The outstanding work of people across Scotland has been recognised at an investiture held by the Queen at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.
Around 70 people were honoured during the ceremony in the palace’s Great Gallery to mark their contribution to society in areas ranging from politics to business.
The Queen spoke to guests including Sir Paul Grice, chief executive of the Scottish Parliament, who was knighted for services to the parliament and voluntary service to higher education and the community in Scotland.
Mr Grice, who has worked at the Scottish Parliament for the entirety of its 17-year history, said it has been a “great privilege” to have been part of it since the beginning.
He said: “It’s been a wonderful day and it’s been particularly special to have my mother here and my wife and my daughters. We’ve been well looked after and it was a wonderful ceremony.
“I got a letter in the post last December, and I had to read it two or three times to be absolutely sure what it was, and it was a wonderful letter to get.
“I think it’s recognition for all the staff at the parliament. It’s been an absolutely fantastic job, a great privilege and I hope it is a recognition of all the work that the staff have done in the parliament itself.”
Michael Welch, managing director of online tyre retailer Blackcircles.com, was made an OBE for services to business and voluntary service to adoption and fostering.
But he said he thought he might have been in “a spot of bother” when he received the official letter from Downing Street.
Mr Welch said: “The Queen was very engaging, she was obviously really well briefed. She knew a lot about what we’ve been up to, so it was a really nice touch.”
“I’ve run businesses for as far back as I can remember and we recently set up a charitable trust, myself and my wife, for adoption and fostering, so we’ve been very involved for the last five years or so in that.
“We were just blown away to be recognised and honoured for that today. We don’t do these things for a day like this but when it comes along it’s really very special.”
Other guests honoured included Professor Dame Anne Glover, lately chief scientific adviser to the president of the European Commission, for her services to science, and Anne McIlveen, founder of the charity Salt and Light, for her services to the community in Glasgow.
Following the investiture, the Queen had a private meeting with Scottish Parliament Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh.
