- Queen’s coffin taken from Balmoral Castle where she died
- The coffin arrives at the royal palace in Edinburgh
- The crowds, some in tears, climb the route
- The funeral will be held on September 19
EDINBURGH, Scotland, Sept 11 (Reuters) – Queen Elizabeth’s coffin arrived in Edinburgh on Sunday after a six-hour journey from her summer home in the Scottish Highlands, after tens of thousands of mourners along the route, many in somber silence, some clapping. and others with tears.
Shortly after 10am (0900 GMT), a hearse carrying Elizabeth’s oak coffin left the gates of Balmoral Castle, where she died on Thursday at the age of 96, at the start of a slow journey to the Scottish capital.
The coffin was draped with the Royal Standard of Scotland with a wreath at the top made of flowers taken from the Balmoral estate, including sweet peas, a favorite of Elizabeth’s.
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A crowd, fifteen points deep, gathered in central Edinburgh to greet the cortege, which included the Queen’s daughter Princess Anne, as it made its way to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where it was greeted by a guard of military honor
Soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Scotland then carried the coffin into the palace’s throne room where it will lie overnight.
“There was no way I could miss this. I would regret it for the rest of my life,” said Eilidh Mackintosh, 62, who left home at 6am to ensure a good view of the famous Royal Mile in Edinburgh where there were large crowds. they were meeting
“She never let us down and I didn’t want to let her down either. Now she’s gone there’s a big hole in the heart of the nation.”
The journey from Balmoral was the first in a series of events leading up to the state funeral at Westminster Abbey in London on 19 September.
In an emotional tribute to his mother on Friday, the new monarch, King Charles, said he had begun a “last great journey” to join Prince Philip, her husband of 73 years who died last year .
Her death has sparked tears, sadness and warm tributes, not only from the Queen’s immediate family and many in Britain, but from around the world, reflecting her presence on the world stage for seven decades.
Wherever the procession went as it made its way through picturesque landscapes, villages, small towns and cities, people lined the road or stopped their cars to get out and watch. At one point, he passed a guard of honor made up of dozens of tractors lined up in adjacent fields by farmers.
Many watched in silence under the bright sun. Some threw flowers on the road. Others were moved to tears by the excitement of the moment.
“It’s very, very sad. I’m glad I was here to say goodbye,” said Elizabeth Alexander, 69, who was born on the day the Queen was crowned in 1953. read more
Thousands of people continue to gather at other royal palaces across Britain and large piles of flowers are piled up as people visit to pay their respects.
Charles became king immediately after the death of his mother and was officially proclaimed the new monarch in a ceremony on Saturday, full of spectacle and centuries-old traditions. Read more
Pallbearers carry the coffin of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth as the hearse arrives at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain September 11, 2022. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis/Pool
Read more
Similar proclamations follow in the United Kingdom and the 14 other kingdoms of which Charles is now head of state, including Australia, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Read more
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday that parliament will be dismissed to allow its members to pay their respects. Read more
The Queen came to the throne after the death of her father, King George VI, on 6 February 1952, when she was just 25 years old. His coronation took place a year later.
Although Elizabeth’s death was not entirely unexpected given her age and failing health, there was still a sense of shock at the news.
“We all thought he was invincible,” his grandson Prince William, now heir to the throne, told a well-wisher as he met crowds at Windsor Castle on Saturday. Read more
FUNERAL
The day of Elizabeth’s funeral will be a public holiday in Britain, officials have announced. US President Joe Biden has said he will be there, although full details of the event and attendees have not yet been released.
Before that, his coffin will be moved to London and there will be a somber procession when it is later moved from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, where it will lie in state for four days.
“It goes without saying that we can expect a large number of people,” a spokesman for Prime Minister Liz Truss told reporters.
Truss, whose appointment as prime minister on Tuesday was the Queen’s last public act, will join King Charles as the new head of state and prime minister on a tour of the UK’s four nations in 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 captured the English throne in 1066.
Elizabeth’s death has ended a difficult couple of years for the royal family.
The most prominent issue has involved her grandson Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, who left royal life in 2020 to move to California from where they have both been fierce critics of the institution.
This has left them estranged from the rest of the family, with Harry and his older brother William said to be barely on speaking terms. But their grandmother’s death has put their differences aside as they appeared alongside their wives outside Windsor Castle to meet the crowds on Saturday. Read more
A royal source described it as an important show of unity 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, Lewis MacDonald and Marco Trujillo in Ballater and Andrew MacAskill in Edinburgh; Editing by Kate Holton, Mark Potter, Frances Kerry and Andrew Heavens
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