Thousands of mourners thronged Queen Elizabeth II’s final journey on Sunday as her coffin arrived in Edinburgh from the retreat in Scotland where she died.
Huge crowds lined the streets of Scotland’s capital as Britain’s longest-reigning monarch completed the first leg of a serious odyssey that will conclude with his state funeral in London on September 19. .
Soldiers in kilts drew attention as the seven-car motorcade arrived at the Palace of Holyroodhouse after a six-hour drive from the Queen’s Balmoral residence, where she died on Thursday at the age of 96.
Some well-wishers threw flowers or clapped along the way, while others wept as the motorcade, including the Queen’s only daughter Princess Anne, passed by.
“This is history, history in the making. We’ve been with the Queen for so long – 70 years,” said veteran Stuart McKay.
“This is the only king we know and I feel it my duty to come here to bid him farewell.”
The Queen’s coffin will rest for a day at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the monarch’s official residence in Scotland, before being moved to St Giles’ Cathedral for the public to pay their respects.
Her son Charles III – who was formally proclaimed king on Saturday – will travel to Edinburgh on Monday for a vigil and watch over her coffin with other members of the royal family.
The Queen’s body will be flown to London the day after it will lie in state for four days, with at least a million people expected to attend, ahead of a worldwide funeral.
‘ordinary moment’
The symbolism of the Queen’s final trip will be heavy for Scotland – a nation with deep royal ties, but also a strong independence movement intent on breaking the centuries-old union with Britain.
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon wrote on Twitter that it was a “sad and poignant moment” to see the Queen leave her beloved Balmoral sanctuary for the last time.
Charles – proclaimed King of Scotland in a solemn ceremony on Sunday – and other members of the royal family will take part in a procession to carry his coffin along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile to St Giles’ Cathedral on Monday.
The next day the coffin will be flown by a Royal Air Force jet to Northolt Airfield, near London, and taken to Buckingham Palace. Then, on Wednesday, he will be moved to Westminster Hall to lie in state.
King Charles will also visit Northern Ireland and Wales in a show of national unity. The memorial service for the new monarch will be joined by British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who was only appointed by the late Queen on Tuesday.
Charles has seen a resurgence in popularity since the death of his ex-wife Diana, Princess of Wales, in a car crash in 1997, but he is deeply concerned about the rising cost of living in Britain and international instability. Take over the throne in a moment. War in Ukraine.
William and Harry together
While Charles’s accession has pushed Britain into what newspapers have dubbed a new “Caroline” era, Britain and the royal family are still coming to terms with the end of the Elizabethan era.
Prince William broke his silence on Saturday with an emotional tribute to his beloved “grandmother”.
“She was with me in my happiest moments. And she was with me in the saddest days of my life,” said William, now Prince of Wales.
But the Queen’s death also prompted a surprise show of unity from William, 40, and his younger brother Harry, 37, as they stepped out with their wives to speak to well-wishers outside Windsor Castle.
The sight of the two couples, who have barely seen each other since 2020, together — even if they split up to talk and shake hands from different sides of cheering crowds — is likely to spark rumors of a reconciliation. will
The pictures of the four appeared on the front pages of Sunday newspapers.
“Reunited for granny”, read the Sunday Mirror headline, while the Telegraph ran with “Reunited in Sorrow” and the Sun “All 4 Win”.
The Sunday Times focused on the apparent chill with the headline: “Warrior Windsor’s strange truce to honor Queen”.
‘Inspiring Example’
Charles vowed at a ceremonial accession council at St James’s Palace on Saturday that he would strive to “follow the inspiring example that I set” during his “lifelong service” by his mother. Is.”
Thousands of people have gathered outside Buckingham Palace and other royal residences in recent days to lay flowers, send messages of condolence or simply experience history.
But officials expect far more people to pay their respects while the Queen lies in state, as opposed to before the televised funeral service at Westminster Abbey.
The funeral for the Queen – who came to the throne in 1952 aged just 25 – will be attended by national leaders including US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albany and possibly Japanese Emperor Naruhito.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is not expected to attend, said he was ready to “expand friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation” as he congratulated Charles on his ascension to the throne.
Charles was officially named king in Australia and New Zealand – former British colonies that have been independent for decades but retain monarchies – in joint ceremonies on Sunday.
He hosted his first reception on Sunday for representatives of the Commonwealth Territories, the 14 former colonies he governs apart from Britain.
With republican movements gaining momentum from Australia to Antigua, the 73-year-old’s biggest challenge will be how to hold together the worldwide family that his late mother Queen Elizabeth II loved so much.
The Queen’s record of 70 years on the throne has been consistent throughout a tumultuous time for Britain, from post-war deprivation and the loss of her empire to recent upheavals such as Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic.
Charles’ coronation, an elaborate ceremony steeped in tradition and history, will take place in the same historic setting of Westminster Abbey as it has on a date set for centuries.
