The coffin containing the remains of Queen Elizabeth II has been making its way through Scotland on its way to the recently-deceased monarch’s final resting place in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
The Queen’s children, King Charles III, Princes Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward, accompanied her body in a procession through Edinburgh on Monday, ending at St. Giles’ Cathedral, where the Queen will lie in state for 24 hours before resuming her journey to England.
The Queen died at her estate in the Scottish Highlands last Thursday at the age of 96, bringing an end to her 70-year reign, the longest in British history.
Iain Greenshields, the right reverend of the Church of Scotland, spoke of the Queen’s connection to the country at a ceremony, stating:
“We acknowledge with gratitude her deep links with our land and its people. Her love of the Balmoral estate is well known and being there latterly brought her great comfort … There she was valued as a neighbor and friend, and there she drew strength and refreshment during the summer months.”
The day’s affairs proved mostly without controversy, with hundreds of people lining up to pay their respects to the late Queen.
Following the ceremony, King Charles III and his wife Camilla, queen consort and the Duchess of Cornwall, visited the Scottish parliament. Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon welcomed the royal couple.
Historian Tom Devine said that it was “extraordinary serendipity” that Queen Elizabeth II died in Scotland, per AP News. “It was possible for the world to see the relationship between the queen and this country,” he said.
“It was a fitting end to a life of service and a life of concern for the four nations — not simply one nation — of the UK,” he added.
On Tuesday, the Queen’s body will be flown by the Royal Air Force to London.
Camilla is not the Duchess of Cornwall any longer, that is Kate Middleton now. 😉 👸🏻