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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Rebecca Thomas

Queen’s coffin is taken to the ballroom at Balmoral

PA Wire

The Queen’s coffin has been placed in the ballroom of Balmoral castle for members of staff to pay their respects.

It has been draped in the Royal Standard and will remain at Balmoral for 48 hours before eventually being brought back to London for her funeral, according to reports.

It is currently in the ballroom where she is said to have danced as a young girl and spent her summers with Prince Phillip.

She and Phillip spent every August to October at Balmoral, hosting the famous “Ghillies Ball” to thank her staff and servants each year.

Her funeral is expected to take place in 10 days at Westminster Abbey, before which a period of mourning will take place.

The nation’s new monarch King Charles III has made his way from Balmoral to London and has held his first in-person audience with prime minister Liz Truss.

King Charles has given the order that a period of "Royal Mourning" for the Queen will be observed from now until seven days after her funeral.

Royal Mourning will be observed by members of the royal family, royal household staff and representatives of the royal household on official duties, together with troops committed to ceremonial duties.

Royal salutes were fired with one round for every year of the Queen’s life on Friday at 1 pm in Hyde Park by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery.

Thousands of people stood in solemn silence for 16 minutes as the cannons boomed once every 10 seconds, sending smoke across the grounds with each round, applauding as the spectacle came to an end.

The PM and senior ministers will attend a public service of remembrance at St Paul’s Cathedral in central London this evening.

The Queen‘s "long life spent in the service of this country", love for her family and commitment to duty will be honoured at a service of prayer and reflection following her death.

Members of the public gather at the gates of Balmoral Castle to lay floral tributes (Getty Images)

The service at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday evening will see Dean Designate Andrew Tremlett give thanks for the Queen‘s "devotion to all her people".

Some 2,000 members of the public will be attending the 6pm service, along with the new Prime Minister Liz Truss.

In his bidding, the Dean Designate is expected to say, according to PA: "We remember her long life spent in the service of this country and of her Commonwealth realms around the world.

"We give thanks for a life of devotion to God, her Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer, and of devotion to all her people.

"As we call to mind the promise made at her Coronation that all her judgements should be guided by Law, Justice and Mercy, we rejoice in her steady acceptance of this vocation.

"We celebrate her love for her family, her commitment to duty, and her calling to create unity and concord at the heart of the Commonwealth.

"We pray for the Royal Family, as they mourn their loss.

"We pray too for our most gracious Sovereign Lord, The King, that placing all his trust in God, he too may rule over us in peace with justice and compassion."

Senior royals will have duties to perform in Scotland in the coming days when the Queen’s coffin begins its journey back to the capital.

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