Charles and his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, were driven from the airport to the royal family’s official residence in Edinburgh, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin lay overnight in the Throne Room. On their way, they passed large crowds of people huddled behind metal barriers along the Royal Mile, the road between Holyroodhouse and St. Giles. Spectators clapped and waved as the king’s limousine drove by. Charles and Camilla got out of their car at Holyroodhouse and greeted people and looked at floral tributes before a gun salute was fired from Edinburgh Castle. Earlier in London, Charles received condolences in Parliament and told lawmakers he would follow his late mother’s example of “selfless duty”. Earlier, Elizabeth II’s grandson Prince Harry hailed her as a “guiding compass” and praised her “unwavering grace and dignity”. The government, meanwhile, announced that the nation would observe a minute’s silence on Sunday, the night before the Queen’s funeral. The “moment of reflection” will take place at 8 p.m. (1900 GMT). People were encouraged to mark silence at home or at community events. Hundreds of lawmakers packed into the 1,000-year-old Westminster Hall in the Houses of Parliament for the lavish service in which Parliament offered its condolences to the king and he responded. A fanfare of trumpets greeted the king and Camilla as they entered the hall, which was packed with hundreds of lawmakers. Charles told members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords that he would follow his late mother in upholding “the precious principles of constitutional government” that underpin the UK’s political system. The chamber, with its magnificent hammered ceiling, is the oldest part of the parliamentary complex – a remnant of the medieval Palace of Westminster that once stood on the site. “As I stand before you today, I cannot help but feel the weight of history that surrounds us and that reminds us of the vital parliamentary traditions to which you as members of both Houses dedicate yourself, with such a personal commitment to the betterment of us all.” said Charles. The ceremony was held in Westminster Hall because monarchs are not allowed to enter the House of Commons. This rule dates back to the 17th century, when King Charles I tried to enter and arrest lawmakers. This confrontation between crown and parliament led to a civil war that ended with the beheading of the king in 1649. Earlier on Monday, a personal statement posted on Harry and his wife Meghan’s Archwell website said he cherished their time together “from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my Commander-in-Chief, to the first moment I met my beloved wife and hugged your beloved great-grandchildren.” Amid acrimony in the House of Windsor, Harry stepped down as senior royal and moved to the US two years ago. On Saturday, there was a possible sign of reconciliation as Harry and Meghan joined his brother Prince William and sister-in-law Catherine to meet mourners outside Windsor Castle. The national outpouring of grief continued on Sunday as thousands of people lined the streets and roadsides as the oak coffin was carried from the late queen’s favorite summer retreat to Balmoral Castle, where she died on Thursday, in Edinburgh. In Edinburgh, the king will walk behind his mother’s coffin as it is slowly carried from Holyroodhouse to St. Mary’s Cathedral. Giles, where the Scottish crown will be placed on the casket before a service of prayer and reflection on the life and 70-year reign of the widely loved monarch. The Queen’s coffin will lie in state at the cathedral for 24 hours, giving members of the public the chance to lay a request and pay their respects. On Tuesday, it will be flown to London, where the coffin will lie in the Houses of Parliament from Wednesday afternoon until the morning of the funeral on September 19. Authorities have already issued rules and guidelines for those who want to pay their respects in London, and long queues are expected. After visiting Scotland, Charles embarks on a tour of the other nations that make up the United Kingdom – visiting Northern Ireland’s capital, Belfast, on Tuesday and Wales on Friday. Harry’s statement ended on a poignant note referring to the death of his grandfather, Prince Philip, last year, saying that “And we smile knowing that you and grandfather are reunited now, both together at peace.”
Mike Corder reported from London.
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