King speaks of 'great admiration' for Scotland in Holyrood address
- Published
King Charles shared a "great admiration" for Scots with his mother, the late Queen, he has had told MSPs.
The monarch was at Holyrood to hear a motion of condolence, with leading politicians paying tribute following the death of his mother.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said her passing was a "time of profound sorrow" for the country.
And King Charles said she had "found in the hills of this land and the hearts of its people a haven and a home".
He told MSPs that he was "determined to follow the inspiring example" she had set in her 70 years on the throne.
King Charles entered the Holyrood chamber preceded by the ceremonial mace gifted to the parliament by his mother in 1999.
He heard speeches of condolence from party leaders before telling them that the nation shared a "profound sense of grief" about the Queen's passing.
He said: "The Queen, like so many generations of our family before her, found in the hills of this land and the hearts of its people a haven and a home.
"She felt, as I do feel, the greatest admiration for the Scottish people's magnificent achievements and their indomitable spirit.
"And it was the greatest comfort for her to know in turn the true affection in which she was held.
"The knowledge of that deep and abiding bond must be to us a solace as we mourn the end of a life of incomparable service."
The King hosted Nicola Sturgeon for an audience at the Palace of Holyroodhouse prior to his visit to parliament
Ms Sturgeon shared a personal story of seeing the Queen for the first time as a nine-year-old, and said she "could not have imagined" someday being driven through the Balmoral estate by her.
She also said she would treasure memories of happy times spent with the Queen, recounting a train trip to the opening of the Borders Railway on the day she became the country's longest-serving monarch.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said the Queen was an "anchor to our history" who provided an enduring link to past generations and the sacrifices they had made.
He praised the new King's past service in Scotland, as well as that of the Queen, closing his speech by saying "God save the King".
This was echoed by Labour's Anas Sarwar, who said that his six-year-old son had cried on Thursday because he would now never meet the Queen.
He said: "From the blitz to the pandemic she brought our county together. She was the great unifier, who brought light at our darkest moments."
Large crowds turned out in Edinburgh to see the Queen's coffin taken to St Giles Cathedral
Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie said the Queen had overseen "extraordinary progressive change" during her lifetime, adding he hoped the new King would "witness change just as transformational".
And Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said the Queen had "earned the widespread affection that has been so visible in these days of mourning".
Earlier, the King hosted Ms Sturgeon for an audience at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
This came shortly after they had attended a service at St Giles Cathedral along with Scottish party leaders and the prime minister.
The Queen's four children walked up the Royal Mile behind her coffin as it was driven to the church, and they are due to return to hold a vigil there in the evening.
Less than a year ago, King Charles was at Holyrood for the royal opening of a new term of parliament.
That day he was by his mother's side; today he returned as he takes her place as monarch.
He processed into the chamber preceded by the mace gifted to the parliament in 1999 by the Queen, and guards from the Royal Company of Archers.
There was a full house of MSPs - including several who had taken his dress cue by wearing kilts. Among them was Stuart McMillan, the parliaments piper, who closed the ceremony as he had done in the past for the Queen.
The public gallery was packed out too, with former first ministers and presiding officers in attendance along with senior figures from the judiciary and clergy.
The speeches were short and fairly solemn, even from parties with republican leanings; this was a day for ceremony, not politics.
Nicola Sturgeon even raised a laugh from the new King with a story of a Corgi chewing through a light cable while she was dining at Balmoral.
And Charles himself pledged to follow his mother's "inspiring example", after noting her "deep and abiding bond" with Scotland.