Should MSPs pledge allegiance to The Queen? New petition calls for Holyrood oaths to be changed HM Queen Elizabeth II Should MSPs pledge allegiance to The Queen? It’s one of the first things they do after being elected and before the can take their seat in Holyrood but a new grassroots campaign is calling for the royal oath to be scrapped. Ever since the devolved parliament was set up in 1999, MSPs need to declare they will “be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen, her heirs and successors”. After this year’s Scottish Parliament election in May, several MSPs said they were taking the oath under protest, as they believe they should be serving the people of Scotland, not the monarchy.