UK: The coffin of Queen Elizabeth arrived in Edinburgh on Sunday after a six-hour journey from Balmoral Castle, her summer residence in the Scottish Highlands, with thousands of mourners queuing en route.
Many of the mourners were in gloomy silence, while others were cheering and some were shedding tears.
Kilted soldiers carried the coffin to Elizabeth's official Scottish residence, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where it would stay overnight after a long journey through the picturesque Scottish countryside, villages, small towns and cities.
The new King and Queen's eldest son, King Charles, paid an emotional tribute to his mother on Friday, saying he had embarked on "the last great journey" to join her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, who died last year. went.
Before leaving for the Scottish capital, a chariot carrying an oak coffin passed through the gates of Balmoral Castle, where he died on Thursday at the age of 96.
Elizabeth's coffin was covered in the Royal Standard of Scotland, and a wreath made of flowers from the Balmoral estate, including her favorite flower, the sweet pea, was placed on top.
As Cortez made its way to Holyroodhouse, where it was met by a military guard of honour, crowds, some of whom were fifteen deep, gathered in the city center to welcome it.
The coffin was cremated by members of the Royal Regiment of Scotland such as the Queen's daughter Anne and her younger sons, Princes Andrew and Edward.
No way I was going to miss it. "I'll regret it for the rest of my life," said 62-year-old Elidh Mackintosh, who left his home at 6 a.m. to ensure a good view on Edinburgh's famous Royal Mile among the big crowd.
As the coffin passed, 24-year-old Rachel Lindsay burst into tears. She commented, "It's so sad." "I don't think we ever anticipated this to happen. I just believed she would live forever. Before seeing this, I couldn't believe it was real.
The visit to Balmoral was the first in a series of activities, culminating with a state funeral at Westminster Abbey in London on 19 September.
The Queen's passing has inspired many people in Britain and around the world to shed tears of grief and pay heartfelt tributes, marking her presence on the international stage for seven decades.
People lined the streets or parked their cars to get out and see where Cortez went. It once passed a guard of honor made up of several tractors, which farmers had parked in nearby fields.
Many people watched silently in the scorching sun. Some people threw flowers on the way. Others were moved to tears by the spirit of the situation.
This is just incredibly sad. Elizabeth Alexander, 69, who was born on the day of the Queen's crown in 1953, was delighted to be present to bid her goodbye.
In Britain, thousands are still congregating in royal palaces, bringing bouquet after bouquet of flowers. Long queues of bouquets form around Green Park in London, near Buckingham Palace, where some tributes are being paid. It allows mourners to read tributes.
Other sympathizers have written condolence letters and attached them to the trees.
After the death of his mother, Charles immediately ascended the throne. He was formally crowned king on Saturday in a ceremony that was full of pageantry and age-old customs.
Similar announcements are being made across the United Kingdom and 14 other states including Australia, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, with Charles as their new leader.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that parliament would be recalled on Thursday to allow tributes.
The Queen ascended the throne when she was only 25 years old and her father, King George VI, died on February 6, 1952. A year later, she was crowned.
Despite the fact that Elizabeth's death was not entirely unexpected given her advanced age and declining health, there was still shock at the information.
Her grandson Prince William, now the heir to the throne, told a well-wisher on Saturday, as he greeted the crowd at Windsor Palace, "We all thought she was invincible."
The carefully choreographed mourning activities will continue on Monday. When the coffin is carried in procession from Holyroodhouse to a service at the city's St Giles Cathedral, Charles will be in Edinburgh with other senior royals.
The body will be there 24 hours a day for mourners to pay their respects, and the new king and other members of the royal family will keep watch.
According to official announcements, the day of Elizabeth's funeral will be a national holiday in Britain. Despite the fact that the event's specifics and a list of attendees have not yet been made public, US President Joe Biden confirmed that he would attend.
Her coffin will be flown to London first, and then it will be transported from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, where it will lie in state for four days, with a solemn procession.
Unsurprisingly, there will be a lot of people there, according to a representative for Prime Minister Liz Truss.
King Charles and Truss will tour the four countries of the United Kingdom together in the coming days. Truss' appointment as prime minister on Tuesday was the queen's final public act.
Charles, 73, is now the 41st king or queen in a line that dates back to William the Conqueror, a Norman king who conquered England in 1066.
The royal family has endured a challenging few years, which have come to an end with Elizabeth's death.
The most prominent controversy involved her granddaughter's grandson Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, who left the royal life in 2020 to relocate to California and have both been vocal critics of the institution.
They are now estranged from the rest of the family, with Harry and William, Harry's older brother, reportedly barely speaking to one another. However, they appeared together with their wives outside Windsor Castle on Saturday to greet the crowds, putting their differences aside following the passing of their grandmother.
According to a royal source, it was a significant act of family unity during a very trying time for the family.
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