I tend to see Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon through the prism of her reactions to the British royal family, so I honestly don’t know her positions on most political issues. My impression is that she’s a very straight-forward political operative, savvy and smart and plain-spoken. She wants Scotland to become independent, and Scotland will likely have another referendum vote on their “Scexit” in their near future, and it might just happen. Now that QEII has passed, it definitely feels like Scottish people’s affection for the Windsors is on the wane, although King Charles is definitely a wily old coot and he’s been visiting Scotland regularly since his mother’s death. So isn’t it curious that Sturgeon made some comments about Prince Harry’s Spare?
Nicola Sturgeon has admitted her “admiration” for Prince Harry amid ongoing conflict within the Royal Family. The First Minister of Scotland was asked what she thought of Prince Harry as tensions rise from within the royal family.
When speaking with ITV Representing Border, she said: “I am sure the Royal Family will be listening to what Prince Harry is saying. I don’t think I am best placed to be the judge of who is right and who is wrong in that. Prince Harry is someone who I have a lot of admiration for. It can’t have been easy for him to move elsewhere and set-up a new life with his family. He is clearly someone who has had a very traumatic event happen in his childhood that has affected him throughout his life.”
Ms Sturgeon continued saying that many households up and down the country will be experiencing similar problems. She said: “The royal family is an institution but it is also a family and I am not sure if it is particularly helpful for people who are not members of that family to offer advice on how they heal divisions within it. I should say in case my mum is listening to this, I am not describing my own family. There are probably loads of people who would describe their families in the nicest possible way as dysfunctional in a lot of different ways.
Ms Sturgeon did not rule out the possibility of a referendum being held on whether Scotland would become a republic in the future. She said: “There is an argument for republicanism in Scotland after independence and in the UK right now. It is not a position I am particularly pushing but these are decisions to be democratically taken.”
I like that she talks about admiring Harry – I’m sure the right-wing Fleet Street press hoped that they had “monstered” Harry so thoroughly, no one of Sturgeon’s stature would stand up for Harry or openly admire him. I also think it’s funny that Sturgeon is like “what we’re dealing with is a pretty dysfunctional family.” That really is a huge chunk of it and that gets lost in the larger conversations about the institution – this family is massively dysfunctional and they suck.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Queen Elizabeth II receives First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon during an audience at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, as part of her traditional trip to Scotland for Holyrood Week.,Image: 703769242, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Jane Barlow / Avalon
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- King Charles III during an audience with the First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh.,Image: 722078749, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Peter Byrne / Avalon
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- First Minister Nicola Sturgeon during the Service of Prayer and Reflection for the Life of Queen Elizabeth II at St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh.,Image: 722078843, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Jane Barlow / Avalon
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- First Minister Nicola Sturgeon holds media interviews and conducts a site visit ahead of the SNP National Conference held at P&J Live arena in Aberdeen, Scotland.,Image: 729541886, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Michal Wachucik / Avalon
Scotland supporting a rogue prince would have been quite bad news for the English king a few hundred years ago. Well, Charles will probably keep his head this time. I don’t think he’ll keep Scotland though.
I have my vacation fund waiting for me to take my kids to Scotland for independence celebrations. My Scottish ancestors left centuries ago as part of the Highland Clearances, but I was taught to always begrudge the English, and so here I am, ready to party for “Scexit”. What a terrible phrase for it, though. Lolololol
The English were not resposible for the Clearnances than was the Scottih landowners (see the Duke of Sutherland as an example )
No shortage of reasons for the Scots to hate the English. The unnecessary slaughter at Culloden and the post-’45 Highland abuses are plenty just by themselves.
My husband has asked me the hypothetical question that if Scotland gets their independence if I’d consider moving there. My answer is a resounding yes.
