviving set

of Crown Jewels in these islands. Dates from 1503. That Crown was

remodelled by James the fifth, as far back as 1540. After the Act of

Union, it was locked away in far back as 1540. After the Act of

Edinburgh Castle and found in a chest in 1818 by Sir Walter Scott.

It was carried before Queen Elizabeth at her coronation, just

after her coronation, in a procession from Holyrood house,

Saint Giles. Now, the Poseidon officer. Your

Majesty, your Royal Highness, distinguished guests. On behalf of

my fellow MSPs, can I welcome you and thank you for joining us at the

opening of this, the fifth session of the Scottish Parliament. A

particularly warm welcome to you, of the Scottish Parliament. A

your Majesty. Not just because of the significant milestones you have

achieved this year. Your presence here today, and the support you have

given Parliament from the beginning of devolution has helped this

institution developed the authority of now enjoys. Many people across

this country have enjoyed celebrating with you a remarkable

year. On your most recent official visit to Scotland, you became our

longest reigning monarch. I was privileged to represent the

Parliament last month at St Paul's privileged to represent the

on the occasion of your 90th birthday celebrations. The same day

as the 95th celebrations of her Royal Highness, the Duke of

Edinburgh. It was an enjoyable occasion. Made all the more

delightful, I may add, when our First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon,

introduced our Secretary of State, David Munday, to her guests, as your

husband. Inadvertently, I may add, as the two had swapped places. As

David Munday observed, we did not need a referendum to know that was

one union doomed for disappointment from the start. Your Majesty, over

nine decades you have witnessed so much. Extraordinary social and

economic change, phenomenal scientific and technological

advances, disturbing and ever increasing environmental anxiety.

Critically, you have seen success of generations rise to the challenges

that lie before them. Your Majesty, the Parliament before you today

stands ready for the challenges that lie ahead of us. Every MSP in this

chamber is proud to represent the people of Scotland. We have been

given the opportunity to serve and to contribute in a Parliament which

has been thrashed. Two out of every five MSPs here have been elected for

the first time. We 18th our democracy, reminding us of the

promise of devolution, to work democracy, reminding us of the

together. For the good of all. In these few short weeks, weeks of

unprecedented political turbulence, I have already seen a real

willingness to work together cooperatively and collaboratively. I

have seen the emergence of a shared agenda to clarify the identity and

role of this Parliament. A shared recognition that it is more

important than ever that this parliament finds its voice, a voice

for hope. To echo Donald Dewar, a voice for the future. I say more

important than ever, because these last few weeks have also borne

witness to the politics of hate. Today, outside this Parliament, we

fly the rainbow flag of pride. Today, outside this Parliament, we

Testimony to the 49 lives lost in the senseless shootings in an

Orlando nightclub. A flag which displays our solidarity with the

families and the communities they left behind. We continue to mourn

the loss of our parliamentary colleague, Joe Cox. I believe it is

simply not good enough to condemn such atrocities. -- Jo. We need to

lead by example. Just this week, President Michael D Higgins of

Ireland spoke to this chamber and he warned us against the growth of a

populism. He told us not to react in kind but respond with an open,

informed, tolerant and engaged discourse. It was one of the most

erudite and powerful arguments for empathy or the importance of

political sympathy I have ever had the privilege to hear. Yes, our

exchanges in this Parliament should be passionate and robust. They

should also be respectful. Courtesy, compassion and gentleness are signs

of strength, not weakness. A lesson many of us could learn from the

example of your Majesty. When this building was first

constructed, Edwin Morgan described the open and adventurous Parliament

that Scotland wanted to see in his poem, Open The Doors! . He implored

us not to let hope be other than great. I have never given up hope

that we can capture the new politics from which this Parliament was born.

But it takes determination to move from the trench warfare of party

lines. It takes purpose if we are to soften the binary divisions, yes or

no, leave or remain. We need to remember and to act on

the principles on which we were founded, accessible, transparent in

proceedings, sharing power. It cannot, it must not be simply today

that the Parliament opens its doors to the people of Scotland.

Last Friday morning, we all awoke to to the people of Scotland.

the monumental impact of the EU referendum result. An event which

has had a pro found and dramatic impact on the political landscape.

But I will also remember that date as my daughter Annie's last day at

primary school. As she moves on to high school, I

want all of our children, not to be filled with anning diet but to grow

up full of expectation and excitement, secure in the knowledge

we are shaping a positive future for them. To study and learn, to work

and pro per, to play to laugh, to fall in love in a world in which

humanity can life up to the deepest meaning of the word.

