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THE Queen "will be proud" to be the monarch of an independent Scotland, according to Alex Salmond.

The First Minister said he had an audience at Balmoral Castle two weeks ago but would not reveal what was discussed.

He dismissed press reports that the Queen is concerned about the prospect of Scottish independence.

"I want the Queen as head of state, as Queen of Scots of an independent Scotland as her ancestors were," he said at a photocall outside St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh today.

"I think Her Majesty the Queen, who has seen so many events in the course of her long reign, will be proud to be Queen of Scots, and indeed we would be proud to have her as monarch of this land.

"I had an audience at Balmoral some two weeks ago, but the proper position is you don't discuss these matters in public.

"And I think the statement from the Palace about the Queen's neutrality in this matter is a perfectly satisfactory and perfectly sensible one.

"And, of course, one thing that the polls showed at the weekend, in addition to the substantial move to the Yes campaign, is the enthusiasm of the people of Scotland to have Her Majesty the Queen as our Queen of Scots."