Getty ImagesAlex Salmond’s niece has said his family are still trying to process his sudden death and are “keeping going”, as would be his wishes.
Christina Hendry spoke ahead of a memorial service for the former first minister, which will take place in Edinburgh on Saturday.
The Proclaimers and Dougie MacLean will perform at the service at St Giles’ Cathedral, which will be live-streamed for the public.
Getty ImagesThe former SNP and Alba leader died after suffering a heart attack while in Macedonia on October 12.
His body was flown back to Scotland on a private flight paid for by Sir Tom Hunter before being laid to rest following a private funeral near his home in Aberdeenshire.
Ms Hendry told STV News that the family was “doing okay” following Salmond’s death despite there being “a lot to plan”.
“I’m not sure there’s really been time to process things and fully grieve, but as a family, we’re sticking together, keeping close and keeping going,” she said.
Getty Images“For anybody and any family, losing a loved one is really, really hard. It’s been especially hard because of where he died and because he was high profile. That has come with challenges.
“There’s no escape. It’s in the media a lot. I’m not sure that’s allowed time to actually process things ourselves as a family, but there have been some positives from that.
“There’s been a lot of people messaging and sharing lovely stories. Whether they knew him for years or met him in the street, it’s been really nice to reflect on everything he did and achieved and the kind of person he was.”
‘Dedicated his life to public service’
Following Salmond’s passing, a book of condolence was opened at the Scottish Parliament and then sent on to the family.
Ms Hendry travelled to Holyrood shortly after his death to view the book and tributes left by members of the public.
“It was important [to see it] because so many people had travelled far to write in it and share their special stories and special memories, it was quite emotional”, she added.
“You could see how loved he was from people across Scotland and beyond.
“It means a lot. Uncle Alec dedicated his life to public service. We didn’t see him as much as we’ve seen other family members because he was constantly away, but we were all so proud of him and knew he was representing Scotland and standing up for Scotland.
“It’s been hard seeing the messages, but it’s also been really, really lovely.”
‘Special to see people from across the political spectrum’
Ms Hendry will be speaking at the memorial alongside a number of Salmond’s friends and political allies who will give readings at the service, officiated by Rev Dr George J Whyte.
Tributes will be delivered by Kenny MacAskill – a long-time ally of Salmond who joined the Alba Party – as well as the former first minister’s lawyer Duncan Hamilton KC, and SNP MSP Fergus Ewing who will read from The Wild Geese by Violet Jacob.
Conservative MP Sir David Davis, who shared a friendship with Salmond despite a political divide, will read from John 14.
Ms Hendry said the memorial service will be “really important” for the family.
She added: “We know how loved Uncle Alec was across Scotland, and we want people to have the opportunity to pay their respects.
“It’s unfortunate that there’s limited capacity – if we could, we would’ve had it open. It’s special to see people from across the political spectrum, people with music from Scotland and people speaking about different parts of his life.
“It shows that no matter whether people shared his politics or views, they’re still there to pay their respects.
“Uncle Alec always spoke about his love for Scotland and that’s what we’re going with. We knew how much he loved Scotland, loved Scottish culture, and Scottish arts, and that’s what we’re going with.
STV News“We want it to be about Scotland and how much he valued Scotland and saw Scotland’s potential for the future of independence.”
While MacAskill hailed Salmond as a “giant of a man” at the family funeral, to his niece, he has always just been Uncle Alec.
When he became first minister in 2007, Ms Hendry was in her first year at secondary school. When reflecting on memories, she recalls a time when he decided to visit her in school.
“I was 12 when he became first minister, so for me, he’s always been in politics, but he’s also always been Uncle Alec,” she told STV News.
“Just after he became first minister, I was in S1 in an art class, and he had been doing a visit down the road, the opening of a building. Uncle Alec had to make sure that he came into the art class to see me, so my class was a bit star-struck.
“In walked Uncle Alec, people who worked with him, people from the local paper and journalists, and he just sat and had a chat with the class, which was really lovely.
“Uncle Alec was the same with everybody; he’d always try to make time for us.
“Often, I remember out on the campaign trail before the referendum, the soup would get cold with so many people coming to speak with him, but it wasn’t a case of him switching on and off.; he was just the same person with everybody.
“It didn’t matter whether they were a royal or presidential figure from abroad or an ordinary guy he met on the street. He treated everybody the same, and he had respect for everybody in the same way.”
A statement from Salmond’s family earlier this month said: “The family are overwhelmed by the level of public interest in attending Alex’s memorial service.
“Sadly, we cannot accommodate everyone who would like to attend but are pleased to say that the event will be live-streamed from St Giles’ Cathedral, with the service scheduled to begin at 11am on Saturday, November 30.”
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