Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin arrived in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh on Sunday after being slowly driven from her beloved Balmoral Castle — in a moving procession that drew large crowds of mourners hoping to say their final goodbyes to Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.
A hearse carrying Her Majesty’s body traveled more than 175 miles through the Scottish countryside, arriving at the Palace of Holyroodhouse at around 4 p.m. local time.
“A sad and poignant moment as Her Majesty, The Queen leaves her beloved Balmoral for the final time,” First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon tweeted Sunday. “Today, as she makes her journey to Edinburgh, Scotland will pay tribute to an extraordinary woman.”
Mourners packed streets and overpasses on highway or lined rural roads with cars and tractors along the somber route, some throwing bouquets of flowers as the hearse made the six-hour farewell tour.
“She meant such a lot to people in this area. People were crying, it was amazing to see,” said Victoria Pacheco, a guest house manager in the village of Ballater, where hundreds of people watched in silence as the convoy passed.
The procession was also met with solemn silence as it arrived in Aberdeen about noon local time — the largest stop on its journey to the capital.
Farmers in Aberdeenshire lined up their tractors to form a touching guard of honor for the beloved monarch as she passed through.
Elsewhere, people stopped driving in the middle of the highway upon realizing the queen’s body was being carried in the opposite lane. Some even abandoned their cars, getting out of the road to pay their respects and catch a glimpse of her hearse.
The procession also passed over Queensferry Crossing, a bridge that she and her late husband Prince Philip helped dedicate when it opened in 2017.
It was the start of what will be a long journey back to London, where a state funeral is set to be held Sept. 19 at Westminster Abbey before the queen is moved to her final resting place at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Upon the convoy’s arrival in Edinburgh, large crowds that had observed the procession in silence as a show of respect eventually broke into solemn applause for their queen, who ruled for 70 years until her death Thursday at 96.
The hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth passes through the village of Ballater, near Balmoral, Scotland on Sept. 11, 2022. REUTERS
Queen Elizabeth’s coffin seen from the back of the hearse. Peter Summers/Getty Images
People line the street waiting for the funeral cortege carrying Britain’s Queen Elizabeth in the village of Ballater, following the Queen’s passing, near Balmoral, Scotland on Sept. 11, 2022. REUTERS
Members of the Public gather by a makeshift memorial to pay respects as they wait for the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II to pass through Ballater, on Sept. 11, 2022. AFP via Getty ImagesPhotos showed her only daughter, Princess Anne, 72, taking a curtsy as the coffin was carried into Holyroodhouse. Sophie, the countess of Wessex and wife of the queen’s youngest son Prince Edward, 58, was seen placing a hand on her back to comfort her.
Both Edward and his brother Prince Andrew, 62, were also present as members of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, wearing green tartan kilts, carried the coffin into the throne room.
The late queen’s coffin — which was draped in the Royal Standard for Scotland and topped with a wreath made of flowers from Balmoral — will lie in the throne room for 24 hours, so staff can pay their respect.
King Charles III and Camilla, the queen consort, on Monday are set to travel to Edinburgh where they will attend a service of remembrance for the queen. Members of the royal family will hold a vigil by the coffin inside the cathedral in the evening.
The funeral cortege makes it’s way through Aberdeen. Newsline Media/MEGA
People gather in tribute to Queen Elizabeth as the funeral procession passes by. Peter Summers/Getty Images
Princess Anne accompanies the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth. REUTERS
Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth II’s daughter. Steve Welsh/Getty ImagesOn Tuesday, Princess Anne is expected to escort her mother’s body to London via plane. The coffin will be flown by the Royal Air Force and taken to Buckingham Palace.
It will be taken from the palace to Westminster Hall Wednesday morning on a gun carriage of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery in a public procession and military parade.
The coffin will lie in state for four full days under 24-hour guard by British soldiers before being taken in a procession to Westminster Abbey for the state funeral, which is expected to be attended by scores of world leaders, including President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, the White House confirmed Sunday.
It will mark the end of the 10-day period of national mourning, and will be a public holiday across the UK.
The late monarch will then be taken to Windsor Chapel and interred at its St George’s Chapel.
She will be laid to rest near her parents. The body of her late husband Prince Philip, who passed away in April 2021 at 99 years old, will be relocated to be at her side.
As Brits observe a prolonged mourning period, Charles and Camilla will embark on trips to Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
With Post wires
