The public can view the Queen’s coffin in Edinburgh after a procession and service at St Giles’ Cathedral.
Image source, PA MediaThe King and members of the Royal Family will follow the Queen’s coffin in a procession along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile on Monday afternoon.
St Giles’ Cathedral will then host a service to celebrate the Queen’s life and her connection to Scotland.
She will lie at rest until Tuesday afternoon, allowing members of the public to pay their last respects.
Thousands of people are expected to line the city’s streets as Scotland says its final farewell to the Queen.
Preparations have been made to accommodate a queue that could stretch from the historic cathedral to the city’s Meadows park, half a mile away.
A series of roads have been closed in the area and a number of schools and nurseries along the route will close at noon.
The Queen’s coffin made the 175-mile journey from Balmoral to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh on Sunday.
On Monday, King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, will travel by air to Edinburgh.
The King and other members of the Royal Family will attend the Ceremony of the Keys at the palace – when he will be handed the keys to the city of Edinburgh – before following the coffin to the cathedral.
In addition to the official party, the Queen’s coffin will be flanked by The King’s Bodyguard for Scotland (Royal Company of Archers) and the Guard of Honour.
Guns will be fired every minute, with the final round of shots being fired as the hearse stops outside the cathedral.
The service, led by the Rev Calum MacLeod, will be attended by members of the public, friends, family members and representatives from the charities and organisations the Queen was affiliated to in Scotland.
City of Edinburgh Council has warned there will be limited space on the Royal Mile to view the procession, and that those wanting to attend should arrive in plenty of time.
The key times for events on Monday are:
- 10:00 – The King will attend a Motion of Condolence at the Houses of Parliament in London before travelling to Edinburgh
- 13:00 – The King takes part in the Ceremony of the Keys at the Palace of Holyroodhouse
- 14:25 – The Queen’s coffin will be taken along the Royal Mile to St Giles’ Cathedral
- 15:00 – Service at St Giles’ Cathedral celebrating the life of the Queen and her connection to Scotland
- 16:00 – The Queen will lie at rest at St Giles’ Cathedral for 24 hours, allowing members of the public to pay their respects
- 17:30 – A motion of condolence, attended by the King, will be heard in the chamber of the Scottish Parliament. The King will respond.
- 19: 20 – The King and the Queen’s children will post a vigil around the coffin at St Giles’ Cathedral
While the Queen lies at rest in St Giles’ Cathedral, her coffin will remain under continuous vigil for 24 hours, guarded by the Royal Company of Archers.
A queuing system will be in place, with the public being warned that this is likely to involve standing for a number of hours.
There will be security checks at St Giles’ and certain restrictions will apply on mobile phones, with photography and recording not permitted.
The Royal Household has asked that floral tributes are left at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
People in Edinburgh are being advised to plan ahead and avoid any non-essential travel through the city centre, particularly the Old Town.
The advice is to regularly check the City of Edinburgh Council website, which is being updated with details of road closures and other travel information.
The council is also urging people to use public transport where possible, consider using park-and-ride services and only park within designated areas.
Further information about road closures and diversions can be found at Edinburgh Travel News on Twitter. Bus and tram services can be found at Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams.
On Tuesday, the Queen’s coffin will be flown from Edinburgh Airport to Buckingham Palace.
From Thursday, the Queen will lie in state at Westminster Hall for four days. Her funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey on Monday, 19 September.
