From left, Prince Edward, Prince Andrew, King Charles III, Camilla, the Queen Consort, Princess Anne and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence attend a Service of Prayer and Reflection for the Lifetime of Queen Elizabeth II at St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh, Monday Sept. 12, 2022.
Aaron Chown / AP
As Queen Elizabeth II’s 4 kids walked silently behind, a hearse carried her flag-draped coffin alongside a crowd-lined road within the Scottish capital on a solemn journey to a cathedral for a service of thanksgiving for her 70-year reign.
4 days after the 96-year-old monarch died at her beloved Balmoral Fortress within the Scottish Highlands, a army bagpiper performed as her oak coffin, draped within the royal normal, was borne from the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh and positioned in a hearse.
King Charles III, wearing military uniform, and Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward walked behind because the hearse traveled to St. Giles’ Cathedral, flanked by a bearer social gathering of the Royal Regiment of Scotland and a detachment of The King’s Physique Guard in Scotland, the Royal Firm of Archers.
As soon as inside St. Giles, the coffin was positioned on a wood stand, and the Duke of Hamilton and Brandon positioned the Crown of Scotland on high. Even the crown is steeped in historical past — it was made in 1540 for Scottish King James V from an earlier model that was broken. It’s crafted from Scottish gold encrusted with 22 gems and 20 treasured stones together with freshwater pearls from Scotland’s rivers.
“And so we collect to bid Scotland’s farewell to our late monarch, whose lifetime of service to the nation and the world we have fun. And whose love for Scotland was legendary,” mentioned the Rev. Calum MacLeod.
King Charles III and Princess Anne comply with the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II within the procession up the Royal Mile to St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, Monday, Sept. 12, 2022. Britain’s longest-reigning monarch who was a rock of stability throughout a lot of a turbulent century, died Thursday Sept. 8, 2022, after 70 years on the throne. She was 96.
Scott Heppell / AP
The coffin will stay on the cathedral till Tuesday so members of the general public will pay their respects.
Individuals lined up hours forward of the service to catch a glimpse of the coffin.
“I simply needed to be right here, simply to point out … final respects. I can not consider she is lifeless,” mentioned Marilyn Mclear, a 70-year-old retired trainer.
“I do know she was 96, however I simply can not consider the queen’s lifeless. So I feel it is going to be a pleasant, nicely, it’s not good to see (a) funeral, however I feel it is going to be a factor to recollect if I see it passing by,” she added.
One man appeared to shout angrily on the passing hearse, whereas others referred to as out: “God save the king!” However the procession was greeted principally with a respectful silence underneath blue skies flecked with white clouds.
Charles, Anne and Edward all wore army uniforms through the procession, however Andrew didn’t. The Royal Navy veteran was stripped of his honorary army titles and was eliminated as a working royal over his friendship with the infamous U.S. intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Earlier, a automotive carrying Charles and his spouse Camilla, the Queen Consort, handed the crowds packed behind metallic boundaries alongside the Royal Mile, the street between Holyroodhouse and St. Giles’ Cathedral. Onlookers clapped and waved because the king’s limousine handed.
The procession with the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, adopted by King Charles III, Princess Anne and Prince Andrew, heads up the Royal Mile to St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, Monday, Sept. 12, 2022. Britain’s longest-reigning monarch who was a rock of stability throughout a lot of a turbulent century, died Thursday Sept. 8, 2022, after 70 years on the throne. She was 96.
Scott Heppell / AP
Charles and Camilla bought out of their automotive at Holyroodhouse and greeted folks, and checked out floral tributes earlier than a gun salute boomed from Edinburgh Fortress.
Earlier, in London, Charles acquired condolences at Parliament and informed lawmakers he would comply with his late mom’s instance of “selfless responsibility.”
The queen’s grandson, Prince Harry, hailed her as a “guiding compass” and praised her “unwavering grace and dignity.”