Culloden was 2 largely Scots armies facing each other on a battlefield
And the abuses lasted 2 years (the Watches) and was more about Lowlanders making sure that the Highlanders got in in the neck after turning up in the South and looting shit
History major and married-in Scot American here (my husband’s family traces their roots back to the Nordic invaders of the Inverness area). To characterize Culloden as basically 2 Scot armies firing at each other is a little accurate but not really. There were some Scots fighting for the English for sure, but it was perceived as the English troops firing on and slaughtering their own people, the same thing that created the spark for the American Revolution. The English were absolutely awful to the Scots for many, many years. Oppressed their culture and religion, sent settlors to colonize the country with English supporters, called them uncivilized to justify the abuse, and didn’t give them a real voice in government. Most of that basically continued until Queen Victoria decided to use the country as her own personal Highland Disneyland. It was bad, and the wounds are still felt by Americans with Scottish ancestry centuries later. In travels to modern day Scotland an awful lot of current citizens are still upset too. As with the Irish, it’s not that easy to get over your family’s wealth and land being stolen by colonizers who tried to tell you they did it for your own good.
7/8 of the Highlanders were Scots with some Irish , and 1/2 of the Hanoverians were Scots (all Lowlanders)
The Scots are the same religion now they have been for 500 years , the Highanders were 35% Catholic ,65 % CoS of a more strict version (Wee Free or Wee Wee Free )of what the Lowlanders followed sand it stayed what way until 25 years ago (strict Sabbatatarians ,hymns/psalms sung in Gaellic without music )
The Watches ran shit in the north for 20 years , Lallan Scots and Dorric survived which were to 2 main languages anyway ,30 years later to Scots were the ones building the fancy houses in England , running the empire ,writng poetry in Lallans and Engish speaking Walter Scott created the Highland Disneyland (recreated Tartan in its modern form , came of up with uniforms for the Archers ,found the Crown Jewels ) and he died 5 years before Vic was crowned
And what colonization – the Lowlands took charge with the desruction of the Clans something thet had spent 500 years plotting where the 90% ruled not the 10% north of the Great Glen
The only ones who do not support Harry & Meghan are the BRF, the British Media and the sycophants (who are for the most part in Britain).
Everyone else outside that damn island are rooting for them.
I watched a bit of PH on Steven Colbert show. He was very well received. BUT I know people who have drunk the Cool-Aid and believe what they hear – thus his book. He said writing it was cathartic – he basically cleansed himself by writing this book and that has got to sting the BaRF who ae filed with toxicity.
You’re right, my mum lives in Italy and is rooting for them too!!
I’ve a lot of admiration for Sturgeon too, particularly after the Brexit referendum, she seemed the only sane person in government at the time.
Nicolas Sturgeon is a total babe politically, a lefty that can debate against anyone calmly, articulately and very effectively.
Not surprised she admires Harry, but good of her to stick her neck out and say it publicly, all things considered.
I envy Scotland – they have Sturgeon and we have the idiots in Congree like MTJ and Boebert.
I will be celebrating Scottish Independence when it happens.
I like hearing this about the First Minister. I also need a first-rate history book about Scotland, and Scotland alone. Can anyone give me a link or a suggestion? I keep telling people that the English first began colonizing their neighbors (Cornish, Scots, Irish, Welsh) and then started in on the rest of the world. I just hope extreme nationalism doesn’t engulf Scotland.
The Duke of Cumberland, who was George II’s favorite son, presided at the Culloden massacre.
Let me say too that the Scots–unfortunately–began selling out their own folks to the English juggernaut for survival, as well as becoming avid purveyors in the slave trade. Yes, my surname is Scots origin, but I have no idea how my ancestors began. I don’t like this side of history, I don’t understand why Scots would enslave others as they were enslaved physically and economically, and I am not blaming; but I can see the reasons why.
