Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Scots will be able to bid farewell to Her Majesty earlier this week. After the transfer of her coffin from the Scottish country estate of Balmoral to Edinburgh, the body is to be driven through the city in a funeral procession today.
King Charles III will lead the procession. He will walk right behind the coffin as it is driven to St Giles Cathedral and laid out there, Britain's PA news agency reported. Numerous members of the royal family are said to be present at the procession.
It is still unclear whether the quarreling brothers William and Harry and their wives Kate and Meghan will appear side by side again. The two couples first appeared together again on Saturday and spoke to mourners who had gathered at Windsor Castle.
The King will also receive Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon in Edinburgh. He and his wife Camilla also want to receive expressions of condolence in the Scottish Parliament, after they wanted to do so in Parliament in London in the morning. His trip to Scotland is part of Operation Spring Tide, which envisages visits by Charles as the new king to all four parts of Britain.
Thousands of people on the side of the road
On Sunday, a hearse brought the coffin with the monarch from her country estate at Balmoral Castle in the Highlands, where the 96-year-old died on Thursday, to the Scottish capital of Edinburgh. There the convoy was met by crowds and an honor guard. Charles had previously spoken of his mother's "last big trip".
In villages and towns, crowds of people silently lined the streets. Some cried, some threw flowers on the street as the column rolled by at a slow pace. Spontaneous applause and cheers also erupted on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. In the afternoon the convoy reached the Royal Residence Palace of Holyroodhouse. Her daughter Princess Anne had accompanied the coffin in another car, and the Queen's sons Prince Andrew and Prince Edward were there on arrival.
Transfer to London on Tuesday
The transfer by plane to London is planned for Tuesday, where the deceased is to be laid out for several days. From Wednesday, the coffin with the body will be on a so-called catafalque - a kind of plateau - in Westminster Hall of the London Parliament building. Hundreds of thousands of mourners are expected.
The British government recommends that mourners bring weatherproof clothing, enough provisions, a mobile phone power bank and a lot of patience. Until the day of the state funeral on September 19, the British public will have 24 hours a day to pay their Queen one last visit and say goodbye. However, a lot of time must be planned for this. "You have to stand for many hours, probably overnight, with little opportunity to sit down because the line will continue to move," says the Ministry of Culture's information on the processes. You should think twice about bringing children. Road closures and disruptions to the transport network are also to be expected.
The state funeral, to which Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also wants to travel, is scheduled for September 19. The British get an extra holiday for this. Until then, national mourning applies, official events and parliamentary operations are suspended.
