Queen opens Scottish Parliament

EDINBURGH, Scotland, June 30 (UPI) -- Queen Elizabeth II presided at the opening Saturday in Edinburgh of the first Scottish Parliament in a government from the Scottish National Party.

Guests at the event included actor Sean Connery, formally known as Sir Sean Connery, the world's best-known Scottish nationalist, and Bill Jameson, who has kept the royal crown of Scotland shining for the last half-century, Sky News reported.

The royal crown was carried in a ceremonial procession on the Royal Mile, the section of Princes Street between Edinburgh Castle and the palace of Holyroodhouse. The crown was first worn by Mary Queen of Scots, who was later beheaded by her cousin, Elizabeth I.

The SNP won 47 of the 129 parliamentary seats in the last election, allowing its leader, Alex Salmond, to form a minority government and become first minister. Scotland has had its own Parliament since 1999, when the Devolution Act gave Scottish voters control of most internal affairs.