The King delivered a powerful message of unity as he marked the 25th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament yesterday.
Charles addressed the chamber during a visit to Holyrood with Queen Camilla and spoke of the need to fight polarisation and division in the world.
In a rousing speech, he called on MSPs to embrace the values of hope, civility and generosity of spirit.
He said: ‘We are all at the end of each day united by our love of Scotland.’
The King added: ‘From the central belt, to the North Highlands, across the islands, in Ayrshire, in the Borders, the cities, towns, and villages, or the coastal communities, who, I wonder, could not fail to be moved by this complex Caledonian kaleidoscope?’
The King and Queen at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh yesterday
Reflecting on 25 years since his beloved mother, the Late Queen, opened the Scottish Parliament building, Charles said the launch had been an ‘extraordinary occasion’, ‘not least for the fact that it came almost 300 years after the Act of Union of the Westminster and Scottish Parliaments on May 1, 1707.’
He added: ‘It was a landmark in a long, rich and complex story which we have shared over many centuries.’
Charles also hailed sitting MSPs for their public service, adding that the Scottish Parliament had ‘thrived’ over the last quarter of a century.
As if to emphasise his message of peace and reconciliation, he said that we must come together to address the challenges we all share as ‘inhabitants’ living on the same planet, in particular with regard to climate change.
The King also pointed to his family’s ‘uniquely special’ relationship with Scotland, adding that his mother chose to spend her last days at Balmoral, ‘in the most beloved of places’.
Charles and Camilla were invited to Holyrood in recognition of the Scottish Parliament, twenty-five years after the Late Queen first opened it in July 1999, for a celebratory ceremony.
When the building was first unveiled by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, crowds of adoring fans buzzed with excitement for what they hoped would be a new chapter for the nation.
Yesterday, the atmosphere outside the Scottish Parliament was rather tamer, as only around a few hundred supporters lined the streets of the Royal Mile to cheer Charles and Camilla on.
The King and Queen seemed touched by a warm welcome from Scots and tourists as they travelled a short distance by car to Scotland’s corridors of power.
The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay as they are known in Scotland, were preceded by a procession of the Royal Honours of Scotland, otherwise known as the Scottish crown jewels – the oldest in Britain - escorted by a Guard of Honour of youngsters representing 12 youth organisations including Girlguiding Scotland, the Scottish Youth Parliament and Scouts Scotland.
The Mace, gifted by the Late Queen to the Scottish Parliament upon its opening, was at the centre of the ceremony inside the Scottish Parliament chamber.
As guests, MSPs and members of the media looked on, the Mace made of silver and gold and engraved with the words ‘Wisdom, Justice, Compassion and Integrity’, was borne by Robert White and placed at the centre of the chamber.
It was followed by the 5ft long and 16.5lbs Elizabeth Sword, the Honours of Scotland’s first new addition in half a millennium, which made its first appearance at Scottish Parliament ceremonial proceedings since it was added to the collection.
The King’s Scottish bodyguard, the Royal Company of Archers was also present, as was the centrepiece of the impressive, shining Honours carried by the Duke of Hamilton and Brandon: the Crown of Scotland, which is considerably older than either of the crowns which the King wore at Westminster Abbey last year for his Coronation. All 1.59 kilograms of its mightiness – bedecked in 43 precious stones including diamonds, garnets, amethysts and 94 pearls - was made for James V in 1540 and used to crown Mary, Queen of Scots.
Charles and Camillia’s attendance in celebration of 25 years of the Scottish Parliament proved the country’s commitment to its royal heritage and the monarchy’s place within it, a sentiment Charles alluded to in his address to the chamber when he referenced the ‘enduring relationship between the Parliament, the Crown and the people of Scotland’.
Amid a moving speech espousing unity and compassion, he reflected on the opening of the parliament more than two decades ago.
He said: ‘Alongside the late Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, I listened in the Palace of Holyroodhouse that day with great interest as the then-first minister spoke of a new voice, of new dreams, of a new - and renewed - Scotland.
‘It was an extraordinary occasion, for all manner of reasons, not least the fact that it came almost 300 years after the Act of Union of the Westminster and Scottish Parliaments on May 1 1707. It was a landmark in a long, rich and complex story which we have shared over many centuries.’
He added that it has ‘thrived’ over the past quarter of a century, in part due to the unwavering values of its members.
The King said that although the opening of the Scottish Parliament 25 years ago was ‘a turning point’, yesterday’s anniversary was ‘an important milestone’.
In particular, Charles pointed to concerns that ‘we live in an era of polarisation and division’ and said that it was perhaps ‘even more important’ that ‘in the vital areas of representation, of political debate, of policymaking and of discourse’ values of wisdom, justice, compassion and integrity, as engraved on the Mace, should be upheld.
King Charles smiles as he chats to presiding officer Alison Johnstone
He said: ‘These values - together with hope, civility, and generosity of spirit - are never far from the heart of even the most difficult of issues.’
On this thought, he profoundly stated: ‘We are all, at the end of each day, united by our love of Scotland.
He continued: ‘Because of its natural beauty, of course, but also because of its strength of character, based as it is on the extraordinary diversity of its peoples, whose range of ideas, skills, energy, passions, and frequently deeply-held beliefs, never cease to inspire me,’ before adding ‘who, I wonder, could not fail to be moved by this complex Caledonian kaleidoscope?’
The King also spoke fondly of Scotland, adding: ‘My beloved grandmother was proudly Scottish.
My late mother especially treasured the time spent at Balmoral, and it was there, in the most beloved of places, where she chose to spend her final days.’
However, Charles also used his speech to insist that more needed to be done to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss.
He said: ‘As we look ahead to the next quarter of a century and beyond, there remains much more to be done for Scotland, for the United Kingdom, and equally, in addressing the challenges we all share as inhabitants of a planet whose climate is changing dangerously, and whose biodiversity is being seriously depleted.
‘Let this moment therefore be the beginning of the next chapter.’