King Charles delivered a powerful speech as he opened the seventh session of the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood on Saturday.
The 77-year-old monarch urged MPs to safeguard Scotland’s natural heritage, calling for “respect and dignity in the face of an accelerating challenge”.
The king’s addresses were shared on the royal family’s official Instagram account just hours after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle confirmed they would visit the UK with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
In a historic speech, the 77-year-old, who is battling an unspecified form of cancer, called on parliamentarians to ensure the debate was “conducted with respect and courtesy”.
Prince William and Harry’s father made clear he would not apologize for returning to the topic of environmental management, describing it as an issue of “incredible importance” to protecting what he called Scotland’s “precious natural capital”.
He went on to explain that the natural world and human communities are fundamentally interconnected rather than in competition with each other.
“There is an essential harmony between the health of our planet, the natural systems on which we depend and the health of the people who live on Earth,” he told the chamber.
Archie and Princess Lilibet’s grandfather also acknowledged that in a time of “rapid and seemingly accelerating challenges”, not all ambitions will be realized despite the best intentions.
However, he reminded the chamber: “But even if the result is not always up to you, the way in which it will be achieved is always in your power.
“Bearing this in mind, and knowing that you are the custodians of the democratic traditions long nurtured in these islands – traditions of which Scotland’s honors are a powerful reminder – let us continue to show by example that debate can be conducted with respect and civility, that disagreement is possible while honoring the dignity of each person.
“And it is recognized – regardless of views on means – that all those engaged in public service seek the same goal: the good of the society we serve.”
The King, accompanied by his wife Queen Camilla, met with community champions nominated by MSPs.
Prime Minister John Swinney responded by suggesting that amid “uncertainty fueling deep personal anxiety” and divisive forces, a new approach to politics could lay the foundations for “renewed hope”.
He asked whether parliamentarians would collectively embrace the new political culture that was part of Holyrood’s founding promise.
