By DAVID KEYTON, JILL LAWLESS and MIKE CORDER
EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) — As Queen Elizabeth II’s 4 youngsters walked silently behind, a hearse carried her flag-draped coffin alongside a crowd-lined road within the Scottish capital Monday to a cathedral, the place a service of thanksgiving hailed the late monarch as a “constant in all of our lives for over 70 years.”
Four days after the 96-year-old queen died at her beloved Balmoral Castle within the Scottish Highlands, a navy bagpiper performed as her oak coffin, draped within the red-and-yellow Royal Standard of Scotland, was borne from the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh underneath late-summer sunshine.
King Charles III, wearing military uniform, and Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward walked behind because the hearse traveled to St. Giles’ Cathedral, flanked by a bearer occasion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland and a detachment of the Royal Company of Archers, the king’s ceremonial bodyguard in Scotland.
Inside, the coffin was positioned on a wood stand an topped with the golden Crown of Scotland, encrusted with 22 gems and 20 valuable stones together with freshwater pearls from Scotland’s rivers.
“And so we gather to bid Scotland’s farewell to our late monarch, whose life of service to the nation and the world we celebrate. And whose love for Scotland was legendary,” mentioned the Rev. Calum MacLeod.
Because the queen died at her summer time residence of Balmoral, Scotland has been the main target of the world’s consideration for the primary a part of Britain’s 10 days of nationwide mourning. Scenes of enormous crowds lining the route as her coffin journeyed south have underscored the deep bond between the queen and Scotland, which continued at the same time as relations between the Conservative U.Ok. authorities in London and the pro-independence administration in Edinburgh have soured.
In a homily, Church of Scotland Moderator Iain Greenshields mentioned that “most of us cannot recall a time when she was not our monarch.”
“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,” he mentioned. “She was decided to see her work as a type of service to others, and he or she maintained that regular course till the tip of her life.
The coffin will stay on the cathedral till Tuesday so members of the general public will pay their respects. Thousands lined the 0.7-mile (1 kilometer) route between palace and cathedral, some arriving hours forward of the service to catch a glimpse of the coffin.
“I just wanted to be here, just to show … last respects. I cannot believe she is dead,” mentioned Marilyn Mclear, a 70-year-old retired trainer. “I know she was 96, but I just cannot believe the queen’s dead.”
One man appeared to shout angrily on the passing hearse, whereas others referred to as out: “God save the king!” But the procession was greeted principally with a respectful silence underneath a blue sky flecked with white clouds.
Charles, Anne and Edward all wore navy uniforms throughout the procession, however Andrew didn’t. The Royal Navy veteran was stripped of his honorary navy titles and was eliminated as a working royal over his friendship with the infamous U.S. intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Charles later donned a kilt as he visited the Scottish parliament, the place he was greeted by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Earlier, the queen’s grandson, Prince Harry, hailed her as a “guiding compass” and praised her “unwavering grace and dignity.”
The authorities, in the meantime, introduced the nation will observe a minute of silence on Sunday, the night earlier than the queen’s funeral. The “moment of reflection” will happen at 8 p.m. (1900 GMT, 3 p.m. EDT). People had been inspired to mark the silence at residence or at neighborhood occasions.
Before flying to Scotland, Charles obtained condolences at Parliament and advised lawmakers he would observe his late mom’s instance of “selfless duty.”
Hundreds of lawmakers crowded into the 1,000-year-old Westminster Hall for the service, wealthy in pageantry, by which Parliament supplied its condolences to the king. A trumpet fanfare greeted him and Camilla as they entered.
Charles advised members of the House of Commons and House of Lords that he would observe his late mom in upholding “the precious principles of constitutional governance” that underpin the U.Ok.’s political system.
“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 for the betterment of us all,” Charles mentioned.
The ceremony was held in Westminster Hall as a result of monarchs are usually not allowed contained in the House of Commons. That rule dates from the seventeenth century, when King Charles I attempted to enter and arrest lawmakers. That confrontation between crown and Parliament led to a civil conflict which ended with the king being beheaded in 1649.
In a private tribute to his grandmother, Prince Harry mentioned he cherished their instances collectively “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 greatgrandchildren.”
Amid acrimony within the House of Windsor, Harry give up as a senior royal and moved to the U.S. two years in the past. On Saturday, there was a potential signal of a reconciliation as Harry and his spouse Meghan joined his brother Prince William and sister-in-law Catherine in assembly mourners exterior Windsor Castle.
Harry’s assertion ended on a poignant word alluding to the demise final yr of his grandfather, Prince Philip, saying that, “We, too, smile knowing that you and grandpa are reunited now, and both together in peace.”
The queen’s coffin will likely be flown Tuesday to London, the place it can lie in state on the Houses of Parliament Palace from Wednesday afternoon till the morning of her funeral on Sept. 19. U.S. President Joe Biden is because of attend the service at Westminster Abbey, together with heads of state and royalty from around the globe.
Authorities have already got issued guidelines and pointers for individuals desirous to pay their respects in London.
Judging by the scale of the group in Edinburgh, the road is anticipated to be lengthy.
Rosamund Allen, 67, got here from from Rothbury in northern England to be a part of the second.
“It was very moving. It was very quiet,” she mentioned. “I felt very sorry for the household itself to be on present. They are very courageous to try this. And I actually hope and pray that they get one thing out of at this time and have an opportunity to mourn themselves.
“They were very kind to allow us to be part of their sadness.”
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Corder and Lawless reported from London.
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Follow AP tales on the demise of Queen Elizabeth II and Britain’s royal household at https://apnews.com/hub/queen-elizabeth-ii
Source: www.bostonherald.com”