Letters: Royal flush

The SNP has said that an independent Scotland would “keep the Queen as head of state”, but it had not explained how. However, you now report a clarification.

According to the First Minister, the Queen will remain head of state “as she is head of state of 16 other countries” (your report, 21 March).

This is a reference to the group of countries known as “Commonwealth realms” (formerly dominions).

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They include large countries such as Canada, but also some with about the same population as Scotland, such as Papua New Guinea. The UK is also a member. What this means is that Scotland would become a member of the Commonwealth and the Queen would be its head of state only in that sense.

There would be no “United Kingdom” and no return to the anomalous “union of the crowns”. The monarch would remain head of the Commonwealth and be the domiciled Queen in the home country of EWANI (England, Wales and Northern Ireland), not a resident queen in Scotland.

Steuart Campbell

Dovecot Loan

Edinburgh

It will not only be unreconstructed monarchists who regret that Jeremy Mayer (Letters, 21 March) as an unreconstructed republican, can ignore the “wasted millions” consumed legally and often illegally by many elected presidents, but cannot recognise the sterling work done over several decades by the older royals in “drawing attention to the needs of the vulnerable”, from the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, through the Queen’s and Duke’s appallingly difficult task of giving comfort at some length to the Aberfan bereaved, to the life-changing help of The Prince’s Trust for deprived or troubled youth and Princess Anne’s role (by no means as mere figurehead) with Save The Children.

John Birkett

Horseleys Park

St Andrews

Prince Charles must have been disappointed to hear his mother vow to remain on the throne for years to come.

Any hopes of accession with Queen Camilla by his side appear to be evaporating. Many people still have not forgiven him for the way he treated Princess Diana, and Camilla, although she tries hard, cannot hold a candle to her predecessor.

Provided the Queen keeps good health, there is every chance that William would be a more popular public choice for king with Kate by his side. Of course, there is always the possibility that Alex Salmond will proclaim himself president of an independent Scotland, rendering the whole debate in Scottish terms irrelevant.

Bob MacDougall

Kippen

Stirlingshire