Nicola Sturgeon believes people who don't support the Monarchy should have a right to protest as she paid tribute to the Queen.
The First Minister was speaking ahead of a thanksgiving service at St Paul's Cathedral in London to start the second day of the Platinum Jubilee.
The sovereign will be watching the service on television from Windsor Castle after it was announced she would miss the event.
Ahead of the Jubilee celebrations MSPs from all political parties in the Scottish Parliament paid tribute to the Queen.
The Scottish Greens decided to boycott the debate saying: "We respect others hold different beliefs and have no wish to deprive them of their celebration."
Sturgeon said it was the right of people across the country to express their views on the Queen.
She added people should be able to express "very strong republican sentiment and support" if they wanted.
Speaking about the Queen's 70 years on the throne, Sturgeon said: "One of the things that I feel great respect for the Queen around is just that dedication, that selfless commitment to duty and to service.
"There are different opinions across the UK of the institution of monarch, that's right and proper in a democracy, we should celebrate we live in a democracy where those differences can be expressed.
"You don't have to be a great supporter of the Monarchy to have huge respect for the Queen and to think of her as a quite extraordinary individual to whom everybody across the UK and the Commonwealth owes a deep debt of gratitude."
During an interview with the BBC Sturgeon was asked if she is a monarchist.
She replied: "I support the Queen and her successors remaining the head of state. That's the policy of my party."
As First Minister Sturgeon has met the Queen on a number of private occasions.
Speaking about her meetings, she said: "I like her a lot - I have deep respect for her as many people do.
"The context of those conversations are rightly by convention completely private and confidential and I won't breach that.
"But I think it is fair to say that that opportunity to talk with her, to benefit from her knowledge, her wisdom and perhaps above all the completely unique perspective she has on modern world history, is something that I deeply value and will always really treasure."
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