Only the Scottish parliament could hold an opening ceremony on the same day it shut up shop for two months of summer holidays. If nothing else, our MSPs have a sense of humour.

And so the pomp was rolled out to meet the circumstance, as the King, accompanied by Queen Camilla in verdant green, addressed Holyrood to mark the beginning of its seventh session.

Presiding Officer Kenny Gibson, kilted up to the nines, told the Sovereign this session boasted 65 neophyte MSPs, the first time since 1999 that a majority of seats were taken up by newbies. 

There was, however, a 66th seat occupied by a fresh face as it was the first session to be opened by Charles rather than his mother.

There was, however, a 66th seat occupied by a fresh face as it was the first session to be opened by Charles rather than his mother.

There was a note of continuity: the theme of local heroes, everyday Scots who serve and enrich the nation, a theme Elizabeth II spoke of warmly, was maintained, with recognition accorded to those who had dedicated themselves to charity, sport, business and youth work.

Piped into the parliament, the King was greeted by the party leaders, though he was spared an encounter with Ross Greer.

Instead, the Greens sent their other leader Gillian Mackay, who pointedly did not curtsey but whom Charles spent more time chinwagging with than anyone else. The King, of course, is an environmentalist, a subject the Green Party once took an interest in, too.

King Charles delivers his speech next to Presiding Officer Kenneth Gibson MSP and the Queen

The mace and crown were trumpeted into the chamber, Gibson made a few remarks – bless him, he has the oratorical presence of the manager of a provincial leisure centre – before the event was turned over to the man the crowds had lined the Royal Mile to see. It was a candid speech, stark in its realism about a time in which ‘many across the land are struggling and we are facing an uncertain world’.

The ‘global situation’, he said, was one of ‘rapid and seemingly accelerating challenge’.

Yet he stressed the need for political debate to be animated by ‘respect and courtesy’ and to reflect the ‘dignity’ of all. That the monarch felt the need to speak in these terms is an indication of his concern about the democratic process and the ever-shakier ground it finds itself on.

Tolerance and pluralism, once taken for granted, are increasingly conditional on tribe and ideology.

The rulebook of democracy has not quite been shredded but it is looking decidedly beaten up and dog-earred. As a remedy to these civic ailments, Charles proposed that MSPs show ‘an honest, unwavering focus on the priorities of those you represent’. I guess we’re done for, then.

Up in the public gallery, the local heroes, chosen from all walks of life, listened on as the King arrived at a favourite topic: the natural world and our duty to protect and replenish it. The climate was changing ‘dangerously’ and we had to recognise that the health of the environment was bound up with the health of the people.

Also in attendance was ex- First Minister Humza Yousaf, a principled republican some of the time, though not today.

Charles reminded the chamber of his recent visit to the USA to celebrate 250 years of American independence and of the ‘strong and enduring links which exist between the people of Scotland and North America’. Links, he said, which could be seen even now in the love affair between the Tartan Army and the city of Boston.

Those ongoing relations perhaps explain the apparent absence of Stephen Flynn from the proceedings.

The festivities were rounded off by a spoken-work performance by young actors from the National Theatre of Scotland and the Lyceum Youth Theatre. Titled ‘As Others See Us’, it saw budding thespians dotted throughout the chamber, where they blended the lyrics of ‘Flower of Scotland’ with Burns’ ‘To A Louse’.

There are few phrases that fill me with foreboding and pre-emptive cringe like ‘spoken-word performance’ and ‘youth theatre’, but I’ll be damned if this little play – clever, witty and daringly satirical of Scotland’s self-image – wasn’t the high note of the day. And the King seemed to enjoy it too!