Andrew Black Political reporter BBC Scotland news website

It's practically tradition. The Queen has opened the last two sessions of the Scottish Parliament - except the third time round there was a crucial difference.

Spectators gathered on the Royal Mile for the events

Her Majesty arrived at a Holyrood where a minority SNP government now sits on the centre benches previously occupied by a Labour/Liberal Democrat one.

And First Minister Alex Salmond didn't hold back in reiterating his party's goal of an independent Scotland as part of a speech which took in issues including Iraq.

Outside, crowds lined Edinburgh's Royal Mile to watch the crown of Scotland, dating back to 1540, being taken in procession to the Parliament building from Edinburgh Castle, while the ceremony at the parliament was accompanied by trumpet fanfares, heralds, archers, pipers and a sprinkling of pursuivants.

Away from the pomp and ceremony, to use that cliched journalistic phrase, the "picnic at the parliament" event outside the Holyrood building featured a host of musical acts.

The line-up included the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, the rock band Idlewild and one Keith Jack, the Dalkeith teenager who made it to the final of the BBC's Any Dream Will Do competition to star as Joseph in London's west end.

Almost as soon as MSPs returned to Holyrood after the Scottish election in May, they left for the summer recess with much to contemplate ahead of the next term

Along with the "riding", a procession of 1,200 politicians, performers and members of the public down the Scottish capital's Royal Mile, the events were a fitting tribute to one of the Scottish Parliament's founding principles of accessibility - not least the Queen's invitation to MSPs to "party with the people".

Proceedings in the chamber began with a speech from Holyrood presiding officer Alex Fergusson, who recalled how his father, a church minister, dropped his sermon notes as he was about to preach to the Royal Family at Crathie church near Balmoral in 1962.

"No one dared get up to hand them back to him and he preached on as if nothing had happened," he said.

Lapel decorations proved popular among MSPs at the ceremony

The Queen, in her address to MSPs and guests, remembered his father's mishap, adding: "I recall commenting to the Duke of Edinburgh how commendably brief his sermon had been after he had dropped his notes."

Her Majesty, who earlier made a car journey of not much more than 100 yards from the Palace of Holyrood to the parliament, delivered a speech in which she recalled finding the first parliament in 1999 to be full of hope and vision - "and perhaps what might now with hindsight seem unrealistic expectations".

The second parliament in 2003, she said, won acclaim for public engagement and was now confidently moving into its third session, while stating that Scots were respected worldwide for their "energy, flair and determination".

Rousing stuff indeed - and then came Alex Salmond's contribution.

He recognised Her Majesty's position as Queen of Scots, but expressed his belief in the "restoration of an independent Scotland" while acknowledging differing political views on the subject.

Mr Salmond, whose party opposed the Iraq war, also spoke of "further tragedy" in the country, following the deaths of two soldiers from Fife, killed by a roadside bomb.

The Queen spoke of change at the parliament

He said Scotland had received its share of grief as well as triumph and "through it all, hope remains and dreams do not die".

Whatever opinions may be voiced on how political his speech may have been, Mr Salmond is still, at the end of the day, a Nationalist and the first minister of Scotland.

One other important factor about these events is who wore what.

The Queen wore a white silk dress with a green and red floral design by designer Stewart Parvin, a lime green fine wool coat, and a Philip Somerville-created pink hat with a green trim.

One of the invited guests, the actor and SNP fan Sir Sean Connery, wore dark green tartan trews and matching jacket.

He was joined by other Nationalist supporters including Kwik-Fit founder Sir Tom Farmer and Stagecoach tycoon Brian Souter.

Alex Salmond spoke of tragedy in Iraq

Lapel decoration was a favourite with MSPs.

The first minister wore the white rose of Scotland, "that smells sharp and sweet and breaks the heart", according to the Scots poet Hugh McDiarmid.

Scottish Labour leader Jack McConnell - the former first minister - wore the red rose associated with his party, Scots Conservative leader Annabel Goldie sported an elegant decoration of what appeared to be thistle and heather, while her Liberal Democrat opposite number Nicol Stephen kept it simple by not wearing one at all.

Almost as soon as MSPs returned to Holyrood after the Scottish election in May, they left for the summer recess with much to contemplate ahead of the next term.