At the time, the Queen used one of her Silver Jubilee speeches to deliver a clear warning against breaking up the realm, saying she understood “aspirations” of devolved power but: “I cannot forget that I was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and of Northern Ireland. Perhaps this Jubilee is a time to remind ourselves of the benefits which union has conferred, at home and in our international dealings, on the inhabitants of all parts of the United Kingdom.”