Thousands Pay Their Respects as Her Majesty’s Final Journey Begins (& Event Updates)

HM left her beloved Balmoral estate in Scotland this morning at 10:07 am.  The vehicle carrying her oak coffin led a seven-car procession on its way to Edinburgh.

More from the NY Times: 

…her coffin began its journey by being carried by six gamekeepers from the ballroom at the Balmoral estate, where the queen spent her summer vacations and for which she had a deep and long affection. The route took the hearse from Balmoral, via Aberdeen, Dundee and Perth, before the procession arrived after 4 p.m. at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

The coffin was covered with the Royal Standard of Scotland and a wreath made with flowers cut from the Balmoral gardens. The wreath includes Dahlias, Sweet Peas, Phlox, White Heather, and Pine Fir from the Balmoral Estate.

Princess Anne and her husband, Sir Tim Laurence, traveled with the coffin. The minister of Crathie Kirk and a representative of the Lord Chamberlain’s Office were also part of the convoy. The journey took about six hours, traveling more than 180 miles through Scotland. 

Along the route, people waited to see the cortége, many arriving early to ensure they had a good view. The Guardian reports, “In Ballater, the crowds had been gathering since before 7am…”. The gentleman you see below, Frank Groves, was in Ballater, the village closest to Balmoral.

For more about Mr. Groves, we return to The Guardian’s story. 

Sitting alone on a bench by Glenmuick parish church in the centre of the village, Frank Groves was dressed in a dark suit and tie and carrying a bouquet of creamy flowers bound with a black ribbon. The 70-year-old had driven from the fishing village of Cruden Bay on the north-east coast to Ballater, which he often visited with his wife, Jeanette, after she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Inevitably, this collective grief sharpens his own loss from seven years before.

“From when I was born, the Queen was there; when I went to school, got married, and when my wife passed, she was there. She almost feels like a distant relative.”

Seeing the coffin go past was “the culmination of sadness”, Groves observed. “But you need that to move on. Britain won’t be the same without her.”

Along the route in Ballater.

CTV News reports, “People turned out hours early to grab a space by the police barricades in Edinburgh. By afternoon, the crowds were 10 people deep.” Below, the procession is passing over the King George VI bridge in Aberdeen, a bridge is named after HM’s father.

From The Telegraph’s story. 

Thousands of mourners lined streets in Scottish towns and cities throughout Sunday, as the cortege made the six-hour trip from the Queen’s favourite Highland retreat to Edinburgh. 

From Aberdeen to Dundee and motorway verges around the River Forth, veterans, army cadets, school children and families stood quietly or applauded, clutching flowers and Union flags.

A view of the cortége as it passes over the Queensferry Crossing bridge; a bridge officially opened by HM in 2017.

In Edinburgh. 

More via this NY Times piece:

Local people, visitors and tourists thronged the city’s main streets under gray clouds to pay their respects to a monarch who had a deep affinity for Scotland. There was some applause as the convoy of seven vehicles, led by a motorcycle outrider, drove through central Edinburgh, though the mood was respectful and generally somber.

Another view from Edinburgh.

One more picture of the crowds in Edinburgh.

Here you see the cortége as it passes St. Giles’ Cathedral, where the coffin will be brought tomorrow.

Veterans of the Royal British Legion of Scotland outside St. Giles’.

A wide shot shows the Guard of Honour at the Palace of Holyroodhouse as the procession arrives.

That Guard was made up of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. 

Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Prince Andrew, Princess Anne, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and Edward, the Earl of Wessex.

A military Bearer Party from the Royal Regiment of Scotland carried the coffin into the Palace and to the Throne Room, where it will remain until tomorrow.

A curtsy from the Queen’s daughter, who has been at her side throughout this past week.

Princess Anne and Sir Tim.

Another view of family members. 

From The Guardian’s story:

The Queen’s body will be lain to rest at Holyroodhouse for the evening, where members of the royal household will be able to pay their respects in private.

Tomorrow there will be a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse conveying the coffin to St. Giles’ Cathedral. The King and members of the Royal Family will participate in the procession and attend a 3pm (10am EDT) service at the Cathedral to receive the coffin. Beginning at 5pm, mourners will be able to pay their respects. More from The Scotsman’s coverage: 

THURSDAY, SEP 15: Lying-in-State

FRIDAY, SEP 16: Lying-in-State 

SATURDAY, SEP 17: Lying-in-State 

SUNDAY SEP 18:Lying-in-State 

MONDAY, SEP 19: 

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I will wrap up the post with Her Majesty’s message after the September 11th attacks that took place 21 years ago today. It was shared on social media today by the British Embassy in Washington.