Queen Elizabeth broke her silence on the Scottish referendum by reportedly making a statement to a member of the public as she left church in Scotland. She said:

“I hope people will think very carefully about the future.”

Her statement is of importance bearing in mind her adamant stand so far and indications that she would not intervene. ‘No’ supporters called on her to help them as concerns for a split increased, but she refused to take a stand either way.

A Buckingham Palace statement had said:

“The sovereign’s constitutional impartiality is an established principle of our democracy and one which the Queen has demonstrated throughout her reign. As such the monarch is above politics and those in political office have a duty to ensure that this remains the case. Any suggestion that the Queen would wish to influence the outcome of the current referendum campaign is categorically wrong. Her Majesty is firmly of the view that this is a matter for the people of Scotland. “

Polls place the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ votes very close and a neck-to-neck battle is expected. Specifically, the polls show:

Sunday Times: 51% Yes, 49% No

Observer: 47% Yes, 53% No

Sunday Telegraph ICM: 54% Yes, 46% No