PATRICK Harvie has raised Prince Philip’s “extreme wealth, privilege and status” as he admitted the Scottish Greens considered boycotting the Holyrood tribute to him.
He also contrasted the Duke of Edinburgh's support for nature conservation with "the bloodsport of the wealthy".
The Scottish Greens co-leader, whose party supports abolishing the monarchy, said it would have been “wrong to give a performance of feelings not sincerely felt”.
READ MORE: Sturgeon leads Holyrood tributes to Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh
He noted around 150,000 people had died from Covid in the UK and their deaths had mostly been announced “without ceremony as daily statistics”.
However the Glasgow MSP also told the Holyrood chamber that his party did not want to show the Duke of Edinburgh any “personal disrespect”, and offered his sincere condolences to the Prince’s friends, family and “those who will miss him”.
He did not mention the Queen by name, nor praise any specific achievements of the Prince, coming closest when speaking of his promotion of environmentalism.
He said: "Today’s environmental movement overwhelmingly places responsibility for the global crisis on the powerful, and would not seek to reconcile conservation with the bloodsport of the wealthy.
"Yet it is still the case that a debt is owed to those whose environmentalism did achieve global awareness, even if it was shaped by different values to today’s."
Mr Harvie also questioned if a royal family could "keep pace with the modern, democratic society is it supposed to represent", and said it "must show respect for the diversity of that society in its words and in its deeds".
The speech, made as party leaders spoke about the Prince at at only the sixth recall of the Scottish Parliament of devolution, drew praise but also fierce criticism on social media.
Mike Elrick, a former adviser to the late Labour leader John Smith, called it “utterly pathetic”.
In his speech, Mr Harvie raised the republican beliefs of the Scottish Greens.
He said: “In this chamber, as in this country, we do not all share the same views of the monarchy, or the same feelings today. It would be wrong to pretend that we did.
“And as a party which wishes for an elected head of state, we reflected carefully on whether and how we should take part in today’s proceedings.
READ MORE: Prince Phillip — Holyrood recalled for only sixth time in its history to pay tribute
“But just as it would be wrong to give a performance of feelings not sincerely felt, it would equally be wrong to imply by our absence any kind of personal disrespect to those who have lost someone important to them, whether personally or otherwise.
“And this has been a year of terrible loss for the world, including up to 150,000 Covid deaths across the UK, most of them announced without ceremony as daily statistics.
“The toll has been heaviest on those with least.
“But while there is no great leveller in how we live our lives, we are today reminded there is no extreme of wealth, privilege or status that can protect us from mortality.”
He went on: “Jock Tamson’s bairns may be something of a cliche, but in this respect every human being is indeed equal. Death comes to us all, and every family faces the pain of loss.
“So regardless of our different views, respect and compassion are due in equal measure to every one of us at such times.
“Such moments bring pain to family and friends, and for a public figure like Prince Philip, others will share that pain to a greater or lesser degree.
“But for an individual, a family or a society, death is also part of life’s cycle, bringing a change of the generations.
“Those who come after will build on the legacy of what they have been left, but will also rethink, reinvent and later course.
“They still owe much to those who went before, who may have lived by different values.
“Many have spoken about Prince Philip’s environmentalism.
“Today’s environmental movement overwhelmingly places responsibility for the global crisis on the powerful, and would not seek to reconcile conservation with the bloodsport of the wealthy.
"Yet it is still the case that a debt is owed to those whose environmentalism did achieve global awareness, even if it was shaped by different values to today’s.
“It’s said that Prince Philip wished to modernise the monarchy, and no doubt in time it will again consider if it can do so.
“How a royal family can keep pace with the modern, democratic society it is supposed to serve, and how it must show respect for the diversity of that society in its words and its deeds.
“Others will question whether it can, whether it should retain its place or not. That debate is not for today.
"Today is a moment to extend our thoughts to Prince Philip’s family, and to all those who are grieving for their loves ones in a spirit for the equal value of every human life."
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