Thank you for reading. We’re going to close this blog now. A new one will be launched on Tuesday 13 September, at about 6am UK time.
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People warned not to camp along Queen’s coffin route
People have been warned not to wait or camp along the route where the Queen’s coffin will be taken for the lying-in-state in London.
On Wednesday afternoon, the late monarch’s coffin, adorned with the Imperial State Crown, will be transported on a gun carriage of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, and make its way from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall.
The UK government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has warned: “Please do not wait or camp in advance of the processional day. If you camp before this time, you may be asked to move on.”
King Charles III, members of the royal family and senior staff of the late Queen and King’s households will walk slowly behind in silence, without music, along a route that will take 38 minutes.
The ceremonial procession will move along the Mall, down Horse Guards Road, across Horse Guards Parade, on to Whitehall and into the Palace of Westminster after 2.22pm.
Viewing areas along the route with limited capacity will open at 11am on the day, with people admitted in order of arrival time amid expected large queues, the DCMS said.
If a person leaves the area, their readmission cannot be guaranteed.
Tents, gazebos or camping gear, barbecues and equipment for fires, and alcohol are prohibited.
Mourners must keep noise to a minimum when the procession passes them and have been told to behave appropriately, dispose of litter properly, and follow the instructions of police and stewards or face being asked to leave.
There will also be large screens at Hyde Park where those who cannot access viewing sites can watch the procession, which will be broadcast on national television and radio.
The Archbishop of Canterbury will conduct a short service following the coffin’s arrival.
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The Met has issued a statement saying people “absolutely have a right to protest”
The Metropolitan police have said “the public absolutely have a right to protest” during the days following the death of the Queen.
Since the proclamation of King Charles III, several arrests have been made and protesters were moved on in London, Scotland and Oxford.
The force issued a statement following a viral video filmed in Parliament Square in London, when a barrister who was holding up a blank piece of paper was asked for his details by a police officer.
Deputy assistant commissioner Stuart Cundy said: “The overwhelming majority of interactions between officers and public at this time have been positive as people have come to the capital to mourn the loss of Her Late Majesty the Queen.”
The Network for Police Monitoring (Netpol) said: “Time and again the police act in an arbitrary manner and abuse their powers to crush dissent.”
They added: “This isn’t the first time that spurious arrests have been made during royal events. In 2011, people dressed as zombies were arrested during the royal wedding while sitting in Starbucks.
“In 2002, during the golden jubilee, 41 people sitting in a pub were arrested. Any time there is a royal event, the police act disproportionately to ensure that opposing voices are not heard on our streets.”
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Our reporter Geneva Abdul has been talking to those who are at the head of the queue to pay their respects to the Queen during her lying-in-state in London. The Queen’s coffin will remain in Westminster Hall from Wednesday morning until the day of the funeral, next Monday. A member of security said they were expecting between 750,000 and 1 million people to attend.
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Many thousands of people are waiting for hours in long queues through central Edinburgh to see the Queen lying in rest at St Giles’ Cathedral, with some facing a wait until early morning before they pass the coffin.
Mourners queueing in George Square, an early Georgian square now part of the University of Edinburgh, have been waiting for over three hours, with the line six to eight people abreast in places.
The Scottish government responded by increasing the number of lines at the security checkpoint on George IV Bridge, dramatically increasing the numbers of people being cleared to move on to the cathedral. Officials estimate that up to 6,000 people per hour were being allowed through.
Aaron Kelly, 32, a psychotherapist originally from Belfast, who lives close to George Square, had been timing his wait on iPhone. It had clocked up three hours and five minutes by about 8.15pm. He felt it was essential to be there.
“This is a moment in history and I think the Queen has done so much for the nation; it just felt it was apt to come and pay our final respects,” he said.
Behind him stood Corey Docherty, 14, and his mother, Mary, and their friend Janis. After travelling from the Glasgow area, and with school tomorrow, he faced getting home after midnight. Docherty has visited Balmoral, Buckingham Palace and Clarence House, the king’s former residence in London.
“It’s just the most famous royal family in the world,” he said. Of the new king, he said: “He’s the king. We must support him. He has waited 73 years.”
Norman Davenport, 68, who recently retired after 18 years as an officer in the RAF reserve and before then 20 years as an army reservist, began queueing for the cathedral at 2pm on Monday, in good time for it to open to the public at 5.30pm, and arrived there by around 7pm. By 8.30pm, he was in George Square for a rest and a sandwich.
The queen was honorary air commodore of his RAF reserve unit, 603 (City of Edinburgh) Sqdn. He had met her twice. “I have a huge connection with her, from that point of view, as a personal thing. She was my sovereign, my commander in chief, my honorary air commodore.”
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Summary
Here’s a round-up of today’s updates:
The Queen is lying at rest in Edinburgh, as thousands of people are expected to walk past her coffin in St Giles’ Cathedral before it is taken to London on Tuesday.
Her children, King Charles, Prince Andrew, Princess Anne and Prince Edward held a vigil to watch over the coffin earlier on Monday evening, standing around it with the Royal Company of Archers.
A thanksgiving service for the Queen’s life took place on Monday afternoon, attended by members of the royal family.
King Charles and Camilla, Queen Consort attended a condolences session at the Scottish parliament. First minister Nicola Sturgeon said the Queen was “intrinsic to the story of modern Scotland”.
The Queen’s children, along with Princess Anne’s husband, Commander Timothy Laurence, walked behind a hearse carrying the late monarch’s coffin as it made its way from Holyroodhouse to St Giles.
Former UK prime minister Boris Johnson has spoken of his final audience with the Queen, held on Tuesday. In an interview with the BBC he said: “She seemed very bright, very focused. She was clearly not well. I think that was the thing that I found so moving when I heard about her death on Thursday – I just thought, how incredible that her sense of duty had kept her going in the way that it had.”
Prince Harry has given a statement on his grandmother’s death, calling her his “guiding compass”. He said he was “forever grateful for all of our first meetings”.
Three Premier League football matches have been cancelled this weekend due to “policing issues” caused by the Queen’s death and thousands coming to London.
Mourners who are heading to Green Park, near Buckingham Palace, to pay tribute have been discouraged from bringing marmalade sandwiches and teddies of Paddington Bear.
Several retailers, including supermarkets, will shut on the day of the Queen’s funeral.
Thousands of NHS procedures and appointments have been cancelled on the same day, according to news website OpenDemocracy.
That’s all for today. Tomorrow the Queen’s coffin will leave Edinburgh and be flown to London. Here is what will happen in the next few days. Thank you for following along.
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Sharon O’Neill, from Airdrie, was one of the first people inside St Giles’ Cathedral to view the Queen’s coffin, which will be laying there to rest until Tuesday.
Speaking after paying her respects, she said: “It was beautiful inside the cathedral, it was lovely, the guards were lovely. The flowers were lovely, with the crown sitting on top of the coffin.
“I came from Airdrie, to come and pay respects. It was stunning, it really was, but also very sad, and a very poignant moment.
“It’s been a great opportunity to allow the Scottish people to come and pay their respects.”
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There are signs that the Queen’s death is now moving into popular culture, as BBC One soap opera EastEnders opened with a tribute to Her Majesty.
Characters in the long-running TV programme, set in east London, said her death was likened to the country “losing its nan”.
The main pub on the show is named after Queen Victoria, and residents Linda Carter, Denise Fox and Kathy Beale gathered around a picture of her in the famous venue in the fictional Albert Square.
The Queen visited the set, based in Elstree in 2001, where she met the late Barbara Windsor, who was famed for playing Peggy Mitchell, and Steve McFadden, who played Windsor’s on-screen son Phil.
An episode made earlier this year to mark the platinum jubilee featured appearances from King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort.
Beale, played by Gillian Taylforth, says: “Just feels so personal though, doesn’t it? Just devastating.”
“It’s like we’ve lost our nan,” Fox replies.
“Well, we have. I mean the country’s lost... we’ve all lost our nan. She dedicated her entire life to serving us,” Linda added.
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King Charles then leads his siblings away, through the nave of the St Giles’ Cathedral and outside. He looked understandably emotional in the minutes stood at the head of his mother’s coffin.
Applause can be heard from the crowd outside as King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward emerge, along with Camilla, Queen Consort and Sophie, Countess of Wessex and get in to their cars, before they are driven back down the Royal Mile to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Members of the public wave as they go past.
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Queen's children take part in vigil at St Giles' Cathedral
Footage live from St Giles’ Cathedral shows the royals being escorted by members of the household through the body of the church.
King Charles, Camilla, the Queen Consort, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward then walk to the coffin. They have chosen not to be armed with swords, as they have the right to do so.
Charles stands at the head of the coffin, the crown behind him on top of it. He and his siblings, facing outwards, bow their heads. They are stood next to the Royal Company of Archers. Camilla is sat off to the side alongside Sophie, Countess of Wessex.
Prince Andrew and Princess Anne can be seen with their eyes closed.
Members of the public are still filing past the coffin.
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Members of the Royal family are arriving at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh for a vigil as the Queen’s coffin is lying in rest.
King Charles, Camilla, the Queen Consort, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward will watch over the coffin. The King arrives from Holyrood where he attended a session of the Scottish parliament earlier on Monday evening.
They are staying in Edinburgh overnight before the coffin is taken to London on Tuesday afternoon.
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The Queen’s funeral and lying-in-state presents the biggest security challenge of its kind the UK has ever faced, a former head of public order at the Metropolitan police has said.
Bob Broadhurst, who served as gold commander for the wedding of Prince William and Catherine, and for the London 2012 Olympics, said the authorities faced “headaches” ranging from terror threats to protests to crowd collapses.
As many as 750,000 people are expected to travel to the capital from Wednesday to pay respects to the late monarch as she lies in state for four days before her funeral on Monday. About 200,000 visited Westminster Hall to pay their respects to the Queen Mother before her funeral in 2002.