The federal government, in the meantime, introduced that the nation will observe a minute of silence on Sunday, the night earlier than the queen’s funeral. The “second of reflection” will happen at 8 p.m. (1900 GMT). Individuals had been inspired to mark the silence at house or at neighborhood occasions.
Lots of of lawmakers crowded into the 1,000-year-old Westminster Corridor on the Homes of Parliament for the service, wealthy in pageantry, through which Parliament supplied its condolences to the king, and he replied.
A trumpet fanfare greeted the king and Camilla as they entered the corridor, which was filled with tons of of legislators.
Charles informed members of the Home of Commons and Home of Lords that he would comply with his late mom in upholding “the dear ideas of constitutional governance” that underpin the U.Okay.’s political system.
The corridor, with its magnificent hammer-beam roof, is the oldest a part of the parliamentary advanced — a remnant of the medieval Palace of Westminster that after stood on the location.
“As I stand earlier than you in the present day, I can not assist however really feel the burden of historical past which surrounds us and which reminds us of the very important parliamentary traditions to which members of each Homes dedicate yourselves, with such private dedication for the betterment of us all,” Charles mentioned.
The ceremony was held in Westminster Corridor as a result of monarchs usually are not allowed contained in the Home of Commons. That rule dates from the seventeenth century, when King Charles I attempted to enter and arrest lawmakers. That confrontation between crown and Parliament led to a civil struggle which ended with the king being beheaded in 1649.
Earlier Monday, a private assertion posted on Harry and his spouse Meghan’s Archwell web site mentioned he cherished their instances collectively “from my earliest childhood reminiscences with you, to assembly you for the primary time as my Commander-in-Chief, to the primary second you met my darling spouse and hugged your loved one greatgrandchildren.”
King Charles III inspects the Guard of Honour as he arrives to attend the Ceremony of the Keys, on the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh, Monday, Sept. 12, 2022. King Charles arrived in Edinburgh on Monday to accompany his late mom’s coffin on an emotion-charged procession by means of the historic coronary heart of the Scottish capital to a cathedral the place it’s going to lie for twenty-four hours to permit the general public to pay their final respects.
Peter Byrne / AP
Amid acrimony within the Home of Windsor, Harry stop as a senior royal and moved to the U.S. two years in the past. On Saturday, there was a potential signal of a reconciliation as Harry and Meghan joined his brother Prince William and sister-in-law Catherine in assembly mourners outdoors Windsor Fortress.
The nationwide outpouring of grief continued Sunday as 1000’s of individuals lined streets and roadsides because the oak coffin was borne from the late queen’s beloved Balmoral Fortress summer time retreat, the place she died on Thursday, to Edinburgh.
In Edinburgh, the king will stroll behind his mom’s coffin as it’s slowly transported from Holyroodhouse to St. Giles’ Cathedral, the place the crown of Scotland will probably be positioned on the coffin forward of a service of prayer and reflection on the life and 70-year reign of the extensively cherished monarch.
The queen’s coffin will lie on the cathedral for twenty-four hours, giving members of the general public an opportunity to file previous and pay their respects. On Tuesday, it is going to be flown to London the place the coffin will lie in state on the Homes of Parliament Palace from Wednesday afternoon till the morning of the funeral on Sept. 19.
Authorities have already got issued guidelines and pointers for folks desirous to pay their respects in London, with a protracted queue anticipated.
After visiting Scotland, Charles embarks on a tour of the opposite nations that make up the UK — he visits the Northern Eire capital, Belfast, on Tuesday and Wales on Friday.
Harry’s assertion ended on a poignant word alluding to the loss of life final yr of his grandfather, Prince Philip, saying that “We, too, smile figuring out that you simply and grandpa are reunited now, and each collectively in peace.”
Mike Corder reported from London.
Observe all AP tales on the loss of life of Queen Elizabeth II and Britain’s royal household at https://apnews.com/hub/queen-elizabeth-ii
