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Prince PhilipQueen Elizabeth II

The Queen speaks publicly about Prince Philip for the first time since his death during an engagement in Scotland

NO USE AFTER 31 DECEMBER 2021 W/O PERMISSION FROM BP

The Queen has spoken about the death of her late husband, Prince Philip, during an engagement in Scotland.

This is the first time the monarch has publicly spoken about the loss of her husband of 74 years.

As the 95-year-old monarch opened the new session of the Scottish Parliament, she told parliamentarians of the “many happy memories” she had spent with the Duke of Edinburgh in Scotland.

Her Majesty said: “I have spoken before of my deep and abiding affection for this wonderful country, and of the many happy memories Prince Philip and I always held of our time here.”

She continued: “It is often said that it is the people that make a place, and there are few places where this is truer than in Scotland, as we have seen in recent times.”

Responding to The Queen’s speech in Holyrood, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that the Scottish Parliament offered their “deep sympathy and shared sorrow at your loss” and thanked the monarch for being a “steadfast friend of our Parliament since its establishment in 1999”.

The Queen was accompanied by the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay as the monarch delivered her speech.

After the ceremony, the royal trio met individuals who have been recognised for their contribution to communities during the global health emergency of the past 18 months.