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Queen Elizabeth’s coffin started a six-hour journey from her house within the Scottish Highlands to Edinburgh on Sunday, as crowds lined the roads to pay tribute to the monarch within the first of a sequence of solemn occasions main as much as her funeral on Sept. 19.
At 10 a.m. (0900 GMT), Elizabeth’s oak coffin, which had been within the ballroom of Balmoral Fort coated with the royal commonplace of Scotland and with a wreath of flowers on high, was positioned in a hearse by six gamekeepers.
Shortly afterwards, the hearse emerged from the gates of Balmoral to move in direction of the Scottish capital. The queen died at her summer time residence on Thursday aged 96, after 70 years on the throne.
Her demise has drawn tears, unhappiness and heat tributes, not simply from the queen’s personal shut household and plenty of in Britain, but additionally from across the globe – reflecting her presence on the world stage for seven a long time.
Elizabeth Alexander, aged 69 and born on the day the queen was topped in 1953, was ready within the close by village of Ballater to see the coffin go by.
“I believe it will likely be very emotional for anybody saying goodbye, you do not know the way you to know the way you are going to really feel while you see it,” she mentioned.
“It is like a member of the family, it overwhelms – the unhappiness – that she’s not going to be with us.” The queen got here to the throne following the demise of her father King George VI on Feb. 6, 1952, when she was simply 25. Her coronation came about a 12 months later.
Accompanied by the queen’s daughter, Princess Anne, the cortege will slowly make its approach from the distant fort, winding by way of small cities and villages to Edinburgh the place the coffin might be taken to the throne room of the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
The sluggish cortege is the primary of a sequence of events0 main as much as the state funeral in London. Tens of 1000’s have gathered at royal palaces within the days since Elizabeth’s demise to go away flowers and to pay their respects.
“I understand how deeply you, your entire nation – and I believe I’ll say the entire world – sympathise with me within the irreparable loss now we have all suffered,” her son King Charles mentioned at a ceremony on Saturday.
Charles turned king instantly after his mom’s demise however was formally proclaimed the brand new monarch on the ceremony.
Whereas Elizabeth’s demise was not completely surprising given her age, the very fact her well being had been deteriorating and the passing of her husband of 73 years Prince Philip final 12 months, there was nonetheless a way of shock on the information.
“All of us thought she was invincible,” her grandson Prince William, now the inheritor to the throne, advised a well-wisher on Saturday as he met crowds at Windsor fort.
FUNERAL
Elizabeth’s funeral will happen at London’s Westminster Abbey and Sept. 19 might be a public vacation in Britain, officers introduced. U.S. President Joe Biden mentioned he could be there, though full particulars of the occasion and the attendees haven’t but been launched.
Earlier than that, her coffin might be flown to London and there might be a sombre procession when it’s later moved from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Corridor the place it should lie in state for 4 days.
In 2002 greater than 200,000 folks queued to pay their respects to Elizabeth’s mom whereas her coffin lay in state and aides have beforehand mentioned there’s an expectation that thousands and thousands could need to go to.
“It goes with out saying that we are able to anticipate massive numbers of individuals,” a spokesperson for Prime Minister Liz Truss advised reporters.
Truss, whose appointment as prime minister on Tuesday was the queen’s final public act, will be part of King Charles as each the brand new head of state and prime minister tour the 4 nations of the UK within the subsequent few days.
Charles, 73, is now the forty first monarch in a line that traces its origins to the Norman King William the Conqueror who captured the English throne in 1066.
He’s king and head of state not solely of the UK however of 14 different realms together with Australia, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
Elizabeth’s demise has capped a troublesome couple of years for the royal household, together with the demise final 12 months of Elizabeth’s husband Prince Philip.
Andrew, second son of the late queen and reputed to have been her favorite little one, stepped down from royal duties in 2019 after a disastrous TV interview through which he had hoped to clear his identify over his relationship to the late U.S. financier and intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Her grandson Prince Harry and his spouse Meghan stepped down from royal life in 2020 to maneuver to California.
Harry and Meghan have been alienated from the remainder of the household since, with Harry and brother William mentioned to be barely on talking phrases. However the demise of their grandmother appeared to assist heal the rift, as they appeared along with their wives exterior Windsor Fort to satisfy the crowds on Saturday.
A royal supply described it as an vital present of unity at an extremely troublesome time for the household.
(This story has not been edited by Enterprise Commonplace workers and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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