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Queen's coffin arrives in Edinburgh as Charles is proclaimed king of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

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A fanfare of trumpets sounded at proclamation ceremonies in the capital cities of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on Sunday officially declaring Charles king of the nations that, along with England, form the United Kingdom.

Thousands of people gathered at Edinburgh Castle, Cardiff Castle and Hillsborough Castle in Belfast to hear the official announcement, although Charles officially became king when  Queen Elizabeth II died Thursday .

The ceremonies took place as the late monarch's coffin left Balmoral Castle and traveled to Edinburgh on Sunday. Crowds also lined the roads in tribute to the queen as the funeral procession slowly wound through tiny villages and small towns from the remote castle in the Scottish Highlands.

Here's what happened:

• Queen Elizabeth II's coffin arrived at Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh from Balmoral.
• The queen’s daughter, Princess Anne, accompanied the cortege as it slowly made its way to the throne room at Holyroodhouse Palace.
• King Charles III met with the secretary-general of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland, who heads the central body that has served the group of former colonies since it was established in 1965.
• Prince Andrew and his former wife, Sarah, the Duchess of York, will inherit the queen's corgis, according to a source close to the prince.

Follow here for live coverage.

Public art honors the queen at a familiar spot in London

Queen Elizabeth's subjects get one final chance to pay respects at Palace of Westminster

David K. Li

Jean-Nicholas Fievet

The general public will be allowed to file past Queen Elizabeth's closed coffin in a round-the-clock operation that organizers warned could be physically taxing on mourners.

The queen's subjects and well-wishers will be able to stroll past the raised platform to glimpse her casket inside Westminster Hall in the Palace of Westminster from 5 p.m. BST Wednesday until 6:30 a.m. a week from Monday, the government announced Sunday.

"You will need to stand for many hours, possibly overnight, with very little opportunity to sit down as the queue will be continuously moving," a government statement said.

Larger bags, food and food containers will be strictly prohibited once mourners reach the Palace of Westminster, where they will be subjected to "airport-style" security screening, officials said.

King Charles meets with the Realm High Commissioners of U.K.'s Commonwealth nations

Newly crowned King Charles III greeted Realm High Commissioners at Buckingham Palace on Sunday in hope of maintaining the affiliation of former British-ruled lands that meant so much to his mother.

King Charles is the head of state in those countries, but Antigua and Barbuda is reportedly planning a referendum to possibly become a republic .

The House of Commons of Canada, one of the 14 realms, announced Saturday night that Parliament, originally set to reconvene for the fall term on Sept. 19 , will push that to Sept. 20 in honor of Queen Elizabeth's funeral.

Preparations underway at Edinburgh's St. Giles' Cathedral

Alexander Smith

Preparations were underway at Edinburgh’s St. Giles’ Cathedral on Sunday, readying the house of worship for the arrival of the queen's casket Monday. It will be taken from Holyroodhouse in a procession to St, Giles’ Cathedral, where it will lie at rest until Tuesday. Large crowds of mourners are expected to pay their respects.

Thousands turn out as Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin arrives in Edinburgh

Crowds lined the streets of the Scottish capital as the queen’s hearse passed by, with some people bursting into applause. Amid solemn ceremony, the coffin was then taken to lie in state in the throne room at Holyroodhouse Palace.

Sydney Opera House sings praises of the queen

Ali Gostanian

The iconic Sydney Opera House paid tribute to the queen all weekend, shining her image on a shell of the architectural wonder's famed exterior.

Queen Elizabeth II presided over opening ceremonies of the Sydney Opera House, one of the world's most famous and distinctive structures, in 1973.

Her death has already had an impact on Australian politics. Prime Minster Anthony Albanese said he would not call for a referendum on whether Australia should become a republic in his first term.

President Biden accepts invitation to attend the queen's funeral

Jessica Simeone

President Joe Biden formally accepted an invitation Sunday to attend Queen Elizabeth II's funeral on Sept. 19. The first lady will accompany him to the service.

