Please see below for a comment from Brian Whittle MSP following the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II:
“The loss of Her Majesty the Queen is one that will be felt around the world. Her immutable presence on the throne has, for so many of us, been a source of strength and reassurance in difficult times.
During the seven decades of her reign, Her Majesty wore the burdens of monarchy softly but resolutely. The steadfast dignity with which she carried her service to the nation earned her a level of respect and admiration across the world that few, if any could match.
I was fortunate enough to meet Her Majesty when I was a young athlete at the 1986 Commonwealth Games. The brief conversation we had brought me some much-needed reassurance at a nerve-wracking moment in my life.
While relatively few of us will have been fortunate enough to have met Her Majesty, we have, all of us, in some way known her, and she has known us.
I send my deepest condolences to the Royal Family, who not only mourn the loss of their Queen but their mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.”
