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The Financial Express

Queen Elizabeth II's coffin leaves Balmoral for Edinburgh

| Updated: September 12, 2022 19:38:17


The hearse carrying the coffin of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II passing through the village of Ballater, near Balmoral, in Scotland on Sunday –Reuters photo The hearse carrying the coffin of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II passing through the village of Ballater, near Balmoral, in Scotland on Sunday –Reuters photo

People are lining the streets as Queen Elizabeth II's coffin travels from Balmoral to Edinburgh.

The hearse is being driven to the Palace of Holyroodhouse - the monarch's official residence in Scotland - as part of the journey to London for her funeral on 19 September.

Mourners watched in silence as her coffin, wrapped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, passed by.

The Queen's daughter is travelling with the cortege on the 175-mile journey, reports BBC.

The coffin is set to arrive in Edinburgh at about 16:00 BST after a slow six-hour drive which will see it go through Aberdeen and Dundee.

Earlier, six gamekeepers from her Balmoral estate placed the Queen's oak coffin into a hearse before she left Balmoral for the final time.

The wreath on top of the coffin features some of the Queen's favourite flowers, all cut from the estate - white heather, dahlias and sweet peas, phlox and pine fir.

When the cortege reached Ballater, Aberdeenshire - the closest village to Balmoral - flowers were thrown in the road by mourners, some of whom had tied union flags to barriers.

The Princess Royal is travelling in the second car of the cortege with her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.

Once in Edinburgh, the Queen's coffin will remain at Holyroodhouse overnight.

On Monday afternoon, the coffin will process to St Giles' Cathedral, accompanied by the King and other members of the Royal Family. The coffin will remain under continuous vigil for 24 hours, with the public able to pay their respects.

A service will be held at the cathedral in the evening.

The following day, Princess Anne will accompany her mother's coffin as it travels from Edinburgh Airport back to Buckingham Palace via RAF Northolt.

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it was a "sad and poignant moment" as the Queen left her "beloved Balmoral" for the last time.

She said: "Today, as she makes her journey to Edinburgh, Scotland will pay tribute to an extraordinary woman."

On Saturday, the Queen's younger children - Princess Anne, the Duke of York and Earl of Wessex - and their families viewed flowers at the gates of Balmoral Castle, with her granddaughter Princess Eugenie moved to tears.

Prince William and his wife Catherine - the new Prince and Princess of Wales - greeted well-wishers outside Windsor Castle, joined by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

In London, King Charles praised the Queen's "unequalled reign" as he addressed the Accession Council, where he was formally proclaimed monarch.

He also approved a bank holiday at the ceremony for the day of the Queen's funeral.

On Sunday, he will meet the Commonwealth Secretary General Baroness Scotland - who publicly represents the association of 56 countries with historical ties to the UK - at Buckingham Palace.

He will then host a reception for High Commissioners - ambassadors - from the 14 other countries where the King is also head of state.

Further proclamations will be read in the Scottish and Welsh devolved parliaments, in Edinburgh and Cardiff, and the devolved Northern Ireland assembly in Belfast.

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