An emotional moment for some in the crowd

EDINBURGH, Scotland — For some in the crowd in the Scottish capital, seeing the coffin was a deeply emotional moment.

“I cried when I saw it,” said Margory Young, 57, a nurse who traveled from the Scottish city of Glasgow to pay her respects. “We have never known life without her, so it was a moment in history and we had to see it.”

Prince Andrew to inherit queen's corgis

The queen’s corgis will be cared for by Prince Andrew and his former wife, Sarah, the Duchess of York, who live together in Windsor, according to a source close to the prince. 

It was Sarah who found the puppies, which the prince gave to the queen last year after Prince Philip died, the source said.

Biden recalls Queen Elizabeth II tribute at 9/11 commemoration

Alicia Victoria Lozano

Speaking at the National Sept. 11 Pentagon Memorial, President Joe Biden recalled a message from the late queen after the attacks 21 years ago Sunday.

“I remember a message sent to the American people from Queen Elizabeth,” he said. “It was on September 11. Her ambassador read a prayer of service at St. Thomas Church in New York, where she pointedly reminded us [that] ‘grief is the price we pay for love.’”

The queen broke with tradition in 2001 by ordering that the U.S. national anthem be played outside Buckingham Palace two days after the attacks. In 2010, she traveled to ground zero in New York City to honor the victims and laid a wreath at the site.

Hearse carrying queen's coffin completes journey

EDINBURGH, Scotland — The appearance of a helicopter overhead sent a crackle through the dense crowd and then the hearse carrying Queen Elizabeth II arrived on Edinburgh's Royal Mile.

Some climbed on phone boxes, balconies and a staircase. Others leaned out windows eager to catch a glimpse. Many tried to capture the moment on their cellphones, some applauded. Minutes later it started to rain.

After the hearse stopped outside Holyroodhouse Palace, the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland, the coffin was carried into the throne room by members of the military.

The coffin will remain under continuous vigil for 24 hours, allowing the public to pay its respects.

Queen's coffin arrives in Edinburgh

A hearse carrying Queen Elizabeth II's coffin has completed its journey to Edinburgh after a six-hour drive from Balmoral estate.

The coffin will remain in Scotland until Tuesday, when it will be flown from Edinburgh to Buckingham Palace in London.

The hearse left Balmoral Castle Sunday morning, draped in the Royal Standard and adorned with a wreath of flowers.

Highway overpass filled with crowds of people in Scotland

Elizabeth Kuhr

Anti-monarchists in Scotland turn their backs on king's proclamation

EDINBURGH, Scotland — Not everyone was deferential when King Charles III's proclamation was read aloud outside St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh Sunday.

A group of anti-monarchist protesters — or republicans — turned their backs and shouted “no consent” during the proclamation, part of which declares that Scotland consents to Charles being declared king.

“We wanted to make it clear that there’s more than one viewpoint in Scotland,” said John Hall, 33, treasurer of the anti-monarchy campaign group One Republic. “I wanted to make sure that I made it clear I didn’t consent to this pageantry.”

Hall added there were a number of people in the crowd shouting similar messages. “It’s nice to know I’m not the only one holding that viewpoint,” he said.

Crowds increase on Edinburgh's Royal Mile as queen's coffin nears Scottish capital

EDINBURGH, Scotland — With the crowds on Edinburgh's Royal Mile already three or four deep in places, Vivienne Evans, 29, and Raina Roche, 24, were slightly worried about what it would be like when Queen Elizabeth II's coffin arrived in the Scottish capital.

“I don’t know what the response is going to be like when we see her coffin,” said Evans, who is originally from London and goes to college in nearby Glasgow.

“I imagine it will be incredibly overwhelming for a lot of people,” said Roche, a New Jersey native studying in London.

No kidding! Goat mascot attends King Charles III's proclamation in Wales

In Wales, an unusual guest appeared at the proclamation of Charles as king at Cardiff Castle — Shenkin IV, the mascot of the 3rd Battalion Royal Welsh, an infantry regiment of the British army. 

