Prince William and the Queen tour Irn-Bru factory

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The Queen, Prince William and Princess Anne have all visited Scotland this week in honour of Holyrood Week. Although it is an annual tradition, the number of royals who have attended means the trip has been described by some as a “charm offensive” and a bid to promote the Union north of the border. Scottish independence is a growing concern once again for Westminster, especially after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon promised to push ahead with a second referendum (Indyref2) on the matter once the urgency of the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided.

Downing Street has repeatedly refused to hand Ms Sturgeon the constitutional powers which would allow her to hold a legally-binding referendum, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson has described the Indyref2 campaign as “irresponsible and reckless”.

Yet, after a majority of pro-independence MSPs were elected to Holyrood in May, Government critics believe the separatist movement needs to be tackled sooner rather than later.

Former Labour MP and author Tom Harris claimed: “The Queen and the rest of the Royal Family are believed to have lost faith in politicians’ ability to secure the Union’s future.”

Indeed, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is known not to be popular north of the border, while the head of the Unionist parties in Scotland — the Conservatives, Labour and the Lib Dems — have all failed to secure a substantial number of seats in Scottish Parliament in recent years.

A source close to William and Kate’s household reportedly told Mr Harris that the royals are focusing on a new initiative instead, which is “a deliberately more muscular approach to the crown investing in the relationship with Scotland”.

This initiative will see the Royal Family put their soft diplomacy into action by attending more events based in Scotland and using their “charm offensive” in a bid to make Scots feel part of the Union.

Writing in The Telegraph, Mr Harris also claimed: “The vocabulary [by the source] used was notable: Boris Johnson and his ministers are known to favour a more ‘muscular’ form of Unionism to beat back nationalist demands for another referendum.”

He alleged that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be at the front of this push for Unionism in Scotland, having been handpicked by the Government.

Mr Harris explained: “They will spend far more time in the next few years in Scotland, staying at Balmoral and making Scotland-wide visits to capitalise on their popularity here.”

However, the royals do have to be particularly careful not to directly involve themselves in the politics surrounding any future referendum.

William and Kate found themselves in hot water when it was revealed they had an unpublicised meeting with former Prime Minister and prominent Unionist campaigner, Gordon Brown, earlier this year — although the Palace maintains they were meeting figures from across the political spectrum and were not displaying any partisan sentiments.

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The Queen also raised eyebrows in 2014 when she advised Scottish well-wishers to “think very carefully about the future” in the run-up to the first referendum — a phrase thought to show her support for Unionism.

But, Mr Harris claimed: “They [Nationalists] want to perpetuate the myth that when William and Kate are in Scotland, they are foreign potentates visiting a vanquished people.”

This “myth” will be broken down as long as the royals frequently visit Scotland.

Yet, Mr Harris pointed out that even if the Cambridges’ charm offensive is successful, they “cannot be the only weapon in Unionists’ armoury” – even though the “Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP)’s slings and arrows will have difficulty piercing” them.

But, he maintained: “They can make Scots comfortable with the description of ‘British’.”

The SNP has stated that the Queen would remain head of state for an independent Scotland, yet there are concerns that the republican strain of the party would push for a future debate on the monarchy too.

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