Queen Elizabeth has met with Nicola Stugeon during her annual trip to Scotland today.
The First Minister was granted an audience with the queen at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh during the monarch's visit for Holyrood Week.
The meeting between the pair comes a day after the SNP party leader unveiled her route map towards a second independence referendum.
Holyrood Week, also known as Royal Week, sees members of the royal family visit Scotland to "celebrate Scottish culture, achievement and community".
The 96-year-old royal arrived in Scotland on Tuesday joined by her youngest son, Prince Edward, and his wife, Sophie.
In recent months, the monarch has been forced to miss a number of scheduled public appearances including the national service of thanksgiving during the Platinum Jubilee weekend.
On Wednesday she also held an audience with the Scottish Parliament's presiding officer Alison Johnstone.
The meetings were in private, with no details of the conversations revealed.
Buckingham Palace confirmed the Queen had received both the Presiding Officer and the First Minister.
The Queen is expected to be in residence at the palace until July 1 with a week of royal events to take place in Scotland.
On Tuesday, the second day of Holyrood Week, Queen Elizabeth met with members of the armed forces during an act of loyalty parade in Edinburgh.
The parade centred on the presentation of the key for Edinburgh Castle as part of the royal visit tradition and meeting with members of the services.
The act of loyalty and presentation of the key to Edinburgh Castle marked the 200th anniversary of King George IV’s visit to Scotland in 1822.
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