The Queen appoints Prince William as her representative to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland – as SNP unveils plans for a second independence referendum
- The Queen has been appointed Prince William as Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland for the second year in a row
- Represents Queen at the Annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
- Today Scottish Government published draft Bill for second independence vote
The Queen has appointed her grandson Prince William represent her at the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
As Lord High Commissioner, Prince William, 37, will represent the Queen, 94, at the Annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which will be held online in May.
William, known as the Earl of Strathearn in Scotland, will make the opening and closing addresses to the Assembly and will carry out a number of official functions as the Lord High Commissioner.
It comes at a crucial time for the Union and just hours after the SNP unveiled its plan for another independence referendum.
The Queen has appointed her grandson Prince William to the position of Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland for the second year in a row. Pictured, Prince William and Kate Middleton on a visit to Dundee in January 2019
It proposes using the same question as in 2014 – ‘should Scotland be an independent country?’ Voting would also be extended to include over 16s, who are generally thought to be more in favour of independence.
The bill says the contest should be held in the first half of the Parliament due to be elected in May. The SNP has said it could be as early as this year.
Nicola Sturgeon was accused of a ‘reckless’ bid to distract from the Alex Salmond probes after choosing to publish the bill today.
The First Minister is facing a moment of truth as James Hamilton QC prepares to hand over his verdict on whether she broken the ministerial code – amid signs the report could be published within hours.
The decision on who will serve as Lord High Commissioner is made on the advice of the Scottish First Minister and Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Each year the Queen appoints a representative, with Prince Charles, Princess Anne and the Earl of Wessex previously serving in the role. However it is not always a member of the Royal Family.
The Queen approved the appointment, which was announced by Downing Street on Monday. The decision is made on the advice of Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Pictured, the Queen at Windsor Castle in December 2020
Prince William also served as Lord High Commissioner in 2020. The General Assembly was originally scheduled to take place from 16-22 May but was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. An online meeting was eventually held in October.
Monarchs have sworn to maintain the Church of Scotland since the 16th century.
The duty to ‘preserve the settlement of the true Protestant religion as established by the laws made in Scotland’ was affirmed in the 1707 Act of Union between England and Scotland.
The Queen made this pledge at the first Privy Council meeting of her reign in February 1952.
The Church of Scotland is a Presbyterian church and recognises only Jesus Christ as ‘King and Head of the Church’, so the Queen attend services as an ordinary member.
In April, William wrote to the Right Reverend Colin Sinclair, the outgoing moderator of the Assembly, praising the work of the Church of Scotland.
‘It is heartening to see how the Church of Scotland, like so many other faith communities across the country, is re-inventing itself digitally to continue providing worship, support and guidance for your congregations,’ the duke said.