Tributes are paid to The Queen

TRIBUTES are being paid to Her Majesty The Queen, who died peacefully at Balmoral.

The King and the Queen Consort are due to travel from Royal Deeside to London today.

King Charles III led the tributes last night.

“The death of my beloved mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family,” he said.

“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother.

“I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.

“During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.”

Lord Lieutenants, Lord Provosts, and Provosts share their thoughts

Robert Aldridge, Lord Lieutenant of Edinburgh, said: “Throughout Her Majesty The Queen’s extraordinary reign, she showed great appreciation for her ancient and hereditary kingdom of Scotland.

“To many she is the nation’s mother and grandmother and it is with great sadness that I convey, on behalf of the Scottish capital, our heartfelt sympathies and condolences to all the members of the royal family at this very sad time.”

Judy Whyte, Provost of Aberdeenshire, said: “The nation has lost its greatest ambassador, and throughout her reign she was an impeccable servant to the United Kingdom and the wider Commonwealth.

“She held Aberdeenshire very dear to her heart, and it is that relationship which will be remembered most fondly.

“It is fitting that she spent her final days on the Balmoral Estate, somewhere which was so special to her.”

David Cameron, Lord Provost of Aberdeen, who laid a wreath at the city’s flagpole beside Marischal College, added: “Her Majesty’s life was underpinned by faithful commitment to duty, and unswerving devotion to this country and its people.

“In remembering The Queen’s extraordinary life, we should all take time to pause and reflect on our own lives, our own personal values and our own duty to society.”

Jacqueline McLaren, Lord Provost of Glasgow, described The Queen as “a figure of constancy and comfort to many” and “a monarch who has served with pride, dignity, wisdom and grace for more than 70 years”.

Dundee’s Lord Provost, Bill Campbell, led the City of Discovery’s tributes, remembering Her Majesty’s visit to open part of the waterfront redevelopment at Slessor Gardens in 2016.

Tributes paid by wider civic leaders

Sir Mark Jones, chair of the National Trust for Scotland, said: “All at our charity are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Her Majesty The Queen.

“Over the years, it was our honour to host Her Majesty The Queen on visits to trust properties, from Falkland Palace in Fife in 1958 to Culloden in 2009.

“It was our charity’s honour to have several of our woodlands selected to be included in the Queen’s green canopy to mark the platinum jubilee earlier this year.”

Rt Rev Dr Iain Greenshields, moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, said: “The faith, service and dedication of Her Majesty The Queen have been the hallmark of her long reign.

“She has been the steady constant in the life of our nation for over seven decades and most of us will have grown up knowing only her as our monarch.

“Her thoughtful and pertinent Christmas Day broadcasts gave an insight not only into her personal faith, but also reflected the changing concerns and attitudes of our country.

“They were always marked with quiet perception and a great deal of affection.”

You can read a wide range of stories on Scottish Field’s news pages.

The September edition of Scottish Field is also available online.