As many as 10,000 officers will be assigned to the operation each day, Broadhurst estimated, some of who will be drawn from forces across the country. Downing Street has said 1,500 military personnel will be on hand to assist in the capital.
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Civil liberties campaigners and others have expressed alarm about the response of police to anti-monarchy protesters amid a number of incidents, the latest of which included the arrest of a man in Edinburgh for apparently heckling Prince Andrew.
The advocacy group Liberty said that new powers recently given to the police to curtail protest, and how they were being enforced by officers, were a cause for deep concern.
The Labour MP, Zarah Sultana, said in response to incidents in Edinburgh, London and Oxford: “No one should be arrested for just expressing republican views. Extraordinary – and shocking – that this needs saying.”
Police Scotland said a 22-year-old man had been arrested in connection with a breach of the peace on the Royal Mile shortly before 3pm on Monday. It came after police were seen pulling a man out of a crowd of people, some of whom appeared to push him, after he was seen shouting at the procession accompanying the Queen’s coffin on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.
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Retailers including Aldi, John Lewis, Waitrose, Primark and Homebase are to shut their stores on Monday, the day of the Queen’s state funeral – while Morrisons has made its checkout beeps quieter and turned off tannoys.
Aldi said as a mark of respect its 970 UK stores would be closed on Monday 19 September “to allow our store colleagues to pay tribute to Her Majesty the Queen”.
John Lewis confirmed it would also shut its department stores, along with its sister company Waitrose, all day for the funeral.
Supermarket Sainsbury’s has joined the list. A spokesperson said: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. In honour of Her Majesty and so our colleagues can pay their respects, all Sainsbury’s supermarkets and Argos stores will be closed on Monday, 19 September.
“This includes groceries online and Argos fast track delivery. Our convenience stores and petrol filling stations will be open from 5pm-10pm to allow our customers to pick up essential items, while select stores in central London will open to serve those attending the funeral in person. We thank our customers for their understanding.”
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Thousands of patients could have hospital appointments cancelled because of the Queen’s funeral, a investigative journalism website has found.
A number of NHS Trusts have said that all non-urgent procedures and clinic appointments will be postponed, including hip and knee replacements, cataract surgery, maternity checks and some cancer treatments.
Patients have been waiting months for surgery, only to have it cancelled a week beforehand. In a letter to one patient, seen by OpenDemocracy who have reported the story, the NHS blamed “unforseen circumstances”.
Doctors at one hospital trust in central London were told to start rescheduling patients as Monday, the day of the Queen’s funeral, will be treated as a bank holiday.
St Giles' Cathedral opens to public to view Queen's coffin
St Giles’ Cathedral has now opened for the public to file past the Queen’s coffin, with some having queued up from the early hours of Monday morning.
One man, who had spoken to Sky News, was an NHS worker who had finished a night shift before starting to line up.
The cathedral will be open until tomorrow afternoon, giving mourners about 24 hours to pay their respects. A thanksgiving service took place at St Giles’ earlier today.
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Prince Harry has spoken of his great sadness at the death of the Queen, his grandmother, calling her his “guiding compass”.
He said he was “forever grateful” that she had met his wife Meghan, and hugged the couples two children, Archie and Lilibet, who is named after her. He is understood to have delayed the statement so it did not coincide with the anniversary of 9/11.
In celebrating the life of my grandmother, Her Majesty the Queen – and in mourning her loss – we are all reminded of the guiding compass she was to so many in her commitment to service and duty. She was globally admired and respected. Her unwavering grace and dignity remained true throughout her life and now her everlasting legacy.
Let us echo the words she spoke after the passing of her husband, Prince Philip, words which can bring comfort to all of us now: ‘Life, of course, consists of final partings as well as first meetings’.
Granny, while this final parting brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings – from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my commander-in-chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved great-grandchildren.
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Transport for London has issued new travel guidance ahead of the Queen lying in state in Westminster Hall from Wednesday.
It said that thousands are expected to arrive from all over the UK, meaning services will be busier. The transport authority has advised people to avoid Green Park station due to high numbers of passengers.
People are instead advised to travel to St James’s Park, Victoria or Piccadilly Circus, which are near Buckingham Palace.
The Elizabeth line will run more trains, 12 an hour on Sunday 18 September. It also advises that some bus routes will be altered or stopped early, and cycle lanes in the area will be impacted due to road closures.
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Charles tells of 'great admiration for Scottish people'
After tributes by Nicola Sturgeon, Douglas Ross, Anas Sarwar and Patrick Harvie, party political leaders in the Scottish parliament, King Charles now responds.
Wearing a kilt, he stands and says:
I know that the Scottish parliament and the people of Scotland share with me a profound sense of grief at the death of my beloved mother. Through all the years of her reign, the Queen, like so many generations of our family before her, found in the hills of this land, and in the hearts of its people, a haven and a home.
“My mother felt as I do, the greatest admiration for the Scottish people, for their magnificent achievements and their indomitable spirit. It was the greatest comfort for her to know, in turn, the true affection in which she was held. The knowledge of that depth and abiding bond must be a solace as we mourn the life of incomparable service.
“If I might paraphrase the words of the great Robert Burns, my dear mother was the friend of man, the friend of truth, the friend of age, and guide of youth. Few hearts like hers with virtue warned, few heads with knowledge so informed.
“While still very young, the Queen pledged herself to serve her country and her people and to maintain the principles of constitutional government. As we now mark with gratitude a promise most faithfully fulfilled, I am determined with God’s help and with yours to follow that inspiring example.
“The title of Duke of Rothesay and the other Scottish titles which I have had the honour of carrying for so long, I now pass to my eldest son, William, who I know will be as proud as I have been to bear the symbols of this ancient kingdom.
“I take up my new duties with thankfulness for all that Scotland has given me, with resolve to seek always the welfare of our country and its people, and with wholehearted trust in your goodwill and good counsel as we take forward that task together.”
The King and Camilla, Queen Consort, then leave the chamber while the bagpipes are being played.
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Sturgeon now speaks. Here are some highlights.
Most of us simply do not remember a life without the Queen. When as Princess Elizabeth she gave a radio broadcast from South Africa on her 21st birthday she was addressing an empire that still included India. When she became monarch, Winston Churchill was prime minister.
In an everchanging and turbulent world, Her Majesty has been our constant, she has been the anchor of our nation. Our personal recollections are often intertwined with memories of her reign. I was nineyearsold when I first saw the Queen. She visited Irvin, my hometown in July 1979 to open the Magnum leisure centre, I was one of hundreds lining my streets with my mum, and by luck we ended up close to her car as it passed by. Nine-year-old me was absolutely convinced I had caught her eye.
That nine-year-old girl could not have imaged nearly 35 years later being in the front passenger seat of another car, this time with the Queen at the wheel, driving through the Balmoral estate. In recent days other leaders have shared stories from Balmoral, of barbecues cooked by Prince Philip as the Queen laid the table. These are memories I treasure too.
I did, however, experience one rather tense moment at Balmoral. My husband and I were with the Queen before dinner when the drawing room light started to flicker. To my great alarm … my husband suddenly leapt up and darted across the room. Peter had spotted the cause of the flickering light, one of the Queen’s young corgis, a beautiful pup called Sandy was eating through a lamp switch. Thankfully tragedy was adverted, not before a ticking off from his mistress.
I deeply valued the time I spent alone with the Queen. Her words of wisdom, counsel, and humour will stay in my heart for the rest of my life. However, the memory I cherish most is not from Balmoral, or from audiences at Holyrood. It is from 2015, when the Queen opened the Borders Railway. I spent the journey from Edinburgh to Tweedbank with just her and Prince Philip enjoying the recollections from times spent in Scotland.
That would have been special on any day, but it was the day when the Queen became our longest reigning monarch, allowing me to observe closely how quietly reflective she was about that historic milestone made it so much moreso. It was one of the great privileges of my life. What was obvious then and on every occasion she graced us with her presence, was the Queen’s genuine love of Scotland.
The Queen has been intrinsic to the story of modern Scotland, from the opening of the Forties oil pipeline, to the Forth bridge, the Queensferry Crossing, three commonwealth games, she was present at so many of our iconic moments. She was a true and steadfast friend of this parliament.
Our nation is in mourning today for a Queen whose loss we have not yet begun to come to terms with. We are deeply honoured by the presence today of His Majesty King Charles III and the Queen Consort. Your Majesty, we stand ready to support you as you continue your own life of service and build on the extraordinary legacy of your mother. Queen Elizabeth, Queen of Scots, we are grateful for her life, may she now rest in peace.
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King Charles and Queen Consort arrive at Scottish parliament condolence session
King Charles and Camilla, Queen Consort have processed into the Scottish parliament in Holyrood, as trumpets played in the background.
They had met political leaders from Scotland beforehand, including first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, and leader of the Conservative party, Douglas Ross.
Presiding officer, Alison Johnstone, opened the session and paid tribute to the Queen, who was there for the assembly’s first session in 1999.
Two minutes’ silence is now being held. Sturgeon will shortly move a motion of condolence.
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Two Premier League games postponed because of policing issues caused by funeral
Two of this weekend’s biggest Premier League’s matches have been called off because of policing issues related to the Queen’s funeral.
Hours after Arsenal’s Europa League tie at home to PSV on Thursday was postponed it was confirmed that Manchester United v Leeds and Chelsea v Liverpool would go the same way.
“Following extensive consultation with clubs, police, local safety advisory groups and other relevant authorities, there was no other option but to postpone the three fixtures,” the league said.
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King Charles and Camilla, Queen Consort have arrived at the Scottish parliament and will attend a session where they will receive a motion of condolence.
You can watch live, below.
