UK

Scotland’s final farewell before the Queen is flown to London to lie in state

Thousands of mourners have queued through the night to pay their respects to the Queen in Edinburgh.

After waiting for many hours, members of the public moved solemnly past the Queen’s oak coffin, which is lying in rest at St Giles’ Cathedral.

Colin and Kirsty Hutchison got up at 3am to make their way down to the cathedral this morning.

Speaking to Sky News after visiting the Queen’s coffin, Mr Hutchison said it had been “quite emotional”.

He described the room as “very quiet” and said it was a “surreal moment”.

Although mourners in Edinburgh have been told to expect a 12-hour wait, many reported a wait time of five or six hours.

Live updates: Tears as mourners view coffin in Scotland

At 6pm, the Queen will depart Scotland for the last time – and her coffin will be flown from Edinburgh to London and taken to Buckingham Palace for the royal household to pay their respects.

King Charles III and the Queen Consort Camilla will join other members of the Royal Family – including the Prince of Wales and his wife – at the palace after visiting Northern Ireland for a reception at Hillsborough Castle.

The King and Queen Consort will also attend a service of reflection at St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast.

The Queen began her final journey back to England on Sunday with a six-hour drive from Balmoral to Edinburgh.

Yesterday, King Charles led his family in a royal procession through the city as her coffin was moved from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to the cathedral for a service of prayer and reflection.

After the service, members of the public began to enter the building to bid farewell to the Queen – her coffin draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, with the Crown of Scotland and a wreath of Balmoral flowers placed on top.

And in the evening, the King and his three siblings – Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward – held a vigil by her side as people continued their procession through the cathedral.

At 5pm today, a hearse will transport the Queen’s coffin to Edinburgh Airport, accompanied by the Princess Royal.

After a 55-minute flight, guards of honour will salute the arrival at RAF Northolt, west of London, before the state hearse takes the Queen’s coffin to the palace, where it will be placed in the Bow Room for the family and household to take part in prayers.

Ahead of the gathering, the King and the Queen Consort will fly from Scotland to Northern Ireland and head straight to Hillsborough to view an exhibition on the Queen’s historical ties to the area.

King Charles will then meet Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris – who was only appointed to the role last week – along with party leaders including the First Minister-designate, Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill.

He will also receive a message of condolence from the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly and meet faith leaders ahead of the cathedral service, before he and the Queen Consort fly back to London.

A rehearsal for tomorrow’s procession of the monarch’s coffin to Westminster Hall will also take place later, travelling along The Mall before moving down Horse Guards, Whitehall, Parliament Square and into New Palace Yard.

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The Queen will lie in state there for four full days until the morning of her funeral on Monday 19 September, with hundreds of thousands of people expected to visit.

While the hall will be open to the public around the clock, reports have warned of waits of up to 30 hours to get inside.

A line has already started forming near Westminster Hall – and commuters in the city are being advised to change their working patterns and avoid the capital in the coming days.

Later in the week, the King and his Queen Consort will make one further visit, heading to Wales.