Queen Elizabeth officially opens new session of Scottish parliament

Queen Elizabeth officially opened and extended her best wishes to the fifth session of the Scottish parliament here on Saturday.

Addressing the members of the Scottish parliament (MSPs), the Queen said the opening of the new session marked a time for "hope and optimism", noting that "there is certainly a lot to celebrate".

She noted that the Scottish parliament will have to implement new tax and welfare powers, wishing the MSPs well in doing so.

The Queen also acknowledged the difficulty of "staying calm and collected" in an "increasingly challenging world", stressing the need for political leaders to make "room for quiet thinking and contemplation".

"Of course we all live in an increasingly complex and demanding world, where events and developments can, and do, take place at remarkable speed," said the Queen, adding that "Retaining the ability to stay calm and collected can at times be hard."

The Queen called for sufficient room for "which can enable deeper consideration of how challenges and opportunities can be best addressed".

Later, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the Scottish parliament made collective commitment to the people of Scotland that "we will not shy away from any challenge we face, no matter how difficult or deep-rooted."

Sturgeon, who had pledged to do all she can to maintain Scotland's place in the EU, also spoke of the parliament's duty to "enhance and never diminish our place in the world", and said Scotland was determined to remain "open and inclusive".

Earlier, the Presiding Officer of the Scottish parliament Ken Macintosh said the parliament "stands ready for the challenges that lie ahead of us" and "every MSP in this chamber is proud to represent the people of Scotland".

"In these few short weeks, weeks of unprecedented political turbulence, I have already seen a real willingness to work cooperatively and collaboratively," said Macintosh, referring to the fallout from the EU referendum result.

Poems were read and musicians made performance at the opening ceremony, which is followed by thousands of people taking part in the Riding procession down the Royal Mile, as well as "Big Day Out" events including singing, dancing, arts and crafts, falconry and beekeeping.

In a historic referendum on June 23, Britain voted to leave the EU after 43 years in the bloc. The Leave campaign received 51.9 percent of the votes, against 48.1 percent for the Remain side.

However, Scotland voted 62 percent in favor of remaining in the EU, with the majority in each council of its 32 local authority areas voting to remain.

The Scottish National Party won 63 out of the total 129 seats in the fifth Scottish parliamentary election held on May 5, forming a minority Scottish government. Endit