The Fiasco Over Price Wasn't All Bad News; Holyrood Commentary: Building Site Made Ready by Royal Appointment

Summary

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There's nothing like the presence of royalty to give a sense of occasion to a national event - and the Queen wasn't bad either. I'm sure the sight of Sir Sean Connery, Scotland's unofficial head of state, endlessly reopening the Scottish parliament could become tedious, but we've only had to live through it twice so far.

Scottish republicans may have bridled at the sight of Queen Elizabeth II presiding at yesterday's parliamentary ceremonials, but someone has to do it. The coats of arms that have appeared like a rash around the Scottish parliament in recent weeks may have struck a note of constitutional discord - you don't see such coats of arms in the House of Commons - but royal openings perform the important role of forcing everyone to get their act together. I'm told by sources close to the parliament's corporate body that if hadn't been for Her Majesty's imminent arrival, the opening would have been delayed until the spring at the earliest, at a cost of another (pounds) 40 million.

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The Fiasco Over Price Wasn't All Bad News; Holyrood Commentary: Building Site Made Ready by Royal Appointment

The fear that Mrs Windsor might have had to pick her way around a building site with a hard hat and day-glo vest concentrated contractors' minds. Never have builders worked so fast. If there are world records for landscape gardening they have surely been shattered by the speed with which the park that ...

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