Thousands of people gathered on the streets of Scotland on Sunday for a first look at the coffin of the late Queen Elizabeth II. He was carried out of the ballroom at Balmoral Castle at 10:00 a.m. local time (11:00 a.m. CEST) and then slowly driven in a carriage to the Scottish capital, Edinburgh.
The first people came to the track early in the morning with picnic chairs. Elizabeth II died on Thursday at the age of 96 at Balmoral Castle in the Scottish Highlands.
The coffin should be driven partly at walking pace. The route is scheduled to take six hours. He is expected at the Queen's official residence in Edinburgh, Holyroodhouse, in the afternoon. King Charles III and other members of the royal family plan to escort the coffin to St Giles' Cathedral on Monday, where it is to stand for 24 hours before continuing the journey by plane to London. In the cathedral, the public gets the first opportunity to pay their respects to the Queen and say goodbye.
From Buckingham Palace to Parliament
The coffin is expected in London on Tuesday. The next day he is taken in a public procession through the streets of the city centre. As the palace announced on Saturday, the coffin is to be brought from Buckingham Palace to Parliament on a horse-drawn carriage known as a carriage. He is to be laid out there for four days. There, too, people should have another opportunity to say goodbye to the Queen. Many thousands are expected.
The state funeral with numerous state guests and representatives of royal families from all over the world finally takes place on September 19th. A service is scheduled at 12:00 p.m. (CEST) at Westminster Abbey in London. People in the UK get an extra day off. Charles III had approved this holiday on the occasion of his proclamation.
The Queen will be buried in St George's Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle, where her husband Prince Philip, who died on April 9, 2021, is also buried. Her closest relatives, her father George VI, her mother, known as the "Queen Mum", and her sister, Princess Margaret, were also buried there.
duties and responsibilities
The reign of the new monarch Charles III. officially began on Saturday, although he automatically became king with the death of his mother. The 73-year-old was proclaimed King of Britain in a ceremony at St. James's Palace in London. "I am deeply aware of the great legacy and the duties and heavy responsibilities of the monarch that have now been entrusted to me," said Charles III.
Meanwhile it became known that the head of government of the Caribbean island state of Antigua and Barbuda wants to replace the British head of state at the top. Gaston Browne wanted the country to become a republic. He wants to hold a referendum on this within three years, he told British broadcaster ITV."It has nothing to do with disrespect for the monarch," Browne said. "It is the final step in completing the circle of independence and becoming a truly sovereign nation."
Antigua and Barbuda has almost 100,000 inhabitants. The island nation became independent in 1981. It is one of 14 states where the British monarch is the head of state. Last year, the island nation of Barbados further south in the Caribbean became a republic.
Stuffed animals and sandwiches undesirable
Teddy bears, Corgi cuddly toys, wrapped jam sandwiches: the British paid tribute to the Queen in front of their palaces with many souvenirs. But that gives the park authority a headache. She asked on Sunday to refrain from doing so. Only flowers, without plastic protection, should be put down. The park authority Royal Parks must dispose of the material after the funeral services.
"In the interests of sustainability, we ask visitors to use only organic or compostable material," the agency said on its website. "Unfortunately, gifts and artifacts cannot be accepted and the public is asked not to bring them into the parks." Candles are also taboo, as the park authority writes. In London, all flowers should be placed in the specially designated memorial area in Green Park near Buckingham Palace.