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Scotland’s former first ministers, including Alex Salmond and Labour’s Jack McConnell, have gathered in the public gallery at Holyrood for King Charles III’s first appearance at the Scottish parliament as monarch.
The King is due to take part in a motion of condolence to commemorate his mother’s death last Thursday, led by Alison Johnstone, the parliament’s presiding officer. He will then address Holyrood for the first time as king.
In the gallery, Salmond and McConnell have been joined by former presiding officers, including Lord Steel, the parliament’s first presiding officer, George Reid, Lord McConnell, Tricia Marwick and Ken Macintosh.
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The public have been told to stop leaving marmalade sandwiches in Green Park as a tribute to the Queen, as it is harming the park’s wildlife.
The Royal Parks, which runs Green Park as well as other green spaces in the capital, said it was having a “negative impact” on them.
The trend comes after a sketch filmed as part of the platinum jubilee celebrations earlier this year, where the late monarch met the much-loved children’s character, Paddington Bear.
Teddies of the bear from darkest Peru have also been left at Buckingham Palace and at the official tribute site in Green Park since her death, as well as sandwiches filled with the orange preserve, wrapped in clingfilm.
A statement said: “We are asking people not to leave marmalade sandwiches because of the negative impact on the park’s wildlife.”
They also discouraged mourners from leaving teddies, adding that while people were able to, the Royal Parks would prefer it if they did not for sustainability reasons. Wellwishers have also been asked to remove the plastic wrapping from flowers.
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Former UK prime minister Boris Johnson has spoken of his last audience with the Queen, two days before she died.
He met her at Balmoral, before Liz Truss arrived at the Queen’s Scottish residence and asked her to form a government.
In an interview with the BBC’s Fiona Bruce, Johnson said: “In that audience, she had been absolutely on it. She was actively focused on geopolitics, on UK politics, quoting statesmen from the 50s, it was quite extraordinary.
“She seemed very bright, very focused. She was clearly not well. I think that was the thing that I found so moving when I heard about her death on Thursday, I just thought how incredible that her sense of duty had kept her going in the way that it had, and given how ill she obviously was, she could be so bright and so focused. It was a pretty emotional time.”
Johnson gave a memorable tribute to the Queen in parliament on Friday, the day after her death. He told the broadcaster that her death was a “colossal” thing for him and that he felt a “slightly inexplicable access of emotion”.
The backbencher added that she never mentioned the Covid rule-breaking parties that were held in Downing Street on the eve of Prince Philip’s funeral. “She was really absolutely focused on what she saw as the important issues. It’s a very trusting environment, the audience with Her Majesty. So that never came up.”
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There are long queues in Edinburgh as people hope to get in to St Giles’ Cathedral to see the Queen’s coffin lying at rest. The cathedral has just opened to the public.
Wristband holders in the queue for St Giles' Cathedral. pic.twitter.com/rarIMK4DEz
— Andrew Picken (@BBCandrewpicken) September 12, 2022
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St Giles' Cathedral to open for public to view Queen's coffin
The public will be allowed in to St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh from 5pm, where the Queen’s coffin will be lying in rest until Tuesday afternoon.
A queuing system is in place, with those attending warned it will involve standing for several hours. The church is where a thanksgiving service took place on Monday afternoon.
Later this evening King Charles will travel to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where he will meet Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon.
He and Camilla, the Queen Consort, will then attend the Scottish parliament, where members will deliver a motion of condolence.
At 7.20pm the King will hold a vigil with other members of the royal family at St Giles’ Cathedral.
More details of how events will unfold in the next few days can be found here:
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More from London as the first people have begun to queue to see the Queen lying in state (see 16:20).
Vanessa Nanthakumaran, 56, is one of the hundreds of thousands of people who are expected to queue in London for the Queen’s lying in state at Westminster Hall. She has returned 25 years after lining up for hours to see the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales.
At half past eleven, Nanthakumaran was walking past the Houses of Parliament when she learned that the line would start by the river, just south of Lambeth Bridge.
For now, she is one of two people queuing overnight to be the first to pay their respects to the Queen when her coffin lies in state inside the parliamentary grounds. “It’s worth the wait,” she said.
The Queen’s coffin will remain in Westminster Hall from Wednesday morning until next Monday, the day of the funeral. A member of security said they were expecting between 750,000 and a million people to attend.
The Queen did a great service for the country internationally, and the Commonwealth, added Nanthakumaran, who is from Sri Lanka.
Her uncle was knighted by King George VI and was invited to attend the king’s coronation, before Sri Lanka’s independence, she said.
“For their service, it is sort of like payback, if you know what I mean,” she explained.
“Whatever they did for the Commonwealth, we have to appreciate what they did, and for the independence they eventually gave back when Sri Lanka wanted the rights back.
“In that way, we have to be grateful,” she said. “I’ve never been faulting the royals at all.”
For the overnight stay, she was dressed in denim and a rain jacket and had a plastic bag with snacks and water. Her daughters were due to bring more supplies in the evening.
She said she planned to drawn on her experiences from 1997, when she waited to see Diana’s funeral.
“That was from morning until late afternoon; this is a bit longer, but I’m sure I can,” she said.
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The Guardian’s Scotland correspondent, Libby Brooks, was in Edinburgh this morning, ahead of today’s thanksgiving service for the Queen. The mood she picked up was a pride that Scotland has been such a part of the events since the Queen’s death at Balmoral last Thursday.
Crowds along the Royal Mile had been gathering since 9am and by mid-afternoon the throng was deep and spilling out into cobbled side roads. The Old Town’s narrow back lanes were unusually busy as visitors attempted to find space along the route.
Some older onlookers brought fold-out chairs, while others nearer to the back of the crowd stood on step ladders and boxes borrowed from local shops. The high windows of buildings on either side of the thoroughfare were also crammed with onlookers.
Emma Smyth was watching from the top of a step ladder, positioned at the top of Blackfriars Street as it leads into the Royal Mile, that she had borrowed from the nearby cafe where she works.
Originally from New Zealand but living in Scotland for five years, she said: “It’s a momentous occasion, not just here but for the world. I came out yesterday to watch and put the photos on Facebook so that everyone at home could participate too.”
“She was such an incredible figure; the things she’s seen in her lifetime.”
As the Queen’s coffin went by, followed by the royal party, only an arms’ length away from onlookers, the good-natured chatter of the crowd quietened to a hum, as arms held aloft phones and cameras to capture the moment. And after the procession had passed, there was the release of applause, as the crowd stepped back from the metal barriers with some relief.
Wiping away tears after watching the coffin go by, Jane Anderson, a radiology manager who had travelled from Fife with her husband, said: “It was very poignant. Seeing it like this brings it into your own community.”
She was brought to the Royal Mile out of “love and respect for what [the Queen] stood for” but also to recognise the stoicism of her family in their grief.
“It must be so difficult for her children because they are still on duty, yet that’s their mum. They have no privacy. The Queen lived her life like that.”
She added that she felt lucky to be able to be present for this farewell, in a way she could not have done had the Queen died in London. “Because it happened in Scotland, we’ve been able to participate much more.”
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In London, people have already begun to queue to see the Queen’s coffin lying in state.
Two women, Vanessa and Anne, have begun waiting on the path that runs alongside the Thames, opposite the Houses of Parliament. There are still more than 48 hours to go until it begins in Westminster Hall, with some queuing times expected to run to almost 20 hours.
The lying in state will begin at 5pm on Wednesday and last until 6.30am on Monday, the day of the Queen’s funeral.
The first two people in the queue to see the Queen's coffin lying in state. More than 48hrs to wait. pic.twitter.com/GOQEtMZP72
— Harry Horton (@harry_horton) September 12, 2022
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Service of thanksgiving ends
The King and members of the royal family are now leaving St Giles’ Cathedral, marking an end to the service of thanksgiving to the Queen.
The national anthem was sung as the service drew to a conclusion.
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King Charles led a procession behind the coffin of his mother the Queen as it was moved from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh.
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Addressing the congregation at the service of thanksgiving for the Queen, the Rt Rev Dr Iain Greenshields paid tribute to the Queen who “possessed a sharp, intelligent mind with amazing recall, a kindly heart and a gentle sense of humour”.
Most of us “cannot recall a time when she was not our monarch”, he said:
Committed to the role she assumed in 1952 upon the death of her beloved father, she has been a constant in all of our lives for over 70 years.
The Queen was “determined to see her work as a form of service to others, and she maintained that steady course until the end of her life”, he continued:
She understood the breadth of world affairs and also cared about what happened to all of her people.
He particularly noted the Queen’s “deep links” with Scotland and its people.
He said:
Her love of the Balmoral estate is well known and being there latterly brought her great comfort. There she was valued as a neighbour and friend, and there she drew strength and refreshment during the summer months.
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A man has been arrested after heckling Prince Andrew during the procession to St Giles’ cathedral this afternoon, police have confirmed.
Police Scotland said a 22-year-old man had been arrested “in connection with a breach of the peace on the Royal Mile”.
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A 74-year-old man who was arrested near Holyroodhouse in connection with an alleged breach of the peace has been charged.
The man is due to appear at Edinburgh sheriff court, police said.
UPDATE: A 74-year-old man was also arrested near Holyroodhouse in connection with a breach of the peace - he has also now been charged and is
— Darshna Soni (@darshnasoni) September 12, 2022
due to appear before Edinburgh Sheriff Court.
It comes after Police Scotland said a 22-year-old woman has been charged after she was arrested after holding an anti-monarchy sign during the accession proclamation outside St Giles’ cathedral.
Updated
The service of thanksgiving for the Queen then saw Karen Matheson sing Psalm 118: 17-21 in Gaelic, accompanied by Catriona McKay on harp.
The music throughout the service incorporates material that is European, Anglican and Scottish and is drawn from composers of sacred music - Bach, Byrd, Purcell and Tallis.
