King Charles Leads Procession Of Queen Elizabeth’s Coffin. King Charles III on Monday led a solemn procession carrying Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin through quiet Edinburgh streets thronged with mourners, joined by his three siblings.
The queen’s oak casket was transported on Sunday from the Balmoral estate, where she passed away last week at the age of 96, to the Scottish capital and kept there overnight.
Her four children, Charles, Princess Anne, Princes Edward and Andrew, emerged from the hearse after a regimental band performed “God Save the King,” which was supported by kilted soldiers.
King Charles Leads Procession Of Queen Elizabeth’s Coffin. As the procession made its way to the 12th-century St Giles’ Cathedral, cannons from Edinburgh Castle blasted at one-minute intervals. Thousands of spectators lined the path to observe.
Prime Minister Liz Truss and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon attended the prayer and contemplation ceremony for the monarch who ruled for a record-breaking 70 years with the royal family.
Later, the coffin will be covered with the Royal Standard of Scotland, topped with a wreath made of Balmoral heather, and the old Crown of Scotland. The king and senior royals will maintain vigil at the church.
Ahead of the official funeral at Westminster Abbey on September 19, the public will be able to pay their respects to the queen known as “Queen of Scots” until the coffin is flown to London on Tuesday.
Unlike his siblings, Prince Andrew was not dressed in his military uniform because he had retired from the public eye after a scandal over his links to US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
However, his presence served as a sign of unity, as did the weekend visit by William and Harry, the rival sons of Charles, when they saw the flowers and cards left outside Windsor Castle.
Harry, the youngest, had paid tribute to his grandmother and referred to her as his “guiding compass” before renouncing royal duties in 2020 and relocating to the United States.
The 37-year-old said in his first statement following her passing on Thursday, “You are already greatly missed,” and he and his American wife Meghan “now honour my father in his new role.”
