NICOLA Sturgeon will attend King Charles III’s accession to the throne on Saturday.
The First Minister will be one of 200 privy counsellors summoned to attend the Accession Council at St James’s Palace in London and take part in King Charles’ first Privy Council.
The ceremony is due to take place at 10am and will be televised for the first time.
Sturgeon led political tributes to the Queen on Thursday evening following her death, describing her as “special to Scotland”.
A Principal Proclamation will be read in public for the first time by the Garter King of Arms in the open air from the balcony overlooking Friary Court at St James’s an hour later at 11am.
It will be followed by a flurry of Proclamations around the country, with the second one at City of London at the Royal Exchange at midday on Saturday, and further Proclamations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales at midday on Sunday.
In recognition of the new Sovereign, Union flags will be flown at full-mast from the time of the Principal Proclamation until one hour after the Proclamations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, after which flags will return to half-mast in mourning for the death of Her Majesty The Queen.
Charles has automatically become King on the death of his mother, but the Accession Council is usually convened at St James’s in London within 24 hours of the death of a sovereign.
It is being staged a day later for King Charles III because the announcement of the Queen’s death did not come until early evening.
It comes after a book of condolence was opened for MSPs to sign at Holyrood.
Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone said: “Her Majesty The Queen’s love of Scotland has always been clear, as has been her support for the Scottish Parliament.
“I know the pages of this book will reflect many personal tributes that Members of this Parliament will want to pay.
“I personally wanted to pay tribute to Her Majesty The Queen for her loyal service to her country and for her commitment to the Scottish Parliament which never wavered, even towards the end of her life.”
The Provost of Aberdeenshire Judy Whyte, meanwhile, was among those paying tribute with flowers outside Balmoral.
She said: “It is with great sadness that we have learned of the death of Her Majesty The Queen.
“The nation has lost its greatest ambassador, and throughout her reign she was an impeccable servant to the United Kingdom and the wider Commonwealth.
“She held Aberdeenshire very dear to her heart, and it is that relationship which will be remembered most fondly. It is fitting that she spent her final days on the Balmoral Estate, somewhere which was so special to her.”
A 96-gun salute rang out in Edinburgh – one for each year of the Queen’s life.
Earlier, bells had rung in churches in the capital and across Scotland in celebration of her life.
As the tributes were being paid, the King travelled to London after spending Thursday night at Balmoral.
Charles departed Birkhall, his private home on the Balmoral estate, by car at around 11.15am on Friday.
