On Sunday, September 11, Queen Elizabeth II's oak coffin, draped in royal standard, with a wreath of fresh flowers resting on top, made a six-hour journey out of Balmoral, passing through the stunning Highlands, which had been the late monarch's favorite, picturesque villages, and quaint towns.
Her remains will make a final stay at her official residence in Scotland, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, in Edinburgh, before it will fly to London for the state funeral at Westminster Abbey.Â
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| first view of the Queen's casket out of Balmoral estate |
It was such a poignant sight, watching her casket make a lonely journey through Scotland's majestic views. Tens of thousands of mourners lined up the route, watched silently in bright sunshine, mostly in tears, while others were throwing flowers into the road, bowing their heads as the car carrying the Queen's remains passed along.Â
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| A poignant journey through Scotland's stunning landscape |
Balmoral estate had been the Queen's favorite among all her private residences. Perhaps, it was fate that ultimately decided the course of her final days that she will close the curtain of her iconic life on earth at her beloved Scottish estate where, according to Princess Eugenie, "Grandma and Grandpa at their happiest. It's my Grannie's happiest place on earth".Â
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| The Queen and Prince Philip's family in 1979 summer break in Balmoral from left: Prince Andrew, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, and Prince Andrew, Princess Anne's young son, Peter Phillips at the back in red shirt |
At the end of its slow journey through the picturesque Scottish countryside, soldiers wearing kilts carried the coffin to the throne room of the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse, the former home of her ancestor, Queen Mary of Scots, is located in Scotland's capital and where Her Majesty traditionally brought her court one week every year.
Just this June, she stayed for a week in Edinburgh where she received Scottish politician, Nicola Sturgeon, at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.Â
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| Thousands of mourners lined up the route to catch the last glimpse of the monarch |
The Queen's daughter, Princess Anne, flanked by her two brothers, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, and Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, curtsied as the coffin was carried inside by soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
The journey from Balmoral was the first of a series of events leading up to the state funeral at Westminster Abbey in London on Sept. 19, Monday. The day has been declared by King Charles III as a bank holiday.
The Queen's death has drawn tears, sadness, and warm tributes, not just from her own family and many in Britain, but also from across the globe where world leaders, politicians, celebrities, and ordinary citizens, paid tribute to her iconic legacy and inspiring presence in the world stage for seven decades.
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| Queen's coffin arrived in the palace of Holyroodhouse |
King Charles III will join the other senior royals in Edinburgh when the coffin will be taken in a procession from Holyroodhouse to the city's St Giles Cathedral for a service.
Her coffin will be flown to London and there will be a somber procession when it is later moved from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall to lie in state for four days.
Funeral on Monday, September 19
The Queen will be laid to rest on September 19, Monday, in a state funeral at Westminster Abbey. It will be a public holiday in Britain, officials have announced. U.S. President Joe Biden said he would be there, although full details of the event and the attendees have not yet been released.
According to London Bridge and Operation Unicorn plans, the Queen's remains will be entered at King George VI's Memorial Mausoleum in Windsor to lay beside her parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and her sister Princess Margaret. Her husband, Prince Philip's remains, will be removed from the royal crypt in St. George's Chapel, to lay beside Her Majesty.
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