After a silent vigil attended by Charles, his sister Anne and his brothers Andrew and Edward at St Giles’ Cathedral in the Scottish capital Edinburgh on Monday, people queued overnight to pass the Queen’s coffin , some with sleeping children. Charles, 73, is touring the four corners of the UK ahead of the Queen’s funeral on September 19. In Northern Ireland, people began lining the streets at Hillsborough Castle, the monarch’s official residence, ahead of his visit. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSign up “We came out to pay our respects to Queen Elizabeth because she was a fantastic queen and very loyal to Northern Ireland and we wanted to be here to welcome the new king,” said Heather Paul, 61, holding flowers and a small flag of her Union. “We think Charles will be a fantastic king, he’s had a very long apprenticeship and I think he’ll follow in the Queen’s footsteps,” said Paul, who traveled 50 miles (80 km) to pay his respects. He is expected to arrive later on Tuesday from Scotland, where he followed the Queen’s coffin up Edinburgh’s Royal Mile and joined his siblings for a 10-minute vigil at St Giles’ Cathedral. They stood, heads bowed, on the four sides of the coffin as members of the audience passed by. People lined up through the night to pay their respects, many wearing winter jackets, scarves and woolly hats to keep the cold at bay. “We were desperate to be here to show our respect.” said Will Brehme, an engineer from Edinburgh, who arrived in the early hours with his partner and 20-month-old daughter sleeping in a baby carrier. “It’s a moment that will live with us forever. When you think she worked her whole life for us, it’s the least we could do.” Elizabeth died on Thursday at her country house at Balmoral Castle in the Scottish Highlands aged 96 after 70 years on the throne, plunging the nation into mourning.

‘SEPARATE COUNTRY’

Charles, who has automatically become king of the United Kingdom and 14 other kingdoms, including Australia, Canada and Jamaica, will be joined by new prime minister Liz Truss. read more In Belfast, he will meet senior political and religious leaders and attend a service at the city’s St Anne’s Cathedral before returning to London. read more “For Northern Ireland, she meant a lot here. As you know, unfortunately, we’re quite a divided country, but our Queen has always stood by us. She’s never been wrong,” said Joey McPolin, 77, from Dramore. “I think to be fair, our friends here in Northern Ireland, we all want to live together, we really do. I think people of different faiths recognize the wonderful job he has done. I really hope we all come forward and support the king us.” A powerful symbol of union, the queen in her later years became a major force for reconciliation with her Irish nationalist enemies, with her state visit to Ireland in 2011, the first by a monarch in nearly a century of independence. Charles also spoke about the killing of his great uncle Lord Mountbatten, with whom he was very close, in Ireland by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in 1979, saying that his death gave him a deep understanding of the anguish suffered by so many. people in the country. “Don’t forget, the royal family themselves have been deeply affected by the violence in Northern Ireland in terms of their own family and loss,” said Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney. “I expect he will want to see his role as being part of protecting and building and strengthening the relationship between Britain and Ireland, given the complexity of our past and given the polarization of political opinion, particularly in Northern Ireland,” he told radio. of the BBC. .

SCOTLAND

In Scotland, tens of thousands of mourners turned out to watch processions along the historic Royal Mile. In London, large crowds of people have left flowers and messages in the grounds of the royal parks. The Queen’s coffin will leave Scotland for the first time since her death when it is flown to London in the early evening and then taken to Buckingham Palace. On Wednesday, he will be carried on a gun carriage as part of a grand military procession to Westminster Hall, where he will begin a period in state until September 19. Members of the public will be allowed to walk past the coffin, which will be draped in the Royal Standard Flag with the sovereign’s Orb and Scepter placed on top, for 24 hours a day until the morning of the funeral. The death of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch has prompted tears and heartfelt tributes, not only from the Queen’s immediate family and across Britain, but from around the world – a reflection of her presence on the world stage for seven decades. More about Queen Elizabeth

  • Queen Elizabeth’s coffin will be flown to London on Tuesday at the end of 24 hours of repose at Edinburgh’s historic cathedral
  • Liz Truss is determined to strike the right tone in her first days in power
  • Details of the events leading up to the funeral follow
  • A nation fit for a king? Scots are facing a new era as the case for independence looms
  • Queen Elizabeth’s reign included enchiladas with Reagan, dancing with Ford
  • Images from the life of Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s longest reigning monarch Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSign up Written by Kate Holton, Michael Holden and Elizabeth Piper. Editor: Janet Lawrence Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.