The battalion has kept a goat as a mascot since the Battle of Bunker Hill during the American War of Independence in 1775, according to the Royal Welsh Museum.

Queen Victoria allowed the new mascot to be chosen from the royal herd of Kashmir goats and the tradition has been followed until the modern day. Queen Elizabeth II gave Shenkin IV — who has a military rank of Lance Corporal and receives an income that contributes to his uniform and lodging — to the battalion in 2018.

Shenkin IV took four weeks to catch from the royal herd. Goat Major Sergeant Mark Jackson of the Royal Welsh said at the time it was the “cheeky look in his eye” that made him an ideal mascot.

New Prince of Wales speaks with Welsh first minister

Joy Y. Wang

Prince William, newly named the Prince of Wales after his father's ascent to the throne, spoke on Sunday with the Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford.

William told the official that he would serve the Welsh people with “humility and great respect,” according to a statement released by Kensington Palace.  

“The prince acknowledged his and the princess’s deep affection for Wales, having made their first family home in Anglesey including during the earliest months of Prince George’s life,” it added.

William and his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, intend to visit the country soon and to meet with Drakeford and other leaders, according to the statement.

Anti-royalists demonstrate outside Cardiff Castle in Wales

Antigua and Barbuda to hold republic referendum within 3 years

The prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda said he would call for a referendum on whether the his country should become a republic within three years.

The Caribbean country is one of 14 nations to retain the British monarch as their head of state, but after signing a document confirming Charles’ status as the new king, he said he would push for a new poll.

“It does not represent any form of disrespect to the monarch. This is not an act of hostility, or any difference between Antigua and Barbuda and the monarchy,” he told British broadcaster ITV News. “It is a final step to complete the circle of independence to become a truly sovereign nation.”

Since Barbados became a republic in 2021, a number of other Caribbean countries, including the Bahamas, Jamaica and St. Kitts and Nevis, signaled they intend to do the same. 

Sharp shooters over Edinburgh cathedral ahead of queen's arrival

King arrives at Buckingham Palace

Daniel Arkin

LONDON — Crowds lining the roads cheered as King Charles III arrived at Buckingham Palace Sunday afternoon.

The new king waved as his black car drove down The Mall and through the palace gates accompanied by a motorcade of four cars and four police motorbikes.

Onlookers shouted “God save the King” while one man teared up and said he would remember the moment for the rest of his life.

India holds national day of mourning

Mithil Aggarwal

NEW DELHI — Flags at public places are flying at half-staff across India as the country held a national day of mourning for Queen Elizabeth II.

While some questioned why a symbol of colonial rule was being honored, others chose to focus on the person herself.

New Delhi shop owner Sameer Chaudhary, 50, told NBC News that the queen had a "terrific" reign but she symbolized the cruel colonial institution that devastated India.

What is the Royal Standard draped over the queen's coffin?

The coffin of the late queen was draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland as it left Balmoral Estate, highlighting the monarch's personal and official connection to one of her favorite places.

The Royal Standard has taken various forms throughout history and varies from country to country.

In Scotland, it features Scottish arms in the first and fourth quarters and English arms in the second. The lion rampant is a nod to the Royal Banner of the Royal Arms of Scotland, the crown’s official banner in Scotland.

In England, however, the standard bears four quarterings — England (represented by three lions) in the first and fourth quarters, Scotland (represented by a lion rampant) in the second quarter and Ireland (represented by a harp) in the third quarter.

Crowds build outside Edinburgh cathedral

Andrew Lonie, 79, a retiree from Edinburgh, was among the swelling crowds outside the cathedral where Charles was officially proclaimed king of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

“I wanted to come and see it in person — I’ve never heard one before,” said Lonie, who was 9 years old when the last new monarch took the throne. “It’s a piece of history, and I’m just so glad I’m able to see it.”

Charles proclaimed King of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Henry Austin

A fanfare of trumpets was sounded in Scotland's capital, Edinburgh, Wales' capital, Cardiff, and Northern Ireland's capital, Belfast, before Charles was officially proclaimed king in all the three countries.

