Queen Elizabeth at the Scottish Parliament: Staying Calm in Today's World is Difficult

The Queen of Britain spoke at the Scottish Parliament for the first time since the Brexit referendum, but made no mention of the referendum itself. On Saturday, July 12, she opened the session of the Scottish Parliament and stated that remaining calm in a rapidly changing world is difficult. She added, 'We all live and work in an increasingly complex and demanding world where events occur at a remarkable pace.' The Queen emphasized that 'maintaining the ability to remain calm [in this world] is difficult.' According to British law, the Queen must remain neutral in political matters. After the majority of the British people voted to leave the European Union, Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland, stated that she would do everything possible to keep her country a member of the EU. Ms. Sturgeon did not rule out holding another referendum on Scotland's separation from Britain. Scotland is one of the countries that make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The majority of the people in Scotland voted against separation from Britain in a referendum in 2014, but after the majority of the British people called for separation from the EU in the recent referendum, discussions about holding another referendum on Scotland's separation from Britain have emerged. Most people in Scotland voted to remain in the EU in the recent referendum. In England, opposition to the recent referendum results continues, especially in London. On Saturday, tens of thousands protested in the British capital, calling for the country to remain in the EU.