Reports that the Earl and Countess of Wessex were being lined up as official royal residents in Edinburgh in a bid to calm calls for an independence referendum in Scotland have surprised many. However, it’s not the first time that it’s been suggested one of the Queen’s children settle at Holyroodhouse to boost the relationship between London and Edinburgh. Over two decades ago, the Princess Royal was at the heart of similar stories.
Back in 1999, the year that Edward and Sophie married, it was reported that the Queen was considering an idea for Anne to live permanently in Edinburgh. A role, described by some as ‘quasi-regent’ was being weighed up while a job for her husband, Sir Tim Laurence, at the naval base at Faslane was also mooted. In fact, the Herald went as far as to talk to a constitutional expert about a possible new title for Anne should she end up holding court at Edinburgh.
The reasons given for a move north for the princess are along much the same lines as those mooted for Edward and Sophie now. The Daily Mail has reported that Downing Street talked about the possibility of the Earl and Countess setting up home in Scotland to deepen the ‘’emotional bond’’ between the country and the Crown. It was suggested that the couple, who are known as the Earl and Countess of Forfar in Scotland, would take on a bigger range of engagements in Scotland, thus boosting the public face of the Monarchy.
Downing Street told the paper that ‘’no formal request’’ had been made to the Royal Family for the move while Buckingham Palace commented to the Mail that it was ‘’unaware of the proposal’’.
The idea has come to light ahead of this year’s elections to the Scottish Parliament which are set to take place in May. The Scottish National Party says that if it wins a majority in that poll, it will push on with another referendum on Scottish independence. Currently, the SNP is the biggest party in the parliament but is just short of an overall majority.
Scotland last voted on independence in 2014 when 55% of those taking part rejected the idea. At the time, there was some controversy over remarks made by the Queen just ahead of the poll when she told a wellwisher outside Crathie Kirk near Balmoral of her hope that ‘’people will think very carefully about the future’’. It was seen as a rare intervention in politics by the Queen.
Since the 2014 poll, the voting age in Scotland has been lowered with 16 and 17 year olds now allowed to cast ballots. It’s believed that they are more in favour of the idea of independence than their older counterparts.
Meanwhile, the Earl and Countess of Wessex and of Forfar are going about their royal lives with the couple both holding virtual engagements with causes they support in the past week.
They live at Bagshot Park in Surrey with their two children, Lady Louise, 17, and 13 year old James, Viscount Severn.
