Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon has revealed a “tense” moment she witnessed with Queen Elizabeth II’s corgis.
Speaking at the Scottish Parliament on Monday (12 September) in front of King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, Sturgeon recalled a time she and her husband Peter visited the Queen at Balmoral.
“Recently other leaders have shared stories from Balmoral, of barbeques cooked by Prince Philip as the Queen leads the table. These are memories I treasure too, special times of what was clearly their happy place,” Sturgeon began.
“I did however experience one rather tense moment at Balmoral,” she added.
Sturgeon described her and her husband sitting with the Queen before one dinner at Balmoral when the drawing room light began to flicker.
“To my great alarm, he was after all in the presence of Her Majesty, my husband suddenly leapt up and darted across the room,” Sturgeon explained.
“Peter had spotted the cause of the flickering light. One of the Queen’s young corgis, a beautiful pup called Sandy, was eating through a lamp switch.”
The story made the King and Camilla laugh, as Sturgeon continued: “Thankfully, tragedy was averted and Sandy emerged unscathed. But not before a stern telling off from his mistress.
“Just like all my predecessors as first minister and all prime ministers, I deeply valued the time I spent alone with the Queen.”
The King and Camilla flew to Scotland yesterday to visit the Scottish parliament and for Charles to join his siblings, Anne, the Princess Royal, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward, in procession behind the Queen’s coffin. It was transported up Edinburgh’s Royal Mile from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles’ Cathedral, where it is lying in rest.
Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday 8 September, aged 96, at her Balmoral estate in Scotland.
The coffin will be transported to London today (13 September) where it will lie in state at Westminster Hall until the Queen’s funeral on Monday 19 September.
The Queen’s corgis, one of whom featured in Sturgeon’s story, are being looked after by Prince Andrew and the Duchess of York.
Follow the latest updates following the death of Queen Elizabeth II here