Jeremy Clarkson is crying somewhere
I think the main reason why the press are going in so hard is because their “monsterization” of Harry hasn’t worked in the UK as well as they thought it would. The Oprah interview had record viewers. So they doubled down for the Jubilee and despite their best efforts the public didn’t boo them – in fact it was the opposite, people were pleased to see them. They rubbished the Spotify and Netflix deals claiming no-one would watch/listen and both companies have recorded record numbers. Then we have “no-one will read the book” and it just flew off the shelves. No matter how they try to spin it the public aren’t listening and the numbers for their projects are making the likes of Levin, Bower, 4Takes, Arbiter, Tominey et el look very silly indeed.
Do you think Sturgeon is looking at Liz Truss and wondering, “How come the Queen never dropped dead after I shook her hand?”
I laughed so loud I scared the cat. Good one.
Honestly, whatever her politics may be, this is a very good answer for this question. She admires Prince Harry, she’s not going to give advice to a family when all families have issues, etc.
She may be hoping this hurts Charles’ popularity a bit though lol.
True this, @Becks1. I think that the Scots–and Sturgeon–are not fooled by Charles’ recent showoff visits to Scotland.
She’s slyly saying that a ruling family that appears dysfunctional–according to one of its former members who has thrown off control–may also mirror its country’s government for trying to hold onto some worn-out semblance of “unity” or family with another country.
question: can Scotland become republic but remain within UK? Or remain monarchy but become an independent country? Are these things mutually exclusive?
The first — Scotland becoming a republic but remaining within the UK — seems unlikely to me. I can’t see how that would work. The monarch is the head of state of the UK, and Scotland, a constituent part of the UK, would somehow have a different head of state as a republic.
The second — Scotland becoming independent but retaining a monarch — is what Scotland independence advocates say would happen. Scotland would be, essentially, no different than Canada or Australia, retaining the Windors as their reigning family.
I thought almost a decade ago, during the first IndyRef, if it might be possible for Scotland to pass the crown after Elizabeth or Charles to a different person in the line of succession. Harry, perhaps. And I think an independent Scotland could do that, as they would need legislation defining their line of succession.
A large part of the push for independence now is to be able to rejoin the EU, so no they won’t remain part of the UK. I truly doubt that anyone who wants Scottish independence wants King Charles and William after that. As has been said, affection for Elizabeth, but definitely not Charles.
Charles thinks he’s improving things by spending more time in Scotland, but he’s really just reminding people how much they hate rich English assholes ruining the real estate market by buying up second homes.
Concern Fae, Am I wrong or does Chuck go to Scotland to hideout? It seems to be a pattern with him.
The right wing press hate Nicola Sturgeon so she won’t be surprised if they attack her on this.
As someone who isn’t British but has lived in Scotland for 11 years, all during SNP rule, I can only say that Nicola Sturgeon will use any and all opportunities to plug independence. Her entire political identity revolves around getting independence and completely avoiding any conversation or responsibility for issues currently affecting Scotland, despite the fact that they’ve been in power both at the local and national levels since 2007 and have had devolved power over the economy, education, health, justice, rural affairs, housing, environment, equal opportunities, consumer advocacy and advice, transport and taxation i.e most of the things which are currently going down s*it creek without a paddle. I do not doubt for a second that Sturgeon doesn’t give two s*its about Prince Harry but instead uses the opportunity to get herself in the press and not to have to answer questions about the series of strikes that have brought the country to a standstill.
The strikes are not a devolved matter though.
As someone who’s been living (unhappily) in England for a decade and coming from Scotland (married a Scot) I wish there was a scheme where all the unhappy folk in Scotland could be swapped with those unhappy in England automatically, perhaps that’d be a good solution for everyone 😊
I’m not unhappy in Scotland and I don’t think population swapping is the answer to these matters. Consider the strikes happening: nurses – health, devolved, teachers – education, devolved, rail workers – transport, devolved. But no, let’s just blame the English and Westminster for all our problems and avoid any responsibility over our own country (by that I mean Scotland), which I’m convinced will not change once we’re fully independent.
Yes to all of this. The only item on her manifesto is independence, after that there is zero substance. Speaking about Prince Harry is a calculated move, nothing she does is by accident.