It is the end of the first stage of what her eldest son, King Charles, described as his mother’s “last great journey”. Thousands of people lined streets along the 180-mile route as they paid their respects to the 96-year-old king. Balmoral Garden Wreath Favorite Flowers Revealed – Live Updates Crowds were largest in Edinburgh, where there were cheers and applause as the hearse traveled through the sometimes cobbled streets of the city’s Old Town. In some places, the crowds were more than 10 deep. Image: Large crowds in central Edinburgh turned out to see the hearse Her oak coffin, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland with a wreath of Balmoral flowers on top, was carried slowly in a seven-car motorcade to the Scottish capital. As she arrived at the Palace of Holyroodhouse – the official residence of the monarchy in Scotland – the Queen’s two youngest sons, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, bowed and Edward’s wife, the Countess of Wessex, fell. The coffin was then removed from the hearse and carried inside the building by eight pallbearers – soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Scotland – as the royal trio repeated their gestures as the coffin passed them. Picture: (L-R) Prince Andrew, The Countess of Wessex and Prince Edward outside the Palace of Holyroodhouse Picture: The Countess of Wessex and The Princess Royal The Queen’s only daughter, the Princess Royal, also showed courage as she stood by her husband, Rear-Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence. The couple were part of the royal procession traveling in a limousine directly behind the hearse. Image: The Princess Royal watched as the Queen’s coffin was carried into the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Photo: AP The kings then followed the coffin into the palace. The coffin will lie in state in the Throne Room overnight so that staff at Holyroodhouse can pay their last respects. Image: The Princess Royal and her husband Vice-Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence traveled behind the coffin On Monday afternoon it will be carried along the historic Royal Mile to the city’s St Giles’ Cathedral where a service will be held. The Queen’s four children will follow in the procession on foot, along with Sir Timothy Laurence. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 1:44 Cortege carries the Queen’s coffin The Queen Consort, Camilla and the Countess of Wessex will follow by car and also attend the service. There will be a Princes’ Vigil with the king and other royals, after which the queen will be laid to rest, where the public can pay their respects for 24 hours. The public viewing of the coffin starts at 5pm on Monday, but people have been warned of long waits and photography and recording are strictly prohibited. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 0:27 Flowers laid on the Queen’s coffin During the journey from Balmoral to Edinburgh, some mourners threw flowers at the hearse, while others had tears in their eyes, describing the occasion as “very emotional”. The group left the estate just after 10am before passing through a series of villages, towns and cities.
The sight of a coffin – the moment the sense of loss hits home
As the Queen’s coffin left Balmoral Castle, the site of her shrine, it was time to stop and understand what had happened.
Traffic, tractors and thousands in the crowd stop to pay their respects on the 180 mile journey.
The sight of a coffin is so often the moment when the sense of loss begins to hit home.
It was a journey that covered the two most important aspects of the Queen’s life: Driving through the Highlands, we saw where she felt most at home each summer, enjoying time with her family. But soon it was time to face the crowds of the towns, just as she had done all her life, where much of her official work was done.
All in all, there was silence, punctuated by the odd round of applause, as hundreds raised their phones in central Edinburgh to capture the moment – all keen to be able to show in the future that they were there.
Princess Anne and her husband, Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, had traveled in a car behind the coffin.
Today she will join the rest of her siblings, led by King Charles, as they follow the hearse once again to St Giles Cathedral for a memorial service.
In death, as in life, we will again see that natural instinct to support and be there for their mother and queen.
“Sad and emotional moment”
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon paid tribute to the Queen as she embarked on her final journey.
Ms Sturgeon said in a tweet: “A sad and poignant moment as Her Majesty The Queen leaves her beloved Balmoral for the last time.
“Today, as she makes her journey to Edinburgh, Scotland will pay tribute to an extraordinary woman.”
The first village was Ballater, the nearest to Balmoral, where many locals regarded the Queen as a neighbour.
Hundreds, silent and dark, lined its main street as the cortege slowly passed.
Elizabeth Taylor, from Aberdeen, shed tears as she thought about what she had just seen.
He said: “It was very moving. It was respectful and it showed what they thought of the Queen. She certainly gave service to this country, even up until a few days before she died.”
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0:48 Tears after driving eight hours to see the casket
Another woman told Sky News she had driven eight hours from Cheshire to reach the village. He said: “I just wanted to be here today to let her down. He was the constant figure throughout my life.
“He has accumulated all the losses of the last few years.”
More on the Queen: What happens between now and the Queen’s funeral? How the Queen adapted to changing Scottish politics The secrets behind some of the Queen’s most famous photos
In the town of Banchory, crowds again turned out in large numbers, with some applauding the cortege as it passed.
‘A wonderful greeting’
Sky royal commentator Alastair Bruce said: “A lovely salute from Banchory, a quiet gentle round of applause and some of them throwing flowers on the hearse path.”
About two hours into his journey, he reached the city of Aberdeen, where large crowds fell silent as they watched the cortege pass. Many brought their children to witness the historic moment.
Some of the largest crowds were witnessed in the city of Dundee, where a lone long-stemmed flower could be seen on the windscreen of the hearse.
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0:28 Peasants form a guard of honor for the Queen
And on a rural section of the route, farmers paid tribute to the Queen with tractors lined up in a field.
The Princess Royal will fly to London with her mother’s body on Tuesday afternoon.
The events in Scotland are the first meticulously planned steps leading up to the funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday September 19 – a bank holiday.
