Alex Salmond, the First Minister of Scotland, says the Queen is impartial on the upcoming independence referendum.
Over the weekend, Her Majesty told members of the public that she hopes "people will think very carefully about the future", which has been widely interpreted as her backing the United Kingdom.
However, Salmond does not subscribe to that view, saying: "I think Her Majesty the Queen is absolutely impartial in this referendum. I thought the statement from Buckingham Palace last week made that totally clear.
"As a constitutional monarch she is completely impartial on these matters, that has been stated many times.
"Nobody seriously, apart from the more frenetic unionist press, would seek to persuade or tell people otherwise. And I look forward to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth being Queen of Scots."
The Palace has not pledged its support in an official capacity one way or the other, however a source has told the Daily Telegraph newspaper that the Queen was conscious of how her remarks would be perceived.
But a statement from the Palace read: "Any suggestion that the Queen would wish to influence the outcome of the current referendum campaign is categorically wrong. Her Majesty is simply of the view this is a matter for the people of Scotland."
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