It was then followed by a reading of Ecclesiastes 3: 1-15 by Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon.
Updated
At the beginning of the service of thanksgiving for the Queen, Reverend Calum MacLeod welcomed the royal family, “representatives of our nation’s life” and “people whose lives were touched by the Queen in so many unforgettable ways”.
Among those attending the service are the prime minister, Liz Truss, as well as Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon.
Present as well are representatives from various Scottish charities that the Queen was a patron of, such as Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, the Royal National Mòd, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Scottish Football Association.
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Wiping away tears after watching the Queen’s coffin in Edinburgh, Jane Anderson said:
It was so poignant. It must be so difficult for her children because they are still on duty yet that’s their mum. The Queen lived her life like that.
As the hearse passed by, followed by the royal party, the good-natured chatter of the deep crowds quietened, as arms held phones aloft to capture the moment.
People waiting at windows above the Royal Mile for the Queen’s coffin the process past pic.twitter.com/vVM3FiSuq4
— Libby Brooks (@libby_brooks) September 12, 2022
Lots of step ladders appearing on the Royal Mile as people try what they can to catch a glimpse of the Queen’s coffin as it processes to St Giles pic.twitter.com/qvOThmgqLb
— Libby Brooks (@libby_brooks) September 12, 2022
Thanksgiving service for Queen begins
The Queen’s coffin is now inside St Giles’ cathedral in Edinburgh, where it is due to rest for 24 hours.
The coffin was lifted out of the hearse and brought into the cathedral, with the King, the Queen Consort, the Princess Royal, her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke of York, and the Earl and the Countess of Wessex walking behind.
As the coffin made its way through the cathedral, the Choir of St Giles’ cathedral sang “Thou Wilt Keep Him In Perfect Peace, Whose Mind Is Stayed On Thee”.
The Crown of Scotland has been placed on top of the coffin.
The thanksgiving service for the Queen is now underway.
Updated
Queen's coffin arrives at St Giles' cathedral
The Queen’s procession has arrived at St Giles’ cathedral, having left the Palace of Holyrood earlier.
A service of thanksgiving will now be held at the cathedral, which is expected to last for about an hour. The service will be attended by the King and the Queen Consort, Princess Royal, Duke of York and the Earl and Countess of Wessex.
Members of the public will then be allowed to pay their respects to the Queen inside the cathedral from around 5.30pm.
Updated
The King is wearing a full-day ceremonial uniform as he leads the procession to St Giles’ cathedral, alongside 10 medals and carrying a Field Marshal baton presented to him by his mother, the Queen, when he took up the role in 2012.
King Charles is also wearing the Order of Merit neck decoration, with the thistle star and thistle sash. Amongst his medals, he wears a Queen’s service order medal, a coronation medal, silver, golden, diamond and platinum medals and a naval long service good conduct medal, a New Zealand commemorative medal, a New Zealand armed forces award and a Canadian forces decoration.
The Duke of York, despite not wearing a uniform for the procession, displayed eight medals with his morning suit.
Andrew’s medals include a south Atlantic medal, silver, golden, diamond and platinum jubilee medals and Royal Navy long service medals with bars, a Canadian forces decoration with bar and a New Zealand commemoration medal.
Updated
A man who heckled Prince Andrew as he took part in a procession behind his late mother the Queen’s coffin in Edinburgh has been detained by police.
From Holyrood magazine’s Christopher Marshall:
Prince Andrew heckled as the Queen's coffin passes pic.twitter.com/85m9jUgszF
— Christopher Marshall (@chrismarshll) September 12, 2022
Updated
A few members of the public were heard shouting “God bless the Queen” as the hearse travelled up the Royal Mile in Edinburgh.
Others clapped as the procession made its way along the route to St Giles’ cathedral.
Updated
Thousands of people have gathered along the Royal Mile hoping to catch a glimpse of the Queen’s coffin winding its way through the heart of Edinburgh.
From the BBC’s James Cook:
When the Queen first visited Scotland as sovereign in 1953, Edinburgh was packed. Today, nearly 70 years later, people have thronged the streets again to say goodbye. pic.twitter.com/meUvjV0Qr9
— James Cook (@BBCJamesCook) September 12, 2022
Updated
The King, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York, and the Earl of Wessex are following the procession of the Queen’s coffin from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles’ cathedral in Edinburgh.
The Queen’s coffin is draped with the Royal Standard in Scotland and dressed with a wreath of flowers consisting of white spray roses, white freesias, white button chrysanthemums, dried white heather from Balmoral, spray eryngium, foliage, rosemary, hebe, and pittosporum.
The hearse is flanked by a bearer party found by the Royal Regiment of Scotland and the King’s Body Guard for Scotland.
Updated
As you may have already spotted, Prince Andrew is not in military uniform at the procession of the Queen’s coffin but is wearing a morning suit.
Sources had said the Duke of York will not wear uniform at ceremonial events during the period of mourning for his mother, except at the final vigil in Westminster Hall, as a special mark of respect.
Updated
Procession of Queen’s coffin begins
The Queen’s coffin has begun its journey from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles’ cathedral.
The coffin will be taken in a hearse up the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, followed by King Charles on foot.
His three siblings, the Princess Royal, Earl of Wessex and Duke of York, will join him as well as Princess Anne’s husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.
A car behind them will carry Camilla, the Queen Consort, and Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, Prince Edward’s wife.
A service will take place at the cathedral once the Queen’s coffin arrives.
Updated
Stephen Yeung and Amanda Pickles arrived in London from Toronto two days ago, and made their way to Buckingham Palace on Monday to see how others are commemorating the Queen and upcoming ceremonies.
“I think my parents feel a little bit more emotional than me,” said Pickles, 31, noting a generational divide in the mourning of the Queen.
Yeung, 33, said he’s slightly indifferent. “I respect the Queen, she’s been around for a long time, she’s seen a lot of stuff,” he said. “But I don’t think she has that big of an impact on Canada and the way we live.”
Support for the role of monarchy in Canada, where the Queen was previously also head of state, has dropped steadily in recent years.
“I don’t think it’s particularly relevant anymore,” added Yeung. “It’s nice to have a figurehead, but I just don’t see the value the monarchy brings.”
King Charles delivered his first address as monarch to a gathering of MPs and Lords on Monday morning at Westminster Hall, where those assembled expressed their condolences over the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The address to the King began with the Lord Speaker, John McFall, and was followed by the Commons Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle.
He will travel to Edinburgh with the Queen Consort on Monday afternoon, where Queen Elizabeth’s coffin is being held to allow mourners to pay their respects before travelling to London.
Neither William, the new Prince of Wales, nor Harry, the Duke of Sussex, will take part in the procession today that will follow the Queen’s coffin from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles’ cathedral in Edinburgh.
King Charles will take the lead of the procession, joined by the Princess Royal, Earl of Wessex and Duke of York. The royal siblings will walk in a line behind the hearse carrying the Queen’s coffin.
Following in a car will be the Queen Consort and the Countess of Wessex.
Updated
Arsenal’s Europa League match against PSV on Thursday has been postponed because of police resources being switched to the preparations for the Queen’s funeral next Monday.
In a statement Uefa said it was due “to the severe limitations on police resources and organisational issues related to the ongoing events surrounding the national mourning for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II”.
Read more of Sean Ingle’s report here: Arsenal v PSV off as expectations grow of weekend football cancellations
The Guardian’s Scotland correspondent Libby Brooks has been among the crowd on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh:
From early morning, visitors to Edinburgh intent on filing past the Queen’s coffin in St Giles’ cathedral have been participating in what many observe is a thoroughly British pursuit: lengthy queuing.
Although there is a brisk autumnal wind, the sun is shining. Edinburgh city council has erected substantial numbers of temporary toilets and a huge TV screen broadcasting the BBC’s royal coverage, as well as providing copious friendly stewards. While their endpoint is a solemn one, there is an almost festive atmosphere, with queuers sharing stories of early rises and advice on where to find the nearest coffee.
Three teenage brothers from Livingston have come with their father, Simon Cook. “It’s a bit of history,” says 18-year-old Connor. “It felt like it was an important thing to do. Everyone is talking about it, even though we’ve only known her as kids.” Simon, who has a backpack full of snacks, hopes the boys will be able to tell their children and grandchildren about today’s events. “She was our Queen but she was also part of something so much bigger. This is a massive shift for the country and the world.”
Jen Cresswell arrived around 9am with her three friends, camping chairs, a bag of sausage rolls and books to read to pass the time including, appropriately, Tolkien’s Return of the King.
“I can’t think of anything more British than being well-organised in a queue.”
Cresswell, who lives nearby in Edinburgh, said the Queen’s passing at Balmoral allowed her “a Scottish farewell”.
“Events like this can be very London-centric but the Queen had a very personal connection to the people of Scotland. Whilst there was great respect, she was also one of us.”
Updated
Transport bosses have warned visitors to London in the coming days that the city will be “exceptionally busy” with “unprecedented travel demand”.
Public transport users are being advised they should expect Tube stations to temporarily close to avoid overcrowding and that planning journeys in advance using the latest information “will be essential”.
A joint statement by Network Rail, Transport for London and industry body the Rail Delivery Group said: “Transport providers have well-developed plans with extra staff and services coming on-stream to help people get to where they need to be.”
London Underground passengers are urged to avoid Green Park station “if possible”, as it will be very busy, with Victoria, Piccadilly Circus and St James’ Park suggested alternatives for reaching Buckingham Palace.
The Elizabeth Line will open on Sunday – it usually closes for engineering and testing works at the moment – with a special service running from Paddington to Abbey Wood.
Updated
While events have been taking place in Edinburgh, Geneva Abdul has been at Buckingham Palace and Green Park in London for the Guardian:
By midday, thousands of people flooded into Green Park to continue to commemorate the Queen who died four days ago.
