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.
“And so we gather to bid Scotland’s farewell to our late monarch, whose life of service to the nation and the world we celebrate. And whose love for Scotland was legendary,” said the Reverand Calum MacLeod.
The Right Reverend Doctor Iain Greenshields, moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, delivered the homily.
He said: “These last few days, as tributes to her majesty have poured in and we have watched images of her on screen from her earliest years, capturing that remarkable life, yet now beginning to sink in that she is gone from us, ‘gone home’ to express her own words.
King Charles celebrates Queen Elizabeth’s ‘selfless service’ in first address to Parliament
“Today we gather in this place of worship, and throughout the nation, to express our thanks to God, for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s extraordinary life.
“We are united in sorrow at the death of our monarch, but we are also so aware that His Majesty King Charles and all his family are not just grieving the loss of their queen, but their mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth began her reign, like King Solomon by asking for wisdom, something that she demonstrated in large measure and to which was added duty, honour, commitment, and faith, these are the words that we reach out for today to describe the life and the reign of Queen Elizabeth, whose passing is mourned not only in her native land but across the Commonwealth and the world, as has been so evident to us in these recent days.”
The memorial service featured Karen Matheson singing Psalm 118 in Gaelic, with harp accompaniment, and a reading from Ecclesiastes by the head of the Scottish government, Nicola Sturgeon. The congregation sang “The Lord’s My Shepherd”, said to be one of the queen’s favourite hymns.
Earlier, Charles and his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, were driven from the airport to the palace, where the coffin lay overnight in the Throne Room.
On their way, they passed large crowds of people who were packed behind metal barriers along the Royal Mile, the road between Holyroodhouse and St. Giles. Onlookers clapped and waved as the king’s limousine passed.
Charles and Camilla got out of their car at Holyroodhouse and greeted people, and looked at floral tributes before a gun salute boomed from Edinburgh Castle.
Earlier, in London, Charles received condolences at Parliament and told lawmakers he would follow his late mother’s example of “selfless duty”.
Prince Andrew will not wear military uniform at Queen Elizabeth’s funeral
The queen’s grandson, Prince Harry, hailed her as a “guiding compass” and praised her “unwavering grace and dignity”.
The government, meanwhile, announced that the nation will observe a minute of silence on Sunday, the evening before the queen’s funeral. The “moment of reflection” will take place at 7pm. People were encouraged to mark the silence at home or at community events.
Hundreds of lawmakers crowded into the 1,000-year-old Westminster Hall at the Houses of Parliament for the service, rich in pageantry, in which Parliament offered its condolences to the king, and he replied.
A trumpet fanfare greeted the king and Camilla as they entered the hall, which was packed with hundreds of legislators.
Charles told members of the House of Commons and House of Lords that he would follow his late mother in upholding “the precious principles of constitutional governance” that underpin the UK’s political system.
The hall, with its magnificent hammerbeam roof, 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 which surrounds us and which reminds us of the vital parliamentary traditions to which members of both Houses dedicate yourselves, with such personal commitment for the betterment of us all,” Charles said.
The queen’s coffin will lie at the cathedral for 24 hours, giving members of the public a chance to file past and pay their respects. On Tuesday, it will be flown to London where the coffin will lie in state at the Houses of Parliament Palace from Wednesday afternoon until the morning of the funeral on September 19.
Authorities already have issued rules and guidelines for people wanting to pay their respects in London, with a long queue expected.
After visiting Scotland, Charles embarks on a tour of the other nations that make up the United Kingdom – he visits the Northern Ireland capital, Belfast, on Tuesday and Wales on Friday.
Harry’s statement ended on a poignant note alluding to the death last year of his grandfather, Prince Philip, saying that “We, too, smile knowing that you and grandpa are reunited now, and both together in peace.”
Associated Press, dpa and Reuters
