Humza Yousaf’s deputy, Shona Robison, made a high-ranking member of the royal family wait for almost an hour at an event in the Scottish port.
A long-serving SNP minister has been accused of “completely disrespectful” behaviour after failing to turn up in time for the royal opening of Aberdeen South Harbour on behalf of the Scottish government. Ms Robison made the crowd wait 40 minutes.
Princess Anne, known for her sense of humor, entertained an audience of 350 people longer than expected. Robison eventually turned up, but it was discovered that she was not thanking the beloved king for attending, in an incident that infuriated some at Holyrood.
On the other hand, the representative of the government of the United Kingdom, the Conservative MP of the North-East Andrew Bowie, ensured that the efforts of the royal princess, the sister of King Charles, were recognized.
The Scottish government said it was late for Friday’s event because of “urgent government business” and apologised to the organisers for their rudeness. Two different participants told the Scottish Daily Mail that the speeches scheduled for 2.25 pm did not start until 3.05 pm and that the delay was apparently due to the late arrival of the SNP politician.
Douglas Lumsden, the Scottish Conservative MP for North East Scotland, said: “It was completely disrespectful that the Deputy First Minister did not arrive in time for the royal opening of Aberdeen Harbour and it is quite disgraceful to have everyone waiting, including Princess Anne. ”
Scottish government officials confirmed that the deputy First Minister was late, but denied that this was the cause of prolonged speeches.
One guest said: “Andrew Bowie was there for the British government and thanked His Royal Highness for attending, but Shona didn’t mention her. She did not recognize the royal princess in any way.”
The Aberdeen South Harbour project was recently completed at a cost of £420 million. The event was a milestone for the region. Princess Anne, 73, is one of the few remaining full-time royals to have a normally tight schedule of events.
The organizers are expected to ensure that no unexpected changes are made to program events, as this may cause consternation among those responsible for security measures, as well as embarrassment among the hosts and visitors.
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A Scottish government spokesman said: “The Deputy First Minister was inevitably delayed due to urgent government business and apologised to the organisers. The speeches were not postponed, and the organizers were notified in advance.”
No information was given about the reason for the late arrival. The Scottish government said that after the speeches, Ms Robison “enjoyed her conversations with everyone, including the Princess Royal.”