Young Scots share pride of performing guard of honour for King

Young Scots have told of their pride as they performed a guard of honour for the King as he left the Scottish Parliament after his first appearance before MSPs.

Representatives from the Scottish Youth Parliament were invited to Holyrood to hear a motion of condolence for the Queen after her death on Thursday.

The youth representatives shared their joy as Charles then greeted them at a reception in Holyrood.

Emma-May Millar said the King remembered her from her voluntary work with the Prince’s Trust – the youth charity he founded in 1976.

The 23-year-old cares for her disabled parents and was overcome with emotion as the King recalled her story after she won the charity’s Young Change Marker Award in May.

“I love King Charles,” she said.

“I have met him before and when he was talking to me there when we met in the hall, he remembered little details about me that I never expected him to remember – like that my parents are disabled or how I’m going to university and all of the work I do with the trust.

“The fact that he remembered those tiny little details have made me really emotional.

“The thing I love about him is that he is so for the young people.

“That’s why he remembers these things because he is so heavily invested in the young people in this country.”

Osama Nadeem, 23, said he and the King discussed his Pakistani heritage.

“I was shocked by how composed he was given that his mother has just died. He was very open.

“He spoke to me about my heritage, about me being from Pakistan.”

Mr Nadeem said he was touched by the motion of condolences to Elizabeth II.

“I felt like today was a very good tribute for the Queen and for all she has done in seven decades of stewardship.

“It has been a really fitting tribute.”

After their meeting, the youth representatives led the King out of Holyrood with a guard of honour as he joined members of the royal family for a vigil at St Giles’ Cathedral.

Mya Thompson, 21, said it was an “honour” to be part of the tribute.

“We feel valued as young people (to be invited to the reception). He was so lovely and so kind.

“He was really interested to hear about everybody, interested to hear our stories and where we came from.”