THE Royal Family should abandon their official residence in Scotland after independence so that it can be used as a second chamber for Holyrood, an MSP has said.
On the fifth anniversary of the 2014 referendum, Green Andy Wightman said the monarchy should relinquish any claims to the Palace of Holyroodhouse next to parliament.
The 350-year-old palace has been the official royal residence since the 1920s and the Queen and Duke of Rothesay each spend a week there each year.
Mr Wightman said it should be returned to the people to act as a “revising chamber” once Holyrood had the full powers, and responsibilities, of independence.
The Lothians MSP said: “The Scottish Greens believe Scotland should be a normal, independent, European republic where the power is invested in all the people, not simply in those who have been born into a particular family.
“When Scotland does regain its independence it will be because the people have chosen that path and I think it would be particularly fitting if at that point the people and their institutions were returned to complete democratic control.
“The Palace of Holyroodhouse is ideally situated to host an elected second parliamentary chamber which will no doubt be needed to assist with scrutiny of the considerable additional administrative responsibilities that an independent Scotland would take on.”
Mr Wightman has previously questioned who runs and pays for the royal palace in Scotland’s capital and has called for “greater transparency” on the issue of funding.
In a newspaper column in 2017 he said ownership of the palace should be transferred to Scottish ministers, with a joint investment plan agreed with the royal household.
In return, he suggested the Queen would be welcome to stay for free each July.
A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the proposal.
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