Scotland prepares to say goodbye to the Queen
The King and other members of the royal family will follow Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin in a procession along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile on Monday afternoon.
St Giles’ Cathedral will host a service to celebrate the Queen’s life and her connection to Scotland – a place often thought of as the Queen’s favourite place.
The Queen will lie at rest until Tuesday afternoon, allowing the public to walk past the coffin and pay their respects.
Thousands of people are expected to line the streets to say their final goodbyes.
The coffin had made the 175-mile journey from Balmoral to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh on Sunday.
On Monday, King Charles and Camilla will travel by air to Edinburgh. They, and other members of the royal family, will attend the Ceremony of the Keys at the palace – where he will be handed the keys to the city of Edinburgh – before following the coffin to the cathedral.
The key times for events on Monday are:
- 10:00 – The King will attend a Motion of Condolence at the Houses of Parliament in London before travelling to Edinburgh
- 13:00 – The King takes part in the Ceremony of the Keys at the Palace of Holyroodhouse
- 14:25 – The Queen’s coffin will be taken along the Royal Mile to St Giles’ Cathedral
- 15:00 – Service at St Giles’ Cathedral celebrating the life of the Queen and her connection to Scotland
- 16:00 – The Queen will lie at rest at St Giles’ Cathedral for 24 hours, allowing members of the public to pay their respects
- 17:30 – A motion of condolence, attended by the King, will be heard in the chamber of the Scottish Parliament. The King will respond.
- 19: 20 – The King and the Queen’s children will post a vigil around the coffin at St Giles’ Cathedral