THE royal family’s visit to Scotland this week is symbolic of huge inequality in the UK ahead of the General Election, the Scottish Greens co-leader has said.
The King and Queen have come north of the Border for a series of events including celebrating the 900th anniversary of the city of Edinburgh.
It is tradition for the monarch to spend a week based at the Palace of Holyroodhouse for what is known as Holyrood Week or Royal Week in Scotland.
Given the General Election taking place on Thursday, it will be shorter this year with the King and Queen postponing events that may “divert attention” away from the campaign.
But Harvie has said their presence in the capital will be a key reminder for voters of how a huge amount of wealth in the UK is unevenly distributed.
He said it continues to be an “offensive idea” that people born into a different family are supposed to be “your betters”.
Asked how he felt about the King and Queen visiting this week, Harvie (below) told The National: “There’s a fundamental principle here that I believe we should be a democracy, power should be accountable and someone who occupies a position like head of state, the public should decide if they’re doing the job right or if they want to get rid of them and replace them with somebody else.
“But I think there’s a symbolic issue here as well. We all know that one of the huge problems with the UK as a whole, and it’s impacted on Scotland dramatically, is inequality.
“This is a really wealthy country but a huge chunk of that wealth is being hoarded by the few. Unlocking that wealth, putting that wealth to work for the benefit of everyone in our society, in Scotland and the UK, could be transformational.
“The monarchy is a symbol of that inequality, it’s there in order to remind people ‘know your place’. People who were born into a different family are just supposed to be your betters. That’s an offensive idea.
“So I think it’s important that if we believe in an equal society, if we believe in human rights and people’s equality, that we sweep away a social order that’s intended to undermine that principle.”
In the Greens manifesto, the party argue for the abolition of the monarchy and ensuring sovereignty lies with the people of Scotland, not unelected heads of state.
The King has begun his official stay in Scotland by receiving the keys to the City of Edinburgh, an event known as the Ceremony of the Keys in the garden at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
He was welcomed by the Lord Provost, City of Edinburgh councillor Robert Aldridge, who presented the keys on a red velvet cushion which Charles symbolically touched.
Before the ceremony, the palace’s garden was transformed into a parade ground, where the King met senior military and uniformed figures including Chief Constable of Police Scotland Jo Farrell, before receiving a royal salute and inspecting a Guard of Honour of soldiers from Balaklava Company, 5 Scots.
