EDINBURGH, Scotland, Sept 11 (Reuters) – The Queen’s coffin arrived in Edinburgh on Sunday after a six-hour journey from her summer home in the Scottish Highlands, passing tens of thousands of mourners, many in silent silence and some clapping. And others are in tears.
At the end of its slow journey through the picturesque Scottish countryside, villages, small towns and cities, gilded soldiers carried the coffin to the throne room of Elizabeth’s official Scottish home, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where it would remain overnight.
In an emotional tribute to his mother on Friday, Charles, the Queen’s eldest son and new king, said he had embarked on a “last great journey” to join his 73-year-old husband, Prince Philip, who died last year.
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Earlier, a coffin carrying an oak coffin emerged from the gates of Balmoral Castle, where he died on Thursday at the age of 96, at the start of a journey to the Scottish capital.
Her coffin at the Royal Standard of Scotland was covered with a wreath made of flowers taken from the Balmoral garden, including Elizabeth’s favorite sweet peas.
He was met by a military honor guard on his way to Holyroodhouse, where he was met by a large crowd of people in the center of Edinburgh.
The Queen’s daughter, Anne, was flanked by the Queen’s younger sons, Princes Andrew and Edward, as the coffin was carried in by soldiers of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
“There’s no way I’m going to miss this. I’ll regret it for the rest of my life,” said 62-year-old Eilidh McIntosh, who left her home at 6am. Mile.
Rachel Lindsay, 24, broke down in tears as she passed the coffin. “It’s very sad,” she said. “I don’t think we ever expected this to happen. I thought she was going to live forever. I didn’t think it was true until I saw it.”
From Balmoral was the first of a series of events that led to a state funeral at Westminster Abbey in London on 19 September.
Her death drew tears, sadness and loving tributes not only from the Queen’s own immediate family and many in Britain, but from around the world – reflecting her presence on the world stage for seven decades.
Wherever the cortege went, people lined the road or stopped their cars to watch. At one point, it fulfilled the reverence created by farmers with dozens of tractors lined up in adjacent fields.
Many watched silently in the bright sunlight. Some threw flowers on the road. For others, the emotion of the moment moved them to tears.
Elizabeth Alexander, 69, who was born on the day the Queen was crowned in 1953, said: “It’s very sad. I’m glad I’m here. Read More
Thousands flock to royal palaces across Britain, bringing bouquet after bouquet of flowers. In Green Park, near London’s Buckingham Palace, where some pay their respects, long rows of bouquets snake around the park to allow mourners to read the eulogy.
Other well-wishers attached their messages of condolence to the trees.
Charles became king shortly after his mother’s death and was officially announced as the new king at a ceremony on Saturday. read more
Pallbearers of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth as the coffin arrives at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland, on September 11, 2022. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis/Pool
Similar announcements follow in the United Kingdom and 14 other territories where Charles is now head of state, including Australia, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. read more
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Parliament would be adjourned on Thursday to allow members to pay their respects. read more
The Queen succeeded to the throne on February 6, 1952 at the age of 25 following the death of her father, King George VI. His coronation took place a year later.
Although Elizabeth’s death was completely unexpected due to her age and poor health, there was still a sense of shock at the news.
“We all thought she was invincible,” her grandson Prince William, now heir to the throne, told a well-wisher as he met a crowd at Windsor Castle on Saturday. read more
funeral rites
Mourning will continue on Monday. Charles will join other senior royals in Edinburgh as the coffin is carried from Holyroodhouse to the city’s St Giles Cathedral for a service.
People will be allowed to pay their last respects there for 24 hours, and the new monarch and members of the royal family will also hold vigils.
Officials have announced that the day of the Queen’s funeral will be a public holiday in Britain. Although full details of the event and participants have not yet been released, US President Joe Biden has said he will be there.
Before that, her coffin will be taken to London and then there will be a silent procession as it is moved from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, where she will lie in state for four days.
“It goes without saying that we can expect large numbers of people,” a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Liz Truss told reporters.
Truss, who was appointed prime minister on Tuesday, will be the Queen’s last public act as both the new head of state and prime minister will join King Charles on a tour of the United Kingdom’s four countries over the next few days. read more
Charles, 73, is now the 41st monarch in a line that traces its origins to Norman King William the Conqueror, who took the English throne in 1066.
Elizabeth’s death marked a difficult two years for the royal family.
Her grandson Prince Harry and his wife Meghan are set to step away from royal life in 2020 and move to California, where they have both been fierce critics of the company.
Harry and his older brother William are said to be rarely on speaking terms, which has alienated them from the rest of the family. But their grandmother’s death put their differences aside as they appeared with their wives outside Windsor Castle to meet the crowd on Saturday. read more
A royal source described it as a major show of solidarity at an incredibly difficult time for the family.
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(Reporting by Michael Holden, William James and William Schomberg in London, Russell Cheyne in Balmoral, Louise McDonald and Marco Trujillo in Balearic, and Andrew MacAskill and Lindsay Dunsmuir in Edinburgh) Kate Holden, Mark Potter, Answer Kate Holden, Mark Potter, Answer K.
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