Thousands of people gathered at Edinburgh Castle, Cardiff Castle and Belfast's Hillsborough Castle to hear the official announcement, although Charles officially became king when  Elizabeth died Thursday .

Many joined in as the national anthem, “God Save the King,” was played and offered three cheers for their new monarch.

Afterward, 21-gun salutes resounded outside all three venues.

Wreath atop queen's coffin adorned with flowers from Balmoral

An elaborate wreath accompanied the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, featuring flowers and leaves from her beloved Balmoral estate in Scotland.

It features dahlias, sweet peas, phlox, white heather and pine fir, the royal family said in a tweet.

Flowers pile high at the gates of Balmoral Castle

Australian prime minister will not hold referendum on country becoming a republic during his first term

With a pro-republic Labor Party government in power, Australia’s constitutional ties to the British monarchy will again be open to debate for the first time since change was rejected in a 1999 referendum.

However, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told British broadcaster Sky News he will not hold a referendum on whether Australia should become a republic in his first term. (Sky News is owned by Comcast, the parent company of NBC News.)

In his first international interview since the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Albanese said it was a moment to show gratitude for the Queen’s “service to Australia, the Commonwealth and the world.”

Queen Elizabeth II in 1954 became the only reigning British monarch to travel to Australia and went on to visit the country 16 times.

Scottish leader marks 'sad and poignant moment' as queen leaves Balmoral Castle

As Queen Elizabeth II's coffin embarked on its final journey from Balmoral Castle, Scotland's first minister posted a touching tribute to the late monarch.

“A sad and poignant moment as Her Majesty, The Queen leaves her beloved Balmoral for the final time. Today, as she makes her journey to Edinburgh, Scotland will pay tribute to an extraordinary woman,” Nicola Sturgeon said in a tweet .

On Friday, Sturgeon was pictured signing a book of condolence the monarch.

'You'll always be remembered'

EDINBURGH, Scotland — The outer walls and gates of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland, have been covered in row upon row of flowers, notes and even children’s drawings mourning and thanking the late queen.

“You’ll always be remembered in my house as an example on how to behave under all circumstances,” one handwritten message said.

Another was written on a Portuguese flag. “Canada loves you forever,” one said.

Fiona and Alex Herries laid flowers with their two young daughters. “We just thought it was important for the next generation to be part of this so they understand the significance of this moment in history,” Fiona said.

Knitted tribute to the queen placed on postbox in Scottish village

Children wave union flags as they wait for queen's funeral procession

Queen's coffin leaves Scotland's Balmoral Castle

Draped in the Royal Standard, Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin has left Balmoral Castle to begin its journey to Edinburgh, Scotland's capital.

It is the first time her coffin has been seen since her death on Thursday.

The hearse will wind its way through tiny villages and small towns from the remote castle in the Scottish Highlands before it is laid to rest in the throne room of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland, until Monday afternoon.

Royal reunion dominates British front pages

Images of Prince William, Prince Harry and their wives together for the first time in several months were splashed across the pages of British newspapers Sunday morning, with headlines proclaiming “peace” and unity for the sake of their grandmother.

On Saturday, the siblings walked together around a large flower memorial for the queen outside Windsor Castle, where they shook hands with members of the public and read handwritten notes left by mourners.

"William and Harry came together to mourn," The Independent said while tabloid, The People said they made "Peace for Gran."

Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior royals in 2020 while Prince William and Catherine, now Princess of Wales, carried on official duties.

Early mourners gather to see the queen's funeral procession

Remembrance services to be held for queen across U.K.

Remembrance services for Queen Elizabeth II will be held across the U.K. on the first Sunday after her death.

Special guidance has been issued by the Church of England on services during the period of mourning.

“Flags to be lowered to half mast, and to remain at this height until the day after the State Funeral,” it says, adding that bells should be rung at a “practicable” time.

