Queen Meets With Nicola Sturgeon Amid Scottish Independence Talks

Queen Elizabeth II is currently on a week-long visit to Scotland, where she is meeting with several of the nation's leaders.

During her visit, the monarch met with Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland, at the Palace of Holyrood House in Edinburgh.

This encounter took place less than 24 hours after Sturgeon outlined plans for Parliament to call a second Scotland independence referendum.

The Queen always meets with the First Minister during her Holyrood week, but this meeting was particularly significant due to the recent announcement of another independence referendum.

From the beginning of the meeting, the monarch effectively broke the ice with Nicola Sturgeon by chatting about one of her lifelong passions, premium whisky.

Wearing a pink-toned floral dress and her signature pearls, the Queen kicked off the audience by making a beeline for the table adorned with traditional Scottish gifts.

Sturgeon offered a brief explanation of each present to the monarch, who appeared most intrigued by the £150 limited-edition bottle of Johnny Walker Blue Label whisky.

The Queen graciously accepted a specially made tartan blanket from Sturgeon, which she called a nice thing to have, as well as a framed graphic.

The two leaders posed for photographs before being left alone to have a private conversation, as is the formality of Her Majesty's audiences.

During the exchange, the Queen appeared to be in high spirits despite her ongoing mobility issues.

However, in the snap released, the Queen was not seen standing, using the support of a light walking stick, as she has done during multiple recent appearances.

The monarch also appeared to have a purple discoloration on the back of her hand, which sparked the concern of some Royal Watchers.

According to Dr J Verma of the Shakespeare Medical Centre, the condition could be caused by a number of issues, such as a lack of circulation, frail skin, exposed veins, bruising, or a leakage of blood to the tissue beneath the skin causing the color.

It could be cyanosis, which occurs when there is not enough oxygen in the blood.

The Queen's appearance today came after she traveled to Scotland on Monday with other royals for their annual week of engagements in the country.

Her Majesty traveled by Royal Train overnight to Edinburgh, starting with an appearance on Monday for the historic Ceremony of the Keys.

During the ceremony, the Queen is handed the keys of the city of Edinburgh and welcomed to your ancient and hereditary Kingdom of Scotland.

Although she has received audiences at her Windsor Castle home in the past week, the outing on Monday marked her first public appearance since her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in early June.

The Queen was absent from all five days of Royal Ascot earlier this month, which is one of her go-to events amid her ongoing mobility issues.

On Tuesday, the Queen made another public appearance to watch a military parade in the gardens of Holyrood House.

The Armed Forces' Act of Loyalty parade paid tribute to the Queen as head of the Armed Forces in Scotland and marked her Platinum Jubilee.

Whether the two powerhouses discussed the diverse political matters which would make Scotland a sovereign state outside of the United Kingdom remains unconfirmed.

However, the Queen's meeting with Nicola Sturgeon, amid the possibility of a second Scottish independence referendum, has certainly raised eyebrows.

As the Queen continues her week-long visit to Scotland, many are wondering what discussions have taken place behind closed doors, and what the future holds for the United Kingdom and its relationship with Scotland.