Your Majesty, amidst some of the bad news over the last month, there was

a moment of joy, when your horse, Dart mouth won at Royal Ascot. We

shared your undisguised pleasure on our TV screens. Politics is a little

like horse racing, in it can often strike people as the triumph of hope

over experience. But despite the public cynicism, in my experience,

most politicians are incurable optimists. 17 years ago, I took my

place here, filled with hope, taking my place in the first Scottish

Parliament. As I stand here again, I can feel the fire rekindled in my

heart. We stand at the brink of a new session with all the hope and

promise it can bring. We have five years to make a difference. Five

years to make Scotland a fairer, kinder and more prosperous country.

Five years to build a better place to live. Each one of us has

something to contribute. As Jo Cox said in her maiden speech in the

Commons: We have far more in common that which divides us. My hope, like

the poets is still great. Your Majesty, can I call on you to

address this meeting the Parliament? Inspiring optimism there from the

Presiding Officer, Ken Macintosh, reflecting back to the poem, Open

The Doors! Open The Doors! Edwin Morgan. We can hear it later in a

different form. Now, Her Majesty the Queen.

Presiding Officer, First Minister, members of the Scottish Parliament.

It is a pleasure to be invited to address you on the special occasion

to mark the opening of the 5th session of the Scottish Parliament.

I would like to begin by thanking you, Presiding Officer, for your

kind words of welcome and extending my good wishing to you in your new

role. You carry a heavy responsibility for protecting the

reputation and the good conduct of this Parliament.

And I have no doubt that you will follow in the steps of your

predecessors in demonstrating fairness, good judgment and

impartiality, as well as being a strong advocate of the Parliament.

Members of the Scottish Parliament, occasions such as today are rightly

a time for hope and optimism. The beginning of this new session in

particular, brings with it a real sense of renewal.

With your largest intake of new members since 1999.

For me, it also brings an echo of the excitement and the enthusiasm

that I encountered that year, when many of the then MSPs, and I'm

pleased to note, that quite a number of you are still serving today, set

out on a collective journey in Scottish public service.

17 years on, the Scottish Parliament has grown in maturity and skill.

Of course, we all live and work in an increasingly complex and

demanding world, where events and developments can, and do, take place

at remarkable speed, and retaining the ability to stay calm and

collected can at times be hard. As this Parliament has successfully

demonstrated over the years, one hallmark of leadership in such a

fast-moving world is a allowing sufficient room for quiet thinking

and contemplation, which can enable deeper, cooler consideration of how

challenges and.opportunities can be best addressed.

I'm sure, also, that you will continue to draw inspiration from

the founding principles of the Parliament and the key values of

wisdom, justice, compassion and integrity, that our engraved on the

Mace. These principles and values have served the Scottish Parliament

well. And they will continue to guide new

and returning members in the years ahead.

During the session, the Parliament will implement new tax and welfare

powers, in addition to other areas of public policy.

I wish you every success as you prepare to take on these extra

responsibilities. And I remain confident that you will use the

powers at your disposal wisely and continue to serve the interests of

all the people of Scotland to the best of your ability.

As well as formerly marking the opening of the 5th session of

Scottish Parliament, today is also a day where people will come together

in Edinburgh to celebrate excellence in Scotland.

And I can say without fear of contradiction that there is

certainly a lot to celebrate. Today we are reminded of Edwin

Morgan's poem, Open The Doors! . I understand that this afternoon's

activities are themed around that poem, which famously has the line:

We have a building that is more than a building.

What a wonderful way of scribing this Parliament.

Presiding Officer, First Minister, members of the Scottish Parliament,

the Duke of Edinburgh and I will continue to follow your progress

with the closest of interest, and we extend to you all our warmest good

wishes as we embark on this 5th session of Parliament.

APPLAUSE. The First Minister leading the

applause. The Queen's address, in which she urged calm and

contemplation. And now the Piano Quintet No. 1,

composed by Tom Aitken, a pupil at St Mary's School.

Performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra Ensemble.

