Britain鈥檚 King Charles III signs an oath to uphold the security of the Church in Scotland, during a meeting of the Accession Council inside St James鈥檚 Palace in London on September 10, 2022, to proclaim him as the new King. Britain鈥檚 Charles III was officially proclaimed King in a ceremony on Saturday, a day after he vowed in his first speech to mourning subjects that he would emulate his 鈥渄arling mama鈥�, Queen Elizabeth II who died on September 8. (Photo by Victoria Jones / POOL / AFP)
EDINBURGH, United Kingdom 鈥斅燪ueen Elizabeth II鈥檚 death in Scotland indelibly associates the nation with the handover to a new monarch, but her passing also reignites the debate over Scottish independence from the United Kingdom.
Thousands of people stood for hours on Sunday to see the 96-year-old鈥檚 coffin arrive from her Balmoral estate to Edinburgh鈥檚 Palace of Holyroodhouse, and the formal proclamation of Charles as king.
But there is a strong vein of republicanism in Scotland, and a few heckles could be heard amid the crowds massed along the Royal Mile.
One 22-year-old woman was detained for a breach of the peace for holding a placard with an obscene anti-monarchy slogan just before the proclamation, while there was also some booing.
For some in the crowd, Elizabeth 鈥� and her son King Charles III 鈥� represent the strength of the United Kingdom of Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales.
She was 鈥渙ne of the things that held (the UK) together鈥�, noted Archie Nicol, 67, who had earlier paid his respects at the royal Balmoral estate where the queen died Thursday.
Yet many others who expressed their admiration for the late monarch saw it as separate from their desire to be an independent nation.
鈥淭he queen clearly had a respect for Scotland,鈥� said Nicola Sandilands, 46, a primary teacher.
鈥淭he royal family is as much Scottish as they are anything else,鈥� she told AFP, while urging them to become 鈥渕ore relevant and current鈥�.
However, she acknowledged that the monarch鈥檚 death 鈥渨ill maybe make it easier to become a republic鈥�.
鈥淪ome Scots will consider this end of an era a natural moment for a fresh start,鈥� Scottish journalist Alex Massie wrote in The Times.
Queen of Scots
The governing Scottish National Party (SNP), which wants another independence referendum following the 2014 鈥渘o鈥� vote, is not calling for a republic.
Its founder Alex Salmond coined the term 鈥淨ueen of Scots鈥� and built close ties with Charles.
And SNP First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was quick to express her 鈥渄eepest condolences鈥� when the queen died, praising her 鈥渆xtraordinary dedication and service鈥�.
But the transition to another monarch based in England 鈥� albeit one educated at a Scottish boarding school, with several Scottish residences and a penchant for kilts 鈥� risks fraying ties.
鈥淭he Union is probably in more jeopardy now she is gone,鈥� noted veteran journalist Andrew Neil in the Daily Mail newspaper.
鈥淜ing Charles will love Scotland just as much as the queen. But he simply doesn鈥檛 have her authority.鈥�
A poll by the British Future think tank in June suggested that 45 percent of Scots supported the monarchy while 36 percent wanted a republic.
Meanwhile 51 percent wanted to stay as part of the United Kingdom.
Discretion
Before becoming king, Charles was known for speaking out on a range of issues, including climate change 鈥� a stance praised by Scotland鈥檚 Daily Record tabloid, which urged him to make the environment his 鈥渄efining mission鈥� as king.
But as constitutional monarch, he will have to steer clear of anything remotely political, particularly independence.
鈥淭he passing of the Crown is a moment of frailty, perhaps even fragility,鈥� Adam Tomkins, a constitutional lawyer and professor at the University of Glasgow, noted in The Herald newspaper.
The 鈥渂urning question鈥�, he said, was whether Charles could 鈥渆mulate his mother in maintaining the discretion by which the monarchy stands or falls鈥�.
Queen Elizabeth II never spoke out about independence, although before the 2014 referendum, she told a member of the public she hoped Scots would 鈥渢hink very carefully about the future鈥�.
Then-prime minister David Cameron was caught saying that she 鈥減urred down the phone鈥� when he reported victory for the anti-independence campaign 鈥� an indiscretion for which he subsequently apologized.
Scottish audience
Charles will have his first audience with Sturgeon on Monday when he returns to Scotland to lead a procession of his mother鈥檚 coffin to St Giles鈥� Cathedral in Edinburgh, and then hold a vigil.
On Tuesday, her coffin will be flown to London for four days of lying-in-state ahead of the funeral on September 19.
Charles will also visit Northern Ireland and then Wales, completing his tour of all four nations in the UK.
Back in Edinburgh, Theresa Brown, a 51-year-old receptionist, said she was happy for him to stay Scotland鈥檚 king.
鈥淚t鈥檚 mainly from Westminster I want independence. I don鈥檛 mind the royal family,鈥� she said.