King Charles and siblings hold silent vigil for Queen Elizabeth in Edinburgh
- The monarch, Princess Anne and Princes Andrew and Edward had accompanied their mother’s hearse on a procession through the Scottish capital
- The coffin will remain at the cathedral until Tuesday so members of the public can pay their respects
King Charles and his siblings held a silent vigil at the side of their mother Queen Elizabeth’s coffin as it lay at rest in Edinburgh’s historic cathedral, with thousands queuing for hours to pay their respects to Britain’s longest-serving monarch.
With their heads bowed, Charles, wearing a kilt, alongside sister Princess Anne and brothers Princes Andrew and Edward, stood solemnly for 10 minutes next to the oak coffin, draped with the flag known as the Royal Standard of Scotland.
The four siblings had marched behind their mother’s coffin on Monday in a solemn procession along the Royal Mile in the historic heart of the Scottish capital. A military bagpiper played the national anthem as the coffin was carried from the Palace of Holyroodhouse and placed in a hearse.
The king, dressed in an army uniform, and his siblings walked behind as the hearse rolled to St Giles’ Cathedral. The hearse was flanked by a bearer party of the Royal Regiment of Scotland and a detachment of The King’s Body Guard in Scotland, the Royal Company of Archers.
Once inside St Giles, the coffin was placed on a wooden stand, and the Duke of Hamilton and Brandon placed the Crown of Scotland on top. Even the crown is steeped in history – it was made in 1540 for Scottish King James V from an earlier version that was damaged. It is crafted from Scottish gold encrusted with 22 gems and 20 precious stones along with freshwater pearls from Scotland’s rivers.