by The Royal Scottish National Orchestra Ensemble

That performance composed by a teenager. Evidence of the talents of

Scotland, referred to by Her Majesty in her address. And now for the

poem... We have a building which is

more than a building. There is a commerce between inner

and outer, between brightness and shadow,

between the world and those The parts cohere, they come together

like petals of a flower, yet they also send their tongues

outward to feel and taste Did you want classic columns

and predictable pediments? No icon, no IKEA, no iceberg,

but curves and caverns, nooks

and niches, huddles and heavens But bring together slate

and stainless steel, black granite and grey granite,

seasoned oak and sycamore, concrete blond and smooth as silk -

the mix is almost alive - it breathes and beckons -

imperial marble it is not! Come down the Mile,

into the heart of the city, past the kirk of St Giles

and the closes and wynds of the noted ghosts of history,

who drank their claret and fell down the steep tenements stairs

into the arms of link-boys but who wrote and talked the starry

Enlightenment of their days. And before them the auld makars

who tickled a Scottish king's ear with melody and ribaldry

and frank advice. And when you are there,

down there, in the midst of things, not set upon an hill

with your nose in the air, this is where you know your parliament

should be. What do the people

want of the place? They want it to be filled

with thinking persons as open and adventurous

as its architecture. A phalanx of forelock-tuggers

is what they do not want. And perhaps above all the droopy

mantra of "it wizny me" Dear friends, dear lawgivers,

dear parliamentarians, you are picking up a thread

of pride and self-esteem that has been almost,

but not quite, oh no, not quite, When you convene you will be

reconvening, with a sense of not wholly the power,

not yet wholly the power, but a good sense of what was once

in the honour of your grasp. Trumpets and robes are fine,

but in the present and the future you will

need something more. We, the people, cannot tell you yet,

but you will know about it We give you our consent to govern,

don't pocket it and ride away. We give you our deepest dearest

wish to govern well, don't say we have no

mandate to be so bold. We give you this great building,

don't let your work and hope be other than great

when you enter and begin. APPLAUSE

Splendid! The Scottish youth Theatre recreating the late Edwin Morgan's

poem, Open The Doors!. He was the first Scots Makar. Not to be

followed by the current Scots Makar. Threshold. Let's blether some more

about doors, revolving doors and sliding doors. Half opened, half

closed. The door with your name in it, the heavy one hard to open. The

one you walked out when your heart was broken. The one you walked in as

he came to your profession. And the tiny door when you made your

confession. The school door at the end of a lesson. Yes, shut the door

in gay lick. The way door on your dog's house. Gaelic. Doors imagined

by writers the world over. Roost and the chickens coming home to roost.

Or, Chris Guthrie's open heart at the end of Sunset Song. The door to

the stable bolted after the horse left. Not tammim Shanter's tale will

stop the one that shut violently behind you, hanged by a sudden wind.

The painted, red door, code for asylum seeker. The X that says

plague or Passover. The one turned into a vote to cross the ever

lightning waters, the North Sea and the Aegean, reminders of the people

cleared of their lands are out their crafts, to whom the sea was there

threshold on, of. Take the big key and opened the door to the living,

breathing past. The one you enliven over and over to the ship's, the

house of the world, to the library door of Donald Dewar. Then picture

yourself on the threshold, the exact moment when you might begin again. A

new sitting, new keys, jingle possibilities. Hope comes with a

tiny, Greyfriars Bobby key ring. Then come through to this

Parliament, new session. Passed round there bobbing doors, change in

the revolution is 360 degrees. -- revolving. Take in the Dutch gables,

the cross gables. Here, rising out of the sloping base of Arthur's

heat, straight into a city, a city that must also speak for the banks

and the Braves, Munro 's, Cairns, bothy is, songs, heart, poems, art,

stories. Do not forget the ceilidhs. bothy is, songs, heart, poems, art,

Who doesn't love them? A city that the members of the blows of Orkney

and Shetland, the folk of Colin C, Bute and Tyree, the inner and Outer

Hebrides, the Glens and the bends, the trees and the rivers and the

burns and the locks and the sea lochs. And Nessie, the Granite city,

done freeze and Galloway. The green place and Dundee. The knights died's

tiny keys. Find here what you are looking for.

Democracy, in its infancy: guard her Like you would a small daughter -

And keep the door wide open, not just ajar.

And say, in any language you please, Wellcome. Welcome to the world's

refugees. Scotland's changing faces. Look at me, his birth mother walked

refugees. Scotland's changing faces. through the door of a mother and

baby home here and walked out of Elsie Ingles hospital without me. My

Makar, her daughter, Makar of fairly layered. This is my country, says a

fisherman. Mine too, says a child from Iona. Mine too says the brain

family. And mine says a man from the Polish deli. And mine, says the

brave and beautiful acid Schar. Need Polish deli. And mine, says the

to save the black Scott and the red Scott. And William Wallace and Mary

Queen of spots. Also Muriel Spark. Said Emily Sanjay and Arthur Walton.

Said Liz Lochhead Norman, and mine, said the Syrian refugee. Here we

are, in this building of pure poetry, on this July morning in

front of Her Majesty. Good day, Ma'am, Ma'am, good day. Great

believers in democracy and in giving it loud. Her strength is our

difference. Do not fear it. It takes more than one language to tell a

story. Wellcome. One language is never enough.