The queen was formally the Defender of the Faith and governor of the Church of England, titles dating back centuries that have now passed to her son.

Queen Elizabeth to leave Balmoral for the last time

Dennis Romero

On Sunday, the queen’s coffin will be driven from Balmoral Castle, Royal Deeside, to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh, the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. 

Public viewing of the vehicle will be possible along the route in Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen and Dundee, officials said.

The queen’s coffin will be carried into the Throne Room at Holyroodhouse, where it will remain until Monday.

Proclamations for the queen will be read elsewhere in Scotland, in Northern Ireland and Wales.

Denmark’s queen scales back her jubilee after Queen Elizabeth II’s death

Associated Press

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Denmark’s Queen Margrethe canceled, postponed and scaled back events of her own jubilee this weekend in which she marks 50 years on the throne of Europe’s oldest ruling monarchy.

Queen Margrethe, 82, whose reign is now Europe’s longest, has praised Britain’s late monarch as “a towering figure among European monarchs and a great inspiration to us all,” adding that “We shall miss her terribly.”

The Danish monarch also asked for a moment of silence Saturday evening before a gala performance at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen.

Billboards around the world pay homage to Queen Elizabeth II

Rania Soetirto

Displayed in a solid black background, images of the queen in her earlier years and in her 90s accompanied by the queen’s initials could be seen across buildings in Manila, Philippines.

This is one of the many tributes seen across the world as people continue to commemorate the queen’s legacy.

Live updates as Queen arrives in Edinburgh after leaving Balmoral

In bright sunshine, the hearse carrying the late monarch passed through the gates of the royal residence which was the summer refuge for the former head of state.

• Updated 20:53, 11 SEP 2022

Well-wishers in Edinburgh and across Scotland will have a chance to say goodbye to the Queen on Sunday as her coffin left Balmoral on a six-hour journey to Edinburgh, where it will lie at St Giles' Cathedral.

The Princess Royal and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence were part of the procession travelling in a limousine directly behind the late Queen.

READ MORE - All the Edinburgh roads closed or partially closed ahead of Queen's arrival

Her oak coffin had been carried to the vehicle by six of the Balmoral estate's gamekeepers, who were tasked with the symbolic gesture.

Draped with the Royal Standard of Scotland and with a wreath of flowers on top, it had remained at rest in the Balmoral ballroom so the late monarch's loyal estate workers can say their last goodbyes.

Now with a single motorbike outrider leading the way and six vehicles following, the hearse travelled at a stately pace through the stunning Aberdeenshire countryside.

Edinburgh mourners warned they could be standing for 'long periods'

Prince andrew confirms what will happen to queen's corgis following her death.

Members of the Royal Family have confirmed what will happen to some of the Queen's beloved corgis following her death.

On Thursday, September 8, Buckingham Palace announced the passing of Queen Elizabeth II , with tributes flooding in from mourners around the globe.Sharing some of their favourite memories of the monarch, many had begun to ask what would happen to Her Majesty's dogs , with the 96-year-old known for her fond affection of them.

You can read the full story here .

How you can visit the Queen as she lies in rest in Edinburgh

Her Majesty The Queen will lie at Rest at St Giles’ Cathedral following the Service before the Coffin’s journey to London. Members of the public who wish to do so will be able to view the Coffin at Rest and pay their respects. This is anticipated to begin around 17:00 on Monday 12 September and conclude the following afternoon.

There is expected to be a high level of interest and a queuing system will be in place. Further details will be made available shortly. Please be aware that this is likely to involve standing for a number of hours in potentially challenging weather conditions, so come prepared.

Security checks will be in place at St Giles’ and certain restrictions will apply on mobile phones. Photography and recording is not permitted.

The queue will pass a number of locations where refreshments can be bought.

Daniel Craig reflects on 'incredible' 007 comedy sketch with Queen Elizabeth II

Daniel Craig has reflected on his 'incredible' experience with the Queen following the announcement of her death this week.

