London: The Queen may be forced to appoint an Australian-style governor-general to rule in her name in an independent Scotland, experts suggested yesterday.
The move is seen as a solution to the problem of a monarch confronted with divided loyalties as head of state between a breakaway nation and the remainder of the UK.
There are also suggestions that Prince Charles may have to receive a second coronation if he is crowned Scotland’s King.
The Queen is head of state in 16 countries outside the UK including Canada and Australia and has personal representatives in each. Though significant numbers of Scottish nationalists want a republic, Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond said the Queen will become head of state of an independent Scotland — insisting this week that she would be “proud” to become “Queen of Scots” in the event of a Yes vote.
Robert Blackburn, professor of constitutional law at King’s College London, said the Queen may need to consider her role if the Union breaks next week.
He said: “Politically, the Queen could find herself in difficulties if she received contradictory advice on her Royal duties or public utterances on matters of common interest, particularly in foreign or diplomatic matters, where the British and Scottish governments might happen to be at loggerheads.
`One solution would be to establish an office of governor-general in Edinburgh to act in the Queen’s name.”
A Scottish governor-general would be likely to act as commander of ... armed forces and act as the country’s head of state in the day-to-day running of the country, on the advice of its elected leader.
The official would also have the power ... to appoint a Scottish prime minister if an election resulted in a hung parliament.
Scottish church leaders have also examined plans for ... a separate coronation ceremony, the first to take place on Scottish soil since 1651 when King Charles II took the throne ...
Stephen Haseler, of the Global Policy Institute in London, added: “Alex Salmond has overcome the issue of the monarchy initially by saying ‘Look, we will keep the Queen’.
“But of course the Queen won’t be around for very long, and my absolute conviction is that once the Queen goes the Scots won’t wear Prince Charles, and they will go for a republican system within the EU.”