Flanked by barriers and security workers, people ambled towards Buckingham Palace, some with bouquets in hand, and others ignoring the enterprising salesmen with flowers in large pails.
“She’s done a marvellous job, that’s why I felt I had no choice but to come down here,” said David Milton, after taking a picture of his bouquet in a sea of flowers at the base of a tree nearest the palace.
“And there won’t be another one like it,” said Milton, 52, who added that when Queen Elizabeth II took over, the monarchy went from strength to strength.
Another visitor was Rebecca Moore, who visited Green Park Monday to see what was going on, and described her feelings as complicated. “We’re Irish, obviously that’s kind of a complicated history.”
“I don’t really feel strongly either way,” she added. “The monarchy doesn’t have a stature in our society and if it does have one it’s not a very positive one.”
When asked if the Monarchy was still relevant today, Moore said no. “It’s of history and I don’t think it has a place in modern society.”
Eva Ryan, 24, visiting from Dublin, feels similar. “It doesn’t really have any impact on my life, I live in Ireland, you don’t hear about the royal family very much.”
Here are some of the pictures from the King’s arrival at Holyroodhouse.
Updated
The public ceremonial part of the King’s visit to Holyroodhouse is over for now, with Charles expected to have lunch before we see members of the royal family escort the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II to St Giles’ cathedral later this afternoon. That is expected at 2.25pm, with a service of remembrance for the late Queen scheduled to begin at 3pm.
Updated
The ceremony of the keys has now taken place – it is usually an annual event. Edinburgh Lord Provost, Robert Aldridge, offers the keys of the city of Edinburgh to the monarch, and welcomes him to “your ancient and hereditary kingdom of Scotland”.
By tradition, the King acknowledges the offer, touches the keys, and then says: “I return these keys, being perfectly convinced that they cannot be placed in better hands than those of the Lord Provost and Councillors of my good city of Edinburgh.”
Updated
While the gun salute has been taking place, the King has been inspecting some of the troops.
Updated
There is now a 21-gun salute from Edinburgh Castle in honour of the monarch, and the national anthem is being played.
King Charles III has finished greeting the crowd, and has now approached Holyroodhouse itself, where he has been greeted by Edinburgh’s Lord Provost and representatives of the armed forces and the police.
Here is an aerial shot giving some idea of the size of the crowd that has gathered outside St Giles’ cathedral. The Queen’s coffin will be moved there later today after a procession from Holyroodhouse.
Updated
King Charles III arrives at Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh
The car carrying the new King has arrived at Holyroodhouse, which is the sovereign’s official residence in Edinburgh. Charles exited the car before it went fully inside the gates, so that he and Camilla, the Queen Consort, could greet some of the public well-wishers who had gathered there.
Updated
The streets are lined with people on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, and as happened yesterday, when the Queen’s coffin drove the same route, there is the occasional smattering of applause as the King’s car drives towards Holyroodhouse.
Updated
The cars carrying the new King and Queen Consort are driving through Edinburgh at the moment, and have just reached the road beneath Edinburgh Castle.
This is Martin Belam taking over coverage for the next hour or so. You can contact me on martin.belam@theguardian.com
Downing Street has refused to comment on reports that world leaders visiting London for the state funeral of the Queen have been asked to travel on commercial flights and will be bussed to Westminster Abbey.
Foreign Office documents obtained by Politico outline how heads of state will arrive at Westminster Abbey in escorted coaches and will be required to leave their own cars at the site “because of tight security and road restrictions”.
“Where possible” leaders should arrive in the country on commercial flights, the document writes.
A spokesperson for the PM said he would not discuss such details, telling reporters:
That is a leaked document so I wouldn’t be getting into it and I couldn’t get into some of those details for operational security arrangements.
I would say that clearly arrangements for leaders including how they travel will vary depending on individual circumstances. And the guidance and information provided is guidance. But beyond that, I wouldn’t comment.
No 10 also strongly hinted that MPs are likely to be recalled to parliament after the Queen’s funeral next week for the emergency “budget” promised by Liz Truss.
For more updates from Downing Street, please follow our UK politics live blog.
Updated
Brazil’s far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, has confirmed he will attend the funeral - a rare overseas outing for a president whose anti-democratic behaviour and destruction of the Amazon have made him an international pariah.
Reports in the Brazilian press suggest Bolsonaro sees the funeral as a chance to project international respectability and prestige ahead of the country’s presidential election on 2 October, which polls indicate he is likely to lose.
“Sources close to the president say [the decision to attend] was influenced by the opportunity to record footage for his campaign propaganda,” the conservative Estado de São Paulo reported on Monday.
One presidential aide told O Globo newspaper Bolsonaro saw the funeral as a chance to get one up on his leftist rival, the former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who would not be present.
“The circumstances are very favourable: [Bolsonaro] will appear as a head of state, surrounded by heads of state, while Lula will be left out,” the aide was quoted as saying. “It will reinforce the president’s image as a leader.”
Updated
Charles arrives in Edinburgh
The King and Queen Consort have arrived at Edinburgh airport from London, where they will now travel to the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
At 1pm, the King is due to take part in the ceremony of the keys at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where he will be handed the keys to the city.
After the ceremony of the keys, the King will lead a procession of other members of the royal family behind the Queen’s coffin as it is taken along the Royal Mile to St Giles’ cathedral.
A service will take place at 3pm at the cathedral celebrating the life of the Queen, before she lies at rest for 24 hours.
Members of the public will be allowed to view the Queen’s coffin lying in rest at St Giles’ cathedral from around 5.30pm on Monday, with large crowds expected.
Updated
National minute’s silence to be held on Sunday
A minute’s silence will be held on Sunday evening to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, Downing Street has announced.
The one-minute silence will start at 8pm on Sunday, the night before the Queen’s funeral, in order for people to come together to “mourn and reflect on the life and legacy of Queen Elizabeth II”, No 10 said.
A statement by No 10 said:
The silence can be marked privately at home on your own or with friends and neighbours, out on your doorstep or street with neighbours, or at any locally arranged community events and vigils.
Local community groups, clubs and other organisations are encouraged to mark the moment of reflection. Those overseas are encouraged to mark the silence at their local time, the spokesperson said.
They added:
The shared national moment of reflection is an opportunity for everyone across the UK to mark the death of Her Majesty and we will set out details of where the Prime Minister will mark it closer to that time.
Updated
A woman who was arrested after holding an anti-monarchy sign during the accession proclamation for King Charles in Edinburgh has been charged.
The arrest took place yesterday outside St Giles’ cathedral, where the Queen’s coffin is due to lie today.
Moments before the reading of the proclamation on Sunday afternoon, a demonstrator appeared in the crowd opposite the Mercat Cross, holding a sign that read “Fuck imperialism, abolish monarchy”.
NEW: The 22-year old woman who was arrested after holding up this anti-monarchy placard at St Giles' Cathedral has now been CHARGED “in connection with a breach of the peace", @PoliceScotland confirm.
— Darshna Soni (@darshnasoni) September 12, 2022
Will appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date. pic.twitter.com/gFdBkoISB6
A police spokesperson said a 22-year-old woman had been arrested in connection with a breach of the peace. Some people were heard booing at the proclamation of the King during the Edinburgh event.
Police said she was due to appear at Edinburgh sheriff court at a later date.
A spokesperson for Police Scotland said:
A 22-year-old woman was arrested outside St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh, on Sunday 11 September 2022 in connection with a breach of the peace.
She was charged and was released on an undertaking to appear at Edinburgh sheriff court at a later date.
Updated
In Edinburgh, hundreds of people were this morning queuing for wristbands to access St Giles’ cathedral this evening, with some arriving as early as 5.30am.
“I have got huge respect for the Queen, but also for Charles,” said Pete Binder, 60, who had driven down from Scotland’s north coast to be one of the first paying respects to the Queen at St Giles Cathedral. “I think he is going to be a brilliant king. I think he connects with people.”
Gary Birdsall, 49, a formerly homeless unemployed man who said he had met Charles three times and praised his charitable work, had come to St Giles’ to “say thank you”.
Jo Williams, 41, a former prison officer drove up from Manchester on Monday night and was in the queue for the cathedral by 5.45am. As a wheelchair user, she had to hire a mobility car, and a mobility scooter in Edinburgh as she was on her own.
“Just the fact that I wore the crown for 15 years [on her prison officer epaulettes] I just have a great respect for the monarchy. I like Charles. There were a few points I was unsure of him, but seeing him now he has been fantastic. He was in among the public outside the palace. He still has the old-fashioned values of his mum but he is quite forward thinking.”
Updated
People queuing in the sunshine at the Meadows waiting to join the line to line to file past the Queen’s coffin. This doesn’t open til 2, and St Giles opens to the public for around 5, so these people have a long day ahead of them pic.twitter.com/nLAX2ETmyV
— Libby Brooks (@libby_brooks) September 12, 2022
Jo Williams from Manchester, carrying the epaulettes from her former job as a prison officer “I was so proud to wear the Crown. I admired her work ethic” Jo’s been queuing for the opportunity to file past the Queen’s coffin since 530am pic.twitter.com/3my4MvBrS1
— Libby Brooks (@libby_brooks) September 12, 2022
In 1952, the then Princess Elizabeth was on a royal tour with Prince Philip at Kenya’s Treetops lodge.
Unknown to them at the time, she would receive news of her father’s death during that visit, and the forest lodge would long be remembered as the place where Britain’s longest-serving monarch “went to sleep a princess and awoke a queen”.
Just two years after her visit, the Mau Mau, Kenyan freedom fighters opposed to British colonial rule, burned the lodge down. It was rebuilt in 1954, and older residents who live along the long and winding path to the lodge remembered her second visit to the area in 1983 fondly, saying it had placed their neighbourhood on the map. But Treetops was not open for the end of the Queen’s life. It closed its doors last year after a dive in tourism during the pandemic forced it out of business.
