Queen Elizabeth’s coffin arrives in Edinburgh, Scotland

New Delhi: Queen Elizabeth’s coffin has arrived at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, following a six-hour journey from Balmoral Castle to the Scottish capital, media reports said.

While the coffin arrived mourners lined the streets of villages and cities to pay tribute to the longest serving British monarch as her cortege made its way across Scotland to her final resting place, reported CNN. The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II began a six-hour journey from her home in the Scottish Highlands to Edinburgh.

The state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II will take place at Westminster Abbey on September 19, a statement by the UK Royal Family said.

“The State Funeral of Her Majesty The Queen will take place at Westminster Abbey on Monday 19th September at 1100 hrs BST. Prior to the State Funeral, The Queen will Lie-in-State in Westminster Hall for four days, to allow the public to pay their respects,” it read.
The coffin that began its journey arrived at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where it will rest in the Throne Room until the afternoon of Monday. On the afternoon of Monday, a Procession will be formed on the forecourt of the Palace of Holyroodhouse to convey the Coffin to St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh.

The King and Members of the Royal Family will take part in the Procession and attend a Service in St Giles’ Cathedral to receive the coffin. Queen Elizabeth’s coffin will then lie at rest in St Giles’ Cathedral, guarded by Vigils from The Royal Company of Archers, to allow the people of Scotland to pay their respects.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Queen’s Coffin will travel from Scotland by Royal Air Force aircraft from Edinburgh Airport, arriving at RAF Northolt later that evening. The coffin will be accompanied on the journey by Princess Royal.

The Queen’s coffin will then be conveyed to Buckingham Palace by road, to rest in the Bow Room. On the afternoon of Wednesday, the Coffin will be borne in Procession on a Gun Carriage of The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster, where The Queen will Lie-in-State in Westminster Hall until the morning of the State Funeral.

The Procession will travel via Queen’s Gardens, The Mall, Horse Guards and Horse Guards Arch, Whitehall, Parliament Street, Parliament Square and New Palace Yard. After the coffin arrives at Westminster Hall, The Archbishop of Canterbury will conduct a short service assisted by The Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, Dean of Westminster, and attended by The King and Members of the Royal Family, after which the Lying-in-State will begin.

During the Lying-in-State, members of the public will have the opportunity to visit Westminster Hall to pay their respects to The Queen. On the morning of Monday 19th September, the Lying-in-State will end and the Coffin will be taken in procession from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey, where the State Funeral Service will take place.

Following the state funeral, the coffin will travel in procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch. From Wellington Arch, the coffin will travel to Windsor and once there, the State Hearse will travel in procession to St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle via the Long Walk. A Committal Service will then take place in St George’s Chapel.