Welcome. It takes more than one language to tell a story. Welcome.

One language is never enough. Welcome. It takes more than one

tongue to tell a story. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. It takes more than

one language to tell a story. Welcome. Welcome! Come in the living

room, come join our brilliant gathering.

APPLAUSE A mix of Scottish literature,

history, biography and the insistence on variation. Jackie Kay

had a Scottish mother and Nigerian father. She was adopted as a baby

and grew up in Bishopbriggs. Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness,

Presiding Officer, fellow members of Parliament and distinguished guests.

Today's a day to celebrate come forward with hope. We

want to thank you for opening the session of our parliament and for

your thoughtful address this morning. Since this is not yet

December, I'd trust the wishes are still in order. On behalf of

everyone in this chamber, on behalf of all of the people of Scotland, I

would like to wish Her Majesty are very happy 90th birthday year.

APPLAUSE Your Majesty, your lifetime of

service to others, to your country, and the Commonwealth, your deep

sense of duty, dignity and respect, and your firm and constant support

and affection. And are an inspiration to all of us and we

thank you for it. Today marks the formal opening of this, the fifth

term of our national parliament. All of us elected to this magnificent

chamber feel a deep sense of honour in the trust that the people of

Scotland have placed in us. We come from a diverse the righty of

backgrounds. All of us have been given the precious opportunity to

contribute to building a better country. And build it we will. To do

so, we must be bold and ambitious. We must show courage and

determination. Our collective commitment to the people of Scotland

today is that we will not shy away from any challenge we face, no

matter how difficult or deep rooted. We must seek to extend opportunity

for everyone, at every stage of their lives. As parliamentarians, we

must always remember our duty to lead by example, with open, honest

and good spirited debate and discussion. Our duty to be a voice

for all of the people of our country. When Scotland's first First

Minister, the late Donald Dewar, address this Parliament at its

opening 17 years ago, he delivered them one of the finest speeches of

our times. He said, a Scottish Parliament is about more than

politics and laws. It is about who we are, how we carry ourselves. So,

allow me to reflect on who we are in Scotland today. We are more than 5

million men and women, adults, young people and children. Each with our

own life stories, family histories and our own hopes and dreams. We are

the grandchildren and great Jan -- grandchildren of the thousands who

came from Ireland to work in shipyards and families. We are the

80,000 Polish people, the 8000 Lithuanians, the 7000 each from

France, Spain, Italy and Latvia, who among many from countries beyond our

shores we are so privileged to have living here amongst us. We be more

than half a million people born in living here amongst us. We be more

England, Wales and Northern Ireland who have chosen to live here in

Scotland. We are be thousands of European students studying at our

universities and our colleges. The other doctors and nurses from all

across our continent and beyond, who care for us dearly in our National

Health Service. Whether we have lived here for generations, or are

new Scots, from Europe, India, Pakistan, Africa, and countries

across the globe, we all of this and more. We are so much stronger for

diverse city that shaped us. We are one Scotland. We are simply home to

all those who have chosen to live here.

How do we carry ourselves? We carry ourselves with dignity, treating

others with respect. We celebrate our difference. We are not perfect,

far from it. We do make mistakes but every day, especially in adversity

a hand to our neighbour. a hand to our neighbour.

. A few weeks ago, all of Scotland, including leaders from across this

chamber stood in solidarity with the victims of the Orlando massacre.

Today we fly the rainbow flag outside our Parliament. We do so

with poignancy and great pride. It is yet another vivid illustration

and powerful symbol of the open and inclusive nation that we are.

The open and inclusive nation that we are determined to remain.

This is a Scotland we represent, a country we should never take for

granted but instead work hard each and every day to protect and to

strengthen. This Parliament now has the weighty responsibility of taking

forward the will of our people in the name and in the spirit of our

people. So let us lead with hope and

determination and make this resolution: We will work every day

to achieve greater equality at home and to enhance and never diminish

our precious place in the world. We have just heard the inspiring words

off our wonderful new Makar, Kaye. These words are from connecting

cultures, a poem written by Liz to celebrate a Commonwealth Day. These

words resonate powerfully as we think about who we are and reflect

on our place in the European Union and the wider world. Remembering how

hard fellow feeling is to summon, when wealth is what we do not have

in common, may every individual and all the peoples in each nation work

and hope and strive for true communication, only by a shift in

sharing is there any chance for the welfare of all our people and good

governance. So, Presiding Officer, today as we celebrate this new

beginning, let us look forward with hope and a shared determination to

work tirelessly for the good of all of Scotland's people and in doing

so, to play our part in a stronger Europe and a better world.