Tributes for Queen Elizabeth II have flooded in from around the world since the news of her passing was confirmed on Thursday, at the age of 96. With many looking back on their encounters with the longest ever-reigning British monarch, James Bond star Daniel Craig shared his experience with Her Majesty.

You can read the full story here.

Lothian Buses thank locals for 'understanding' following disruption

Travel warning issued for monday, september 12, what time is the queen's procession on monday.

On Monday 12 September Her Majesty’s Coffin will be borne in Procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles’ Cathedral. In addition to the official party, it will be flanked by The King’s Bodyguard for Scotland (Royal Company of Archers) and the Guard of Honour.

There will be a Service to celebrate the life of The Queen and her connection to Scotland at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh on Monday 12 September at 3pm.

Those represented include members of the public, friends, family members and representatives from the charities and organisations The Queen was affiliated to in Scotland.

Scottish Government issue advice to those attending Edinburgh events

Queen's coffin will rest in holyrood throne room, princess royal curtseys to her mother on arrival in edinburgh.

Princess Anne was seen curtseying to her mother, Queen Elizabeth II, upon her arrival at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Queen's cortege passes huge crowds on Royal Mile

Queen's coffin carried into Palace of Holyroodhouse

Mourners pay their respects in Edinburgh

Ukrainian refugee Daria Oskolkova said she turned out to see "the Queen off on her final journey" as her coffin made its way along the Royal Mile.

"It was very emotional to be here," said the 38-year-old who now lives in Glasgow.

Adriana Vraghici, from Edinburgh, described the event as a "monumental day".

"The Queen has been part of our lives for so long, it's just nice to be so close, seeing the coffin, because she has been such an important part of our lives," said the 25-year-old, who added: "She has served the country in such an amazing way".

Queen Elizabeth's cortege has arrived at Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh

Queen Elizabeth's cortege has arrived at Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh - as the body of the longest British monarch will lay in rest overnight.

The Royal Family leader died on Thursday aged 96 at her Scottish home of Balmoral Castle, after being placed under medical supervision that morning.

The newly crowned King Charles III, his wife Camilla Parker-Bowles and the Queen's daughter Princess Anne were at her side when she passed away.

A statement by the Palace was later released at 6.30pm confirming her death, resulting in a national period of mourning

Her Majesty's coffin will lie at rest in the throne room of the Palace of Holyroodhouse

Her Majesty's coffin will lie at rest in the throne room of the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Mourners wishing to pay their respects to the late Queen will be able to view her coffin from 5pm on Monday, September 12, it has been confirmed.

A queuing system will be in place with security checks and restrictions on mobile phones will apply. Photography and recording is strictly prohibited.

Officials say weather conditions may be challenging and members of the public who wish to pay their respects should expect to be standing for a number of hours due to anticipated demand.

The official cortege left Balmoral around 10am on Sunday morning and made the long journey to Edinburgh, passing through other cities on the way.

Scotrail issues warning to travellers

The hearse bearing the queen's coffin has arrived at the palace of holyroodhouse.

The hearse bearing the Queen's coffin has arrived at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh where it will remain overnight, following the journey by road from Balmoral.

The Queen's coffin arrives in Edinburgh

As the royal convoy travelled down the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, the crowd fell silent in respect for the Queen as her coffin passed.

A woman has been arrested after a protester was seen holding an anti-monarchist sign ahead of the Accession Proclamation of the King in Edinburgh

A woman has been arrested after a protester was seen holding an anti-monarchist sign ahead of the Accession Proclamation of the King in Edinburgh.

A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said: "A 22-year-old woman was arrested outside St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh, on Sunday 11 September, 2022 in connection with a breach of the peace."

Thousands of people have gathered in the city ahead of the arrival of the Queen’s cortege.

It departed Balmoral at 10am as Her late Majesty left the estate for the last time, accompanied by the Princess Royal.

The 96-year-old's coffin has been draped with the yellow Royal Standard of Scotland with a wreath of flowers on top.