The lodge, in Kenya’s Aberdare forest, has a lofty presence, but dusty stairwells and webbed windows suggest solitariness and abandon. Most people who interacted directly with the Queen are now dead, said a hunter who worked there. The treehouse is adorned with pictures and stories of her visits, but few stories about her were passed on. Vague recollections mirror the faded relevance of the monarchy in Kenya.
After the announcement of the Queen’s death on Thursday, however, reactions in Kenya were swift. The country’s leaders paid tribute with messages expressing “great sorrow and a deep sense of loss”, hailing a “towering icon of selfless service to humanity” and lauding her “admirable” leadership of the Commonwealth.
Kenya’s president, Uhuru Kenyatta, ordered four days of mourning as news of the Queen’s death made the front pages of major local papers and dominated conversations online.
in Nairobi’s Kibera township. Photograph: Donwilson Odhiambo/Getty Images
But many on the streets in Nairobi were indifferent or unaware of the news. Some younger Kenyans spoke of it in detached tones. To a number of them, she was a distant figure, better known through fictional portrayals of her on popular TV series such as The Crown.
A wave of criticism also flooded online spaces. During her reign, British soldiers committed widespread atrocities against Kenyans at the height of Mau Mau uprising between 1952 and 1960. Roughly 1.5 million people were forced into concentration camps where they were subjected to torture, rape and other violations. Reports later showed that the British had made concerted efforts to destroy and conceal official records of their brutal crackdowns.
Read the full story by Caroline Kimeu here: ‘A brutal legacy’: Queen’s death met with anger as well as grief in Kenya
Updated
The King and the Queen Consort have boarded a plane at RAF Northolt, after leaving Westminster Hall earlier.
Charles and Camilla will now fly to Edinburgh, where the King will lead the royal family in a procession as the late Queen’s coffin is moved from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles’ Cathedral.
King Charles has paid tribute to his mother at a ceremony in parliament in which the new monarch heard formal condolences from the Speakers of the Commons and Lords, emphasising the intertwined nature of royalty and government in the UK constitution.
In an often personal address in Westminster Hall, the soaring 11th-century structure at the heart of the parliamentary estate, Charles thanked the Speakers for their addresses, and paid tribute to “the late sovereign, my beloved mother, the Queen”.
Quoting Shakespeare’s Henry VIII, Charles said the Queen had been “a pattern to all princes living”, noting how touched he had been to see the various monuments in parliament to her jubilees, including a stained glass window in Westminster Hall commemorating her diamond jubilee in 2012.
Charles, accompanied by Camilla, the Queen Consort, told assembled MPs and peers that he was “resolved faithfully to follow” the example of his mother.
The English Football League programme is set to recommence with matches to return as scheduled from tomorrow.
A one-minute silence will be observed at all matches before the funeral and players will wear black armbands, the EFL said.
Flags will be flown at half-mast and the national anthem played in stadiums.
I like the fact that the first person to address Charles in the Westminster Hall event was John McFall, the Lords Speaker, who left school at 15, the son of a school caretaker, and went to university in his 20s, becoming a teacher and then an MP.
— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) September 12, 2022
King Charles addresses parliament for first time
King Charles III is addressing MPs at Westminster Hall where he says he is “deeply grateful” for the addresses of condolence by the Speakers of the Lords and Commons.
The late Queen was “a pattern to all princes living”, he says, quoting Shakespeare.
The King says:
As I stand before you today, I cannot help but feel the weight of history which surrounds us, and which reminds us of the vital parliamentary traditions to which members of both houses dedicate yourselves with such personal commitment to the betterment of us all.
Parliament is “the living and breathing instrument of our democracy” and a reminder of “medieval predecessors of the office to which I’ve been called”.
He adds:
My Lords and members of the House of Commons, we gather today in remembrance of the remarkable span of the Queen’s dedicated service to her nations and peoples.
Her late Majesty “pledged herself to serve her country and her people and to maintain the precious principles of constitutional government which lie the heart of our nation”, he says.
She sets an example of selfless duty which, with God’s help and your counsel, I am resolved faithfully to follow.
Updated
Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons, is up next, speaking on behalf of the house in extending his “heartfelt” sympathy to the King and his family.
He says:
Deep as our grief is, we know yours is deeper. We offer our heartfelt sympathy to you and all the royal family.
MPs have spoken of the late Queen’s “sense of duty, her wisdom, her kindness, her humour, how she touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of her constituents in her visits to every part of this country”, he says.
He adds:
Queen Elizabeth’s wisdom and grace demonstrated a role to see the value of a constitutional monarchy in securing the liberties of our citizens and the fundamental unity of this kingdom and the Commonwealth.
Sir Lindsay says King Charles has taken on “weighty” new responsibilities and has pledged himself “to help old constitutional principles at the heart of our nation”.
Updated
The Speaker of the House of Lords, Lord McFall of Alcluith, then pledges his loyalty to the King and says he is “proud and humbled” to welcome him to parliament.
Updated
The address to King Charles begins with Lord McFall of Alcluith, speaking on behalf of the House of Lords, who pays tribute to the late Queen’s “humility and integrity”.
He says:
Our late Majesty’s joyous unstinting and reassuring presence across the years made it difficult to contemplate that type of long and inspiring reign of deep and unparalleled devotion would ever end.
He said we all “feel a sense of loss beyond measure” and will remember “her commitment, her kindness, her humour, her courage, and her fortitude, as well as the deep faith, which was the anchor of in her life”.
Updated
The King has arrived at Westminster Hall alongside the Queen Consort, where he will receive condolences from members of the Commons and Lords for the death of his mother, the Queen.
King Charles’s arrival marks his first visit as monarch to parliament.
Updated
In Westminster Hall for the presentation of addresses by @CommonsSpeaker and @LordSpeaker to the new King, Charles III pic.twitter.com/l2311VVPb2
— Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) September 12, 2022
King Charles to receive address in Westminster Hall
The King is expected to arrive at Westminster Hall soon to receive an address from members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
Prime Minister Liz Truss and the leader of the opposition, Keir Starmer, are among those assembled in Westminster Hall along with other senior figures from the Commons to one side of the throne placed at the head of the hall.
To mark the beginning of the ceremony, the state trumpeters of the Household Cavalry took their post on the south window balcony of the hall.
The King’s Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard and the Honourable Corps of Gentleman at Arms then processed into Westminster Hall from the north door to take up their position.
Updated
Harry: ‘Granny, I am forever grateful’
Prince Harry has released an official statement paying tribute to his grandmother’s “unwavering grace and dignity”, describing the Queen as his “guiding compass”.
The Queen was “globally admired and respected” with an “unwavering grace and dignity remained true throughout her life and now her everlasting legacy”, he said.
The Duke of Sussex wrote:
Granny, while this final parting brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings - from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my Commander-in-Chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved great-grandchildren.
I cherish these times shared with you, and the many other special moments in between. You are already sorely missed, not just by us, but by the world over. And as it comes to first meetings, we now honour my father in his new role as King Charles III.
Thank you for your commitment to service. Thank you for your sound advice. Thank you for your infectious smile.
We, too, smile knowing that you and grandpa are reunited now, and both together in peace.
He also paid tribute to his father, saying:
We now honour my father in his new role as King Charles III.
Updated
Mourners in Edinburgh will be allowed to view the Queen’s coffin lying in rest at St Giles’ cathedral from around 5.30pm on Monday, with large crowds expected.
The Scottish government announced that the viewing would last until 3pm on Tuesday, before the coffin is prepared to be taken from St Giles’ to Edinburgh airport and then by RAF flight to Northolt outside London, accompanied by Princess Anne, the Princess Royal.
Mourners were asked to join a queue for St Giles’ forming at George Square Lane on North Meadow Walk near the Meadows park on Edinburgh’s southside, a short walk from the cathedral. There mourners would each be given a wrist band to allow entry to the cathedral, and encounter airport-style security checks on George IV bridge, leading to the Royal Mile.
“Large crowds are expected and there are likely to be delays on public transport. People are being asked to check ahead and come prepared to stand in long queues,” the government said.
The queue may close early to ensure as many visitors as possible can enter the cathedral before the lying-at-rest period ends should it be clear that those joining the queue beyond that time could not be accommodated before the vigil ends.
Mourners will be asked to pass the coffin without pausing, to enable as many people as possible to do so. Once people have paid their respects, they are asked to move away from the exits to allow the queue to keep flowing.
Mourners are queueing up at St Giles’ cathedral in Edinburgh, hoping to be the first people to file past the Queen’s coffin later on Monday, as the city prepares for its biggest royal event in two centuries.
Tens of thousands of people are expected to line the Royal Mile, the sloping medieval street which links Edinburgh castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse in dense, deep crowds to view King Charles III and other members of the royal family lead a slow procession with the Queen’s coffin from the palace to St Giles’, for a service on Monday afternoon.
That will be followed by a public viewing, which will extend into Tuesday, and a private vigil for the king and his close family on Monday evening.
Later on Monday, the King and the Queen Consort will attend the Scottish parliament – a modern building beside Holyroodhouse at the foot of the Royal Mile, for a motion of condolence and speeches by Scottish party leaders. The Queen opened the devolved parliament in 1999, and its new building in 2004, visiting it ten times during her reign.
The coffin will lie at St Giles for public viewing from 5.30pm on Monday through Tuesday, before being flown later that afternoon to RAF Northolt near London, accompanied by Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, before it is driven to Buckingham palace.
Although all Monday’s and Tuesday’s events will be concentrated on three locations in a small part of Scotland’s capital – it is just over a kilometre (0.7 miles) between the palace, the parliament and St Giles’ cathedral, their significance rivals a royal visit to Edinburgh by King George IV exactly 200 years ago.
In August 1822, King George IV paid the first royal visit to the city in 170 years, for a series of events choreographed by the novelist Sir Walter Scott, who used the visit to rehabilitate the kilt and tartan as iconic Scottish identifiers, after they were suppressed following the Jacobite uprising.
It is the first time a British monarch has died in Scotland, and the first time their coffin has laid in rest in Edinburgh. On Monday evening, Edinburgh’s lord provost and the lord lieutenant for Edinburgh, Cllr Robert Aldridge, will hand King Charles III the keys to the city, in a ceremony at Holyroodhouse.
“It’s an incredible moment of history,” Aldridge told the BBC on Monday morning.
Officials have set out formal plans for the public to pay their respects to the Queen as her coffin lies in state inside the UK parliamentary grounds, amid warnings that those wishing to do so might have to queue overnight.
The Queen’s coffin will be placed in Westminster Hall, the 11th-century building which is the oldest in the parliamentary estate, from 5pm on Wednesday until 6.30am on the day of the funeral, next Monday.
Members of the public will be able to file past the coffin 24 hours a day, with police and transport organisations preparing for an influx of people. The Times is predicting that up to 750,000 people might want to attend.
Another estimate, in the Sun, suggested queues could last up to 12 hours. Some barriers have already been put in place for the queue route, which will run east to west along the south of the Thames before passing over Lambeth Bridge and doubling back towards Parliament Square, although people cannot begin queueing yet.
Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, said King Charles’s appearance in parliament would be a moment of “reflection” and “great sadness”.
The King and Queen Consort will visit Westminster Hall where both Houses of Parliament will express their condolences to the new monarch and his wife, and the King will give his reply.
Speaking to Sky News, Davey said:
It’s a part of Westminster which is resplendent with history. I think we’ll all be very proud - proud of our country, proud of our amazing monarchy. But it will also be a moment of reflection, as you said, and a moment of great sadness.”
Updated
Tens of thousands of people are expected to pay their respects to the late Queen in Edinburgh as her coffin is taken from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles’ Cathedral, the city’s council leader Cammy Day said.
Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme, Day said:
Our advice to people is to get to the city centre as quickly and early as you can, use public transport because the city has diversions or road closures.
Day added that there had been an “outpouring” from people celebrating “the commitment Her Majesty made to public life and to our city”.
He said:
It’s done us proud, the capital city and the people who have made the journey here to be with Her Majesty on her final journey and to welcome the new King to the city as we will do today is something we will all be immensely proud of.
Updated
Monday 12 September is D+3
These are the King’s formal events planned for today.
King Charles III and the Queen Consort will attend Westminster Hall where members of the Commons and Lords will meet to express their condolences. It will be King Charles’s first visit to Westminster as monarch.
The royal couple will then fly to Edinburgh, where they will visit the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the King will inspect the guard of honour. A Ceremony of the Keys on the forecourt of the palace will follow.
The Queen’s coffin will be taken from the Palace of Holyroodhouse at 2.35pm in procession to St Giles’ Cathedral, where it will be carried inside at 2.55pm.
The King and the Queen Consort, with members of the royal family, will follow the procession on foot before attending a service of reflection for the life of the Queen in the cathedral at 3pm. The prime minister will also attend the service.
Afterwards the King will return to Holyrood to hold an audience with the first minister of Scotland, followed by an audience with the presiding officer of the Scottish parliament.
At 5.40pm the King and the Queen Consort will attend the Scottish parliament to receive a motion of condolence.
Joined by other members of the royal family, they will mount a vigil at 7.20pm at St Giles’ Cathedral and stay in Edinburgh overnight.
The Queen’s coffin will lie at rest in the cathedral, guarded by vigil from the Royal Company of Archers, to allow people to pay their respects.
Knitted tribute to the Queen from her close neighbours in the village of Ballater @SkyNews pic.twitter.com/or91vvkeP4
— Fran Infante (@Infante_Fran) September 11, 2022
Former head of the British army Lord Dannatt said the armed forces have a “special bond” with their monarch.
Asked how the accession of new sovereign affects the military, he told Sky News: “Well, it has impact on all of us in the country, but I think it has a particular impact on members of the armed forces.
“Much has been made of the fact that when we join the army, navy, air force, whatever, we sign, we swear an oath of allegiance.
“Seamlessly, when the Queen breathed her last last Thursday, our allegiance as soldiers of the Queen, we immediately became soldiers of the King. And that’s a very special link that the military have.
“We carry out operations at risk of life and limb not in the name of the government or the prime minister or the secretary of state for defence. We do it in the name of the sovereign, and the people of this country.
“That’s a very special link, a very special bond. Actually, I think it makes the British armed forces themselves pretty special as a result.”
Updated
King Charles will use Clarence House as his home for the time being, with major building work at Buckingham Palace yet to be completed.
Buckingham Palace is considered monarchy HQ and Charles III has already held a series of audiences with the PM, cabinet ministers and Realm High Commissioners at the famous London landmark.
The £369m reservicing programme at the historic palace is spanning 10 years, and includes updating the electrical cabling, plumbing and heating.
It is understood the King and the Queen Consort will use nearby Clarence House –the Queen Mother’s former home which Charles moved into in 2003, as their home at this stage while focused on the aftermath of the Queen’s death, with the palace reserved for official duties.
Clarence House, built between 1825 and 1827 to the designs of John Nash, is much loved by the couple, and was extensively refurbished and redecorated to their taste, and features pieces from Charles’s art collection and many family photos around the residence.
Buckingham Palace has served as the official London residence of the UK’s sovereigns since 1837.
It has 775 rooms, including 19 state rooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms.
With Elizabeth II dying just four days ago, how the royal residences are used in the future has yet to be decided out of respect.
Charles is expected to inherit his late mother’s beloved private estates of Balmoral and Sandringham.
Charles’s official Welsh home is Llwynywermod, his Welsh property in Llandovery, Myddfai. It is not yet known whether he will pass this to his son, the new Prince of Wales.
William and the Princess of Wales moved just days ago to the four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage in Windsor’s Home Park, to offer their children more freedom away from central London, amid a start at a new school which coincided with the death of their great-grandmother.
Press Association
Updated
The Press Association reports:
The Australian prime minister has faced backlash from the business and health care sector following the announcement of a one-off bank holiday to mark a national day of mourning for the late Queen.
Anthony Albanese announced on Sunday that Australia would observe a national public holiday on 22 September following the monarch’s funeral on 19 September.
The news quickly drew criticism from healthcare professionals who say the short-notice nature of the bank holiday will cause huge disruption to their sector where consultations and operations are arranged weeks and sometimes months in advance.
The Australia Medical Association president, Steve Robson, tweeted: “Operations and lots of patient consultations booked that day, at a time when access is difficult. Thanks for dropping this at short notice.”
He added: “It’s very difficult to staff hospitals and practices at the best of times now. An unanticipated public holiday will make it very difficult to staff hospitals and clinics.”
Head and neck surgeon Eric Levi also expressed frustration with the short notice of the bank holiday, saying he had eight patients booked in for surgery on September 22.
“We have 60 plus patients booked in our cancer clinic in the morning,” he posted to Twitter.
“I have eight patients booked for theatre. Every single patient has waited weeks to months for their medical care. Every clinic and operating lists overbooked till December. What do we do for them?”
Australian retail and business groups joined medical professionals in raising concerns about disruptions caused by the unplanned bank holiday.
The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) said it respected the decision of the federal government to “honour the passing of Queen Elizabeth II with a one-off public holiday”, but the unplanned nature of the holiday would create disruption for many businesses and impact them financially.
In a statement on Monday the ARA chief executive, Paul Zahra, said: “This event will create some complications for businesses with store closures and staff scheduling challenges, with many rosters set up weeks in advance.
“There will also be a small but unexpected loss of trade, and additional staffing costs, which may impact cashflows for small businesses.”
The managing director of Market Economics, Stephen Koukoulas, meanwhile, said that according to his “quick calculations”, the short-notice bank holiday would cost the Australian economy $1.5bn Australia dollars (£882m).
On Sunday, King Charles III was officially proclaimed as Australia’s new head of state with ceremonies taking place at Government House and Parliament House in Canberra.
Memorial events have been held in recent days throughout Australia, which the Queen visited 16 times during her 70 years on the throne, with floral tributes springing up outside government buildings in Sydney and Canberra.
The sails of the Sydney Opera House, which Her Majesty helped open in 1973, were lit up with the Queen’s image on Friday and Saturday as the world continued to mourn.
Updated
Britain’s first post-colonial monarch championed diversity as Prince of Wales, but he must go much further, Lester Holloway writes…
Only very recently did the Queen make her screen breakthrough. Like British Shakespearean stage veterans who suddenly find themselves in a huge movie franchise late in life, the monarch found herself knocking it out of the park with a superstarring role in the 2012 London Olympics, opposite Daniel Craig’s 007.
And Craig looked almost paralysed by his co-star’s prestige, walking stiffly down the Palace corridor alongside her and the corgis, with an odd, pursed-lipped expression, perhaps unsure of how – or if – to signal his own awareness of the comic craziness underlying this unprecedented event.
With her Olympic walk-on, the Queen had astonished, thrilled and even slightly shocked some of her audience, who perhaps feared she might be embarrassed or demeaned if it all somehow went wrong.
They needn’t have worried. She sailed through it.
And at the platinum jubilee in February, when she played herself opposite another Brit cinema franchise icon, Paddington Bear, she was even more relaxed, gleefully producing the marmalade sandwich from her handbag and cheerfully tapping out the rhythm to Queen’s We Will Rock You on her teacup.
Details have been published on how the public can attend the Queen’s lying in state, warning people that they can expect long queues and should be prepared to stand for many hours through the night.
Those wishing to pay their respects to the late monarch’s coffin in London’s Westminster Hall will be able to file solemnly past 24 hours a day from 5pm on Wednesday 14 September until 6.30am on the day of the funeral, Monday 19 September.
But the government has stressed that the queue will continuously move – with little chance to rest or sit down – and the long line of those waiting is expected to stretch through central London.
The plans for the lying in state form a major part of the official mourning. Here is what to expect over the coming days:
Charles became King of Australia the moment of his mother’s death. Australia’s federal government formerly proclaimed his accession on Sunday, but Australia’s states are also hosting formal ceremonies.
Victoria, named for Queen Victoria (the new King’s great-great-great grandmother) proclaimed the new sovereign at a ceremony at the state’s Government House in Melbourne this morning, Benita Kolovos reports.
The proclamation was jointly signed by Victoria’s governor, Linda Dessau, premier, Daniel Andrews, the chief justice, the president of parliament’s upper house and the speaker of the lower house.
Andrews confirmed in a statement following the ceremony that both houses of parliament will sit on Tuesday so that MPs can be sworn in under the new sovereign. This will be followed by condolence motions.
The parliament will then adjourn for one week as a mark of respect and return in late September.
Victoria is the only state or territory in which MPs are constitutionally required to swear allegiance to the new monarch following their predecessor’s death.
New Zealand will hold a national holiday for the passing of Queen Elizabeth, prime minister Jacinda Ardern has announced. The holiday will be a one-off, on Monday 26 September, the same day as the country’s State Memorial Service.
“As New Zealand’s Queen and much loved Sovereign for over 70 years, it is appropriate that we mark her life of dedicated public service with a State Memorial Service and a one-off public holiday,” Ardern said.
“Queen Elizabeth II was an extraordinary person and I know many New Zealanders will appreciate the opportunity to both mark her death and celebrate her life.”
The Queen will lie in state at Westminster Hall in London from Wednesday at 5pm until 6:30am Monday 19 September. Here’s what that means and how you can be involved.
What exactly is meant by the term “lying in state”?
Lying in state is usually reserved for sovereigns, current or past queen consorts, and sometimes former prime ministers. During the formal occasion, the closed coffin is placed on view, as thousands of people queue to file past and pay their respects.
When and where will the Queen lie in state?
The late monarch’s lying in state in Westminster Hall opens to the public at 5pm on Wednesday and it will be open 24 hours a day until it closes at 6.30am on Monday 19 September – the day of the Queen’s funeral. Westminster Hall is the oldest building the parliamentary estate, it dates back to 1099 and has been the site of key events, such as the trial of Charles I, coronation banquets, and addresses by world leaders.
What can people expect to see?
The closed coffin will be draped in a royal flag, usually a personal standard, and will rest on a raised platform called a catafalque, flanked by a military guard around the clock. A crown and other regalia are traditionally placed on top of a sovereign’s coffin. Each corner of the platform is watched 24 hours a day by units from the Sovereign’s Bodyguard, Foot Guards or the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.
For more information about what to bring, what not to bring, how long you might wait and where the tradition originated, see our full explainer here.
All of the UK papers led with the same image of the Queen’s coffin, draped in a flag, being carried into the Palace of Holyrood House in Edinburgh.
“The Queen begins her final journey,” said the Guardian across its main image of the pallbearers. However, the paper led on developments in Ukraine as Russia targets power supplies after being left reeling by Ukraine’s gains.
Monday’s GUARDIAN: “Russia launches ‘revenge’ attacks as Ukraine offensive gathers pace” #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/GNvui7ZYBq
— Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) September 11, 2022
Many of the papers had a similar headline. “Queen’s final journey begins,” said the i paper. The Daily Express led with “Queen’s saddest journey begins”, the Mirror had “The final journey home”, the Telegraph went with “‘Her last great journey’”, the Times had “Her final journey begins,” with a wraparound picture of the pallbearers about to load the coffin into the hearse, and the Sun did the same, under the headline “Queen’s last great journey. The Daily Mail ran “The saddest journey… now the long goodbye”.
Monday’s i - “Queen’s final journey begins” #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/Qk96KvN17w
— Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) September 11, 2022
Monday’s Daily EXPRESS: “Queen’s Saddest Journey Begins” #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/IvKQIJCCZS
— Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) September 11, 2022
Monday’s Daily MIRROR: “The final journey home” #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/vKyWhzixB3
— Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) September 11, 2022
Monday’s Daily TELEGRAPH: “ ‘Her last great journey’ “. #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/p199e04ccg
— Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) September 11, 2022
Monday’s TIMES: “Her final journey begins” #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/xweh1PUGTq
— Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) September 11, 2022
Monday’s SUN: “Queen’s last great journey” #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/MQMebmoWnO
— Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) September 11, 2022
Monday’s Daily MAIL: “The saddest journey … now the long goodbye” #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/WXgogc8FeM
— Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) September 11, 2022
You can see a full papers roundup here.
What happens this week
Here is a day-by-day account of what will happen next, leading up to and including the Queen’s funeral on Monday 19 September.
Monday 12 September
King Charles III and the Queen Consort are to visit Westminster Hall in London where both Houses of Parliament will express condolences to the new monarch. Later on Monday, Charles and Camilla will fly to Edinburgh where they will attend a Ceremony of the Keys and the King will inspect the guard of honour.
Charles will then lead the royal family in procession as the Queen’s coffin is taken from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to nearby St Giles’ Cathedral for a service of thanksgiving. Members of the public will be able to view the coffin at the cathedral and pay their respects from 5pm for a period of 24 hours.
The King will then hold audiences with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Alison Johnstone, the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament.
Later in the evening, the King and other members of the royal family will mount a vigil at the cathedral in honour of their mother.
Tuesday 13 September
The King and Queen Consort are to fly to Northern Ireland on Tuesday to visit Hillsborough Castle, where they will view an exhibition about the late Queen’s long association with the province. The King will then meet Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris and party leaders, and receive a message of condolence led by the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
After a short reception at Hillsborough, the King and Queen Consort will travel to St Anne’s Cathedral for a service of prayer and reflection. Before the event Charles will meet leaders from all the major faiths in Northern Ireland and then later the royal couple will return to London.
Meanwhile, the Queen’s coffin is expected to be flown to London and be placed at rest at Buckingham Palace.
A rehearsal for the procession of the coffin from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster is also expected to take place. Details about the route for the lying-in-state queue will be provided late on Tuesday September 13.
Wednesday 14 September
In a tribute to his late mother, the King will lead Wednesday’s procession behind the gun carriage carrying her coffin to Westminster Hall, where the Queen’s lying in state will begin before the state funeral on September 19. The Archbishop of Canterbury will conduct a short service following the coffin’s arrival.
Those wishing to pay their respect will be able to file solemnly past the Queen’s coffin 24 hours a day from 5pm on Wednesday September 14 until 6.30am on the day of the funeral - Monday September 19.
Senior royals are also expected to pay their own moving tribute, standing guard at some stage around the coffin - the tradition known as the Vigil of the Princes.
Thursday 15 September
Lying in state continues and a rehearsal is likely to take place for the state funeral procession.
Friday 16 September
The King and Queen Consort are expected to travel to Wales while lying in state continues.
Saturday 17 September - Sunday 18 September
The lying in state continues and heads of state will begin to arrive for the funeral.
Monday 19 September
There will be a national bank holiday to allow as many people as possible to watch the Queen’s funeral. Lying in state will continue until 6.30am. The coffin will be taken in a grand military procession from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey for the state funeral.
Senior members of the family are expected to follow behind - just like they did for the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh.
The military will line the streets and also join the procession. Heads of state, prime ministers and presidents, European royals and key figures from public life will be invited to gather in the abbey, which can hold a congregation of 2,000.
The service will be televised, and a national two minutes’ silence is expected to be held. After the service, the coffin will be taken in procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch and then travel to Windsor. Once there, the hearse will travel in procession to St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle via the Long Walk, after which a televised committal service will take place in St George’s Chapel. Later in the evening, there will be a private interment service with senior members of the royal family.
The Queen’s final resting place will be the King George VI memorial chapel, an annex to the main chapel - where her mother and father were buried, along with the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret. Philip’s coffin will move from the Royal Vault to the memorial chapel to join the Queen’s.
Updated
King Charles to lead family procession as coffin travels to Edinburgh cathedral today
Good morning and welcome to today’s liveblog, bringing you the latest developments since the death of the Queen.
King Charles III will lead the royal family in a poignant procession behind the coffin of his mother when it travels to an Edinburgh cathedral to allow the public to pay their respects.
The Queen’s coffin will be taken from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to nearby St Giles’ Cathedral where her family, and a congregation drawn from all areas of Scottish society, will attend a service of thanksgiving for her life.
Full details about the royal mourners have yet to be released but there is speculation the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the new Prince and Princess of Wales, who on Saturday put on a united front during an appearance at Windsor Castle, will be part of the group.
Charles will lead some of the royals on foot, expected to be the Duke of York, Earl of Wessex, Princess Royal and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence – while the Queen Consort and other members of the monarchy will follow in cars.
Members of the public will be able to view the coffin to pay their respects for 24 hours before it is taken to London ahead of a period of lying in state.
Later in the evening, the King and other members of his family, likely his siblings, will mount a vigil at the cathedral in honour of their mother.
Charles and Camilla are in London, but before leaving for the Scottish capital they will visit Westminster Hall where both Houses of Parliament will express their condolences to the new monarch and his wife, and the King will give his reply.
During his day in Edinburgh, the King will inspect the guard of honour at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, before attending the ceremony of the Keys on the forecourt.
At the Palace, the King will hold audiences with the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, followed by an audience with Alison Johnstone, the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament.
Words of sympathy will be expressed by the Scottish Parliament when Charles and Camilla attend to receive a motion of condolence, with the King replying.
