Status: 09/13/2022 08:42 a.m
Thousands of people have descended on Edinburgh’s St Giles Cathedral to bid farewell to the late Queen Elizabeth II. Sometimes there were long queues. In the evening the coffin is transferred to London.
Thousands of people paid their last respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II in Edinburgh. The closed coffin was laid out in St. Giles Cathedral in the Scottish capital on Monday for the population to say goodbye. British media reported that many people burst into tears, bowed in front of the coffin or curtsied.
In front of the cathedral, people stood in a line about one and a half kilometers long. They had to wait more than two hours. As the police told the AFP news agency, more than 30,000 bracelets had been distributed that allowed those waiting to enter the church.
Funeral procession and wake
The Queen died Thursday at Balmoral Castle, Scotland, aged 96. She was first transferred to Edinburgh. There was a procession there on Monday, to which the new king had also arrived. Charles III led the funeral procession with the coffin in the old town. Thousands of people lined the way as Charles was joined by his siblings Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward behind the hearse. The procession was accompanied by cannon shots fired every minute from Edinburgh Castle.
The procession led from the royal residence, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, to St Giles Cathedral, just over a kilometer away, where a service was held. Later, the Queen’s four children stood on the four sides of the coffin and held a short wake. They lingered for about ten minutes alongside four members of the royal company of archers who stood guard there. A procession of members of the public passed by the coffin during the traditional vigil.
Farewell to the Queen: On the special political importance of Scotland
Sven Lohmann, ARD London, daily topics 10:30 p.m., September 12, 2022
Coffin is taken to London
People can say goodbye to the coffin until the evening, when the Queen’s remains, accompanied by Princess Anne, will be flown by the Royal Air Force from Edinburgh to Northolt base near London. The coffin is then taken to Buckingham Palace, where it is laid out in the Bow Room overnight.
King Charles III and his wife Camilla meanwhile fly to Belfast, Northern Ireland, where they meet the leaders of all parties and representatives of all religious groups. The new monarch will then attend a service at St Anne’s Cathedral before the couple return to London. Charles’ trip is part of the days of mourning, which include visits by the new king to all four counties of Britain. A visit to Wales is also planned. On Monday morning Charles III. delivered his inaugural address to the British Parliament, acknowledging the important role of the people’s representation.
Hundreds of thousands expected in London
On Wednesday, the king will then lead a funeral procession in London, 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. The first followers of the queen are already waiting there.
Until the morning of the state funeral, the population has the opportunity to pay the Queen one last visit and say goodbye. The state funeral is scheduled for September 19, Monday next week. The British get an extra holiday for this. Until then, national mourning applies. The evening before the planned state funeral, the British government in London has called for a minute’s silence for the Queen.
Hundreds of state guests come to the funeral
Hundreds of politicians and dignitaries from all over the world and millions of visitors are expected to attend the Queen’s funeral in London. Among those expected are US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and heads of state from countries in which the British monarch is head of state or which belong to the 56-nation Commonwealth. Germany will be represented by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Büdenbender.
Japanese Emperor Naruhito is also reportedly planning to attend the funeral. It would be his first trip abroad since he ascended the throne in 2019. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will travel to London with a delegation of six dignitaries for the Queen’s state funeral. In addition to Governor General Cindy Kiro, the King of the Maori, Tuheitia Paki, is also going to the state ceremony. “It is a privilege to attend the funeral along with other New Zealanders from different walks of life to pay our respects on behalf of all New Zealanders,” Ardern said. The Queen was very much loved and admired in New Zealand.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that ten citizens will be allowed to travel to London with him. The list of the chosen Australians who have received an exclusive invitation to the state ceremony was published on Tuesday. These are deserving women and men from all parts of the country. Albanese tweeted that he was fulfilling a wish from the British royal family. Australia and New Zealand are part of the Commonwealth. The British monarch is the head of state in both countries.