A large number of Edinburgh schools will finish at midday to allow pupils and staff time to return home safely

There will be significant travel disruption along the route of the Queen’s coffin on the afternoon of Tuesday 13 September. Police Scotland will be putting in place numerous road closures from 1pm which will cause significant disruption across the city. As a result, a number of schools and early years centres along the route will close early from 12 noon to allow pupils and staff time to return home safely before the Police Scotland closures are in place. We apologise for any inconvenience this will cause. However, you will appreciate these are exceptional times. All schools will open on Wednesday 14 September as normal. The schools and early years centres affected are Early years centres

• Cammo Kindergarten
• Fox Covert Early Years Centre
• Lauriston Kindergarten

Primary schools

• Davidson’s Mains
• East Craigs
• Flora Stevenson
• Stockbridge
• St Andrew’s Fox Covert

High schools

• St Augustine’s
• St Thomas of Aquin’s
• The Royal High School

Special schools

The following schools and nursery will be closed on Monday 12 and Tuesday 13 September 2022

• Royal Mile Primary School
• Abbeyhill Primary School
• Cowgate Early Years Centre

A word from our reporter on the scene - Jacob Farr

Normally when thousands of people pack the streets of the Royal Mile you would be overcome by the buzz and chatter.

But today there is a somber mood. At certain sections of the Mile you could hear a pin drop as residents and tourists alike reflect on the life of The Queen.

Thousands upon thousands have turned out to say their final farewell to a woman synonymous with the United Kingdom.

So far today we have spoken with a mother and daughter who travelled from Harrogate over the weekend to be in Edinburgh to pay their respects to the queen.

One man, Dennis, said he had travelled from Wales to be here today and that he would again travel to London in order to say farewell to the former Monarch that he adored.

We also caught up with an ex-RAF servicemen who said that members of the armed forces always turn out for one of their own.

From Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse the streets are packed with mourners.

As someone born and raised in Edinburgh I’ve never seen a sight like it.

Royal onlooker: 'It's terrible people booed King Charles III in Edinburgh'

Ann Hamilton, 48, said she thought it was "terrible" that people booed the royal family during the proclamation of King Charles III in Edinburgh.

Ms Hamilton, who travelled from Dumfries to watch the event, told the PA news agency: "I thought it was absolutely terrible.

"There's tens of thousands of people here today to show their respect. For them to be here, heckling through things, I think it was terrible. If they were so against it, they shouldn't have come.

"Once everyone was singing God Save the King with their full voices, it was drowning them out."

The Queen's coffin will travel by procession to St Giles' Cathedral, accompanied by King Charles III and members of the Royal Family on Monday

The Queen's coffin will travel by procession to St Giles' Cathedral, accompanied by King Charles III and members of the Royal Family on Monday as the period of national mourning continues.

The Queen's body will lie in rest at St Giles' and members of the public will be able to view her coffin, which will remain under continuous vigil for 24 hours. Earlier in the day, The King will visit Westminster Hall, where both Houses of Parliament will meet to express their condolences.

Accompanied by Camilla, the Queen Consort, the King will then travel by air to Edinburgh. The trip is part of Operation Spring Tide, the codename for his first trip around all four nations of the United Kingdom as king.

The King will then return to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where he will have an audience with Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. He and the Queen Consort will then attend the Scottish Parliament where they will receive a motion of condolence.

Loganair warn customers flights may be 're-timed or combined'

Speaking on Sunday, Loganair warned their passengers that some of their services had been 're-timed or combined', with those expected to travel on September 13 urged to check their flight details.

The airline said: "If you’re travelling with us to or from Edinburgh on Tuesday 13 September, some Loganair flights have been re-timed or combined due to closure of the airport during the late afternoon to enable HM The Queen’s final journey from Scotland to take place.

"If your flight is impacted, we will email you today using the contact details held in your booking. If your flight is operating as normal, please do be aware that there will be several road closures and likely more traffic than normal, so please allow extra time."

American tourist tells our reporter they are saddened by The Queen's death

Corgis spotted in the crowd.

Airspace at Edinburgