The coffin, wrapped in the royal standard, was first brought to the hearse by eight soldiers wearing kilts. A bagpiper then played the national anthem. A guard finally escorted the car, which was moving at walking pace, to its destination. During the largely silent procession, cannon shots were repeatedly fired in honor of the dead monarch. Thousands of Scots lined the way when Charles (73) and his siblings Princess Anne (72), Prince Andrew (62) and Prince Edward (58) walked behind the hearse.
Prince Andrew was the only one of the Queen’s children not to wear a military uniform. Earlier this year, the Queen stripped him of all military ranks for his involvement in the abuse scandal surrounding the late US multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein. He had already lost his official role as representative of the royal family. Later in London, according to a report by the PA news agency, he was only allowed to wear a uniform on one single occasion during mourning ceremonies.
Charles’ trip to Scotland, during which he will also receive Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon and receive condolences in Parliament, is part of Operation Spring Tide, which will see Charles as the new king visit all four parts of the UK. It’s Northern Ireland’s turn on Tuesday, and a visit to Wales is also planned. In the morning, the new monarch had received expressions of condolence from members of parliament in the lower and upper house in London.
The Queen’s body is scheduled to be flown to London on Tuesday evening, where the deceased will be laid out for several days. On Wednesday, Charles will also lead a funeral procession there, which is to lead from Buckingham Palace to Parliament. There the coffin will be laid out on a scaffolding known as a catafalque in Westminster Hall from 5 p.m. (local time). Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend the wake. A Conservative MP even spoke of up to two million people on Monday.
The British government recommended that the mourners bring weatherproof clothing, enough provisions, a power bank for their mobile phone and a lot of patience. “You have to stand for many hours, probably overnight, with few opportunities to sit down because the line will continue to move,” says the Ministry of Culture’s information on the procedures. You should think twice about bringing children. Roadblocks and disruptions to the transport network are also to be expected.
The state funeral, to which Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen also wants to travel, is scheduled for September 19. The British get an extra holiday for this. Until then, national mourning applies; official events and parliamentary operations are suspended.
Queen’s grandson Prince Harry, meanwhile, once again paid tribute to the Queen as a role model for duty. He also pledged his support to his father in a statement published on his Archewell Foundation website. The relationship between Harry and Charles and his brother Prince William (40) is considered to be heavily burdened. Harry’s announcement of honoring Charles in his new role could mean a peace gesture. “Her unwavering grace and dignity lingered throughout her life and is now her eternal legacy,” Harry wrote of the Queen.