NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Use 3 October 2009 MURDO WELCOMES BACKING FOR HIS CALL FOR A ROYAL PORTRAIT FOR HOLYROOD Mid-Scotland & Fife Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser has welcomed the announcement that a portrait of the Queen will hang in the Scottish Parliament for the first time after the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body (SPCB) unanimously backed the move for a picture to be commissioned. It was Murdo Fraser who first raised the issue and approached the SPCB earlier this year, asking that a portrait of the Queen be displayed in the Scottish Parliament complex. Presiding Officer Alex Fergusson has now written to Buckingham Palace for permission. The Queen opened the reconvened Scottish Parliament in 1999 as well as the new Holyrood building in 2004. The Queen also addressed MSPs on the tenth anniversary of devolution in July 2009. At present there are no pictures of the Queen on display in the Parliament building, despite the fact that she is Head of State and in addition has been a strong supporter of the Parliament, visiting on a number of occasions. Commenting, Murdo Fraser MSP said: “It seemed to be a strange omission that there was no portrayal of the Head of State within the Parliament and I’m pleased that good sense has prevailed. It will be a fitting response to the very warm friendship and support that the Queen has shown to the Scottish Parliament as an institution since it was established. “It is excellent that the Corporate Body has agreed it would like to commission a portrait of the Queen. The Queen has always been a strong supporter of Holyrood and I am delighted that we will have an official portrait to show our appreciation for her support. “I hope that we can get a young Scottish photographer to take part in this process as it would be a once in a lifetime experience for an upcoming photographer.” ENDS   back to top of page