By Andrew MacAskill and Lindsay Dunsmuir

EDINBURGH12 Sep – In Edinburgh’s Old Town, when King Charles’ proclamation is read I, I, I and cannon fire echoed through the old town castle, a small group of protesters began to boo.

In a centuries-old ceremony, a government representative wearing a red ceremonial robe stands on a stone pedestal in front of San Gil Cathedral and reads the proclamation. He then declared “God save the King” and the crowd shouted back.

Connor Beaton, 26, wearing a T-shirt with the words ‘Another Scotland maybe’, had been waiting for this moment. He put his hand to his mouth and started booing as loud as he could.

Another demonstrator held up posters reading: “Republic now”, and “Our republic for a democratic future”. Police detained a woman after she held up a handwritten sign that read: “To hell with imperialism. Let’s end the monarchy.”

In Scotland, Queen Elizabeth’s death has sparked a moment of national reflection in the restive country. There was as much admiration for the monarchy as there was for those who felt that his death marked the close of a long chapter.

It will also spark an already heated debate over whether Scotland should become independent.

As Britain’s political partner for more than 300 years, Scotland rejected a 55% to 45% chance of leaving the union in the 2014 referendum. But the differences over Brexit, when Scotland and Northern Ireland chose to stay, while England and Wales voted to leave, have increased support. for independence.

The British government has repeatedly rejected the Scottish Government’s requests for a second independence referendum.

Next month, Britain’s highest court will hear a case on whether the Scottish Parliament can legally hold a second referendum on leaving the UK.

“GO TO THAT HOUSE“

Outside the Cathedral of St. Giles on Sunday, initially there was a shock when the screams of protesters began. Then, some participants shouted “shut up”, “go home” and “you are a disgrace”. One woman said, “I can kill them.”

Beaton rejected the notion that he was insensitive because only three days had passed since Queen Elizabeth’s death. He argues that it is undemocratic to have a monarchy at the center of a constitutional democracy.

“It is fair that we point out that not everyone agrees with the procession and the ancient institution of the monarchy,” he later told Reuters.

Scotland’s relationship with the monarchy predates the political union with England in 1707 by a century and they exist for the most part as separate entities.

The two countries have shared the same king since the turn of the century. seventeenthwhen the death of Elizabeth I, childless, caused James VI of Scotland to join the crown.

Some Scots support independence but want to keep the monarchy.

Other nationalists, however, hoped the queen’s death would give them a chance to open a new front in the battle for independence and eventually break with the British crown to become a republic.

The queen, who demonstrates a deep affinity for Scotland, is for some the personification of British identity. Although England’s monarch is supposed to be politically neutral, the queen has signaled at key moments that she wants Scotland to remain part of the four nations that make up England.

His death in Scotland, in his summer home at Balmoral Castle in the Scottish Highlands, underscores his close ties to the country. Over the next two days, Scotland will be at the center of the national mourning stage.

Tens of thousands of people lined up on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile on Sunday to see the queen’s hearse as she made her way to the royal residence in the Scottish capital. Some residents said it was the busiest street they had ever seen in the capital.

The queen’s coffin will be moved to the Cathedral of St. Giles on Monday. After the Mass, Scots will be the first people in England to have the opportunity to apply and pay their respects.

Although the policy of the ruling Scottish National Party is to maintain the monarchy despite Scotland’s independence, some nationalists have publicly argued that if Scotland became independent, citizens would have to choose between retaining the monarchy or electing someone as head of state.

Scotland has traditionally been more skeptical of monarchies than the rest of England, and the institution is losing popularity. In May, a poll revealed that 36% believed that the end of the queen’s reign would be a good time to become a republic.

In keeping with the great disagreement over whether Scots want independence, there are generational differences, with older residents expressing devotion to royalty and younger residents saying they feel little connection to the royal family.

John Hall, a 33-year-old businessman, was among the protesters on the Royal Mile. Pointing to the crowd of men in heraldic robes declaring the new king, he said: “I find it hard to believe this would happen in Scotland in the 20th century.” date 21“.

Robert Miller, a 60-year-old civil engineer who supports the monarchy, confronted the protesters, telling them it was “the wrong time and place”. He stressed that the number of demonstrators was small and did not reflect the mood of the majority of the masses.

Colin Girvan, 61, a sheet metal factory manager from Glasgow, who visited Edinburgh to pay homage to the queen, said he hoped the end of Elizabeth’s reign would not end the political union he was dedicated to preserving.

“There are strong ties to the unions,” he said. “I am Scottish first and foremost, but I am English. I identify as British.