APPLAUSE APPLAUSE. A better nation... Words from the

First Minister. Next we have a song, A Man's a Man

for A' That. Played again with a sense of continuity but also sung in

1999 at the opening. SONG: A Man's A Man For A' That by

Robbie Burns # Is there for honest poverty that

hings his head, an' a' that # Gie fools their silks and knaves

their wine # Wha struts, an'

stares, an' a' that # The pith o' sense,

an' pride o' worth # That sense and worth,

o'er a' the earth Midge Ure.

And a great anthem of common humanity.

Applause from the Duke of Edinburgh as well.

Gosh, Ken Macintosh, certainly seems to like it.

And I know close this session of the Scottish Parliament.

MUSIC: The Rowan Tree Performed by Stuart McMillan MSP

The Royal Company of Archers. Leading them out.

Around Stuart McMillan, the MSP, the Parliament's piper, playing The

Rowan Tree. No words on this occasion but the lyrics are famous

too. The MSP standing as the procession

leaves the chamber. The Presiding Officer escorting Her

Majesty out. Kezia Dugdale there. And the MSPs by their benches. And

the crown, carried by the Duke of Hamilton.

The Amperes very slow across the black and white corridor that reply

case the corridor in the building at the top of the Mound. The General

Assembly building. First used by Parliament in 1999. Rep micated in a

slightly Alice in Wonderland way, I always thought.

The Queen is escorted by the Presiding Officer.

The crown in the background, isn't it magnificent? Absolutely

magnificent. 22 gem stone, 20 precious stones and 68 fresh

Scottish Water pales. And the base solid gold. Back in the chamber,

they are on their holidays, of course.

It is the summer recess. Congratulating each other but I

think there will be work to be done with the small matter of the

European Union and a the referendum and of course, the small matter of

Scottish governing. John Swinney having a word with the

First Minister. Isn't he good? He's a politicians

but also a piper! A little glance down there to see how he is getting

repertory. repertory.

-- repertoire. The scene outside there, the weather

changed dramatically, during the period. It was absolutely pouring

rain throughout the service. But it seems to have rerelented, although,

no, gosh, it seems to have come back on again.

You see the two girls there, awaiting the Queen, they are going

to present posies to Her Majesty when she departs. The two girls are

Agatha King, who is five years old from Dunbarton and Islelagh Shaw who

is 11, from Fife. They are chosen as two of the local heroes, each of the

MSPs has nominated a local hero. They are two of them to present the

posy. Her Majesty is now to sign the book.

As Her Majesty signs there... Including the ceremony for the day,

I will hand back to the studio. And as the Queen departs

the parliament, crowds are making their way down

the Royal Mile as part As you say, Brian, it has been a

dreadful day weatherwise but they are looking forward to what is

are looking forward to what is ahead.

Well, you had an elegant ceremony, watching along this morning but let

me tell you, this, outside, is where the party starts. I'm standing here

waiting for The Riding to begin. It goes back to the 16th century, and

this is what the people show what they can do for today's celebration.

It is where the organisations are taking part. I have spoken to a few

of them earlier. It is an occasion that is part of

tradition but differs greatly from the Riding of old that involved that

nobility and the churchmen, this is very much an event for the people,

isn't it? Absolutely it is. And boy, are people excited about taking part

in this today. We have everything from Vikings through to women's

groups, we have little ones from schools, who have been practicing

their drums really, really loudly, all ready to go. We have dancer of

every variety, they are all getting ready to put on the most amazing

show right down here on the Royal Mile. In a while it will come past

me here on the Royal Mile, picking up people from the Parliament and

heading off to Holyrood Park. In fact, you are just in time to see

the start of the parade, led off by the pipes. But there is lots more

music coming from back there. Do you want to take a look? Well, I think

this is an opportune moment now. Let's join Andrew Kerr, you are at

the foot of the Royal Mile, what do you make of what you heard? It was

interesting to hear what the Queen said. She was speaking in reference

to the European referendum, the hallmark of leadership and a

fast-changing world, allowing room for quiet thinking and

contemplation. The First Minister said she wanted Scotland to play our

part in a stronger Europe. So perhaps a couple of references to

the tumult use political situation we are seeing, Jackie. But now time

for good fun here at Holyrood. It certainly is.

It is a, as I spoke, the feeling of demob at the Parliament. That is

where we end our coverage of the royal opening of the Parliament, one

in which we heard the Queen wish the MSPs success on taking on their new

responsibilities. The MSPs are off on their summer break but with the

current political situation, summed up by the Presiding Officer as

turbulence, the 5th session of Parliament is going to be an

interesting one. From everyone here, good afternoon.

Boateng! Well hit! CHEERING