The Queen has urged Britain’s political leaders to calm down in the wake of the chaos triggered by the Brexit vote and told MSPs they should feel “hope and optimism” about the next five years.

The monarch used her address at the opening of the fifth session of the Scottish Parliament to recommend to the UK’s political class that they allow “room for quiet thinking and contemplation” before they decide their next move.

Alluding to the political economic turmoil that has enveloped the country since the vote to Leave the European Union, she said that Britons “live and work in an increasingly complex and demanding world” with events and developments occurring at “remarkable speed”.

The Queen admitted that the ability to “stay calm and collected” in such circumstances can be “hard” but argued that a major hallmark of leadership is the ability to take a step back. She argued this would allow for a “deeper consideration of how challenges and opportunities can be best addressed."

The opening of the five-year parliament was a "time for hope and optimism", she added, with a "real sense of renewal" thanks to the large number of new members returned in May's Holyrood election.