A visit by the Queen's to Holyrood yesterday was snubbed by 19 members of the Scottish parliament.

In her speech to mark the second session of the parliament, the Queen said: "We see in this new parliament, even after four short years, clear signs of a legislature that is distinctly Scottish, a legislature that is working...to fit contemporary Scotland into Britain, into Europe, and into the wider world."

Her comments were seen as an endorsement of the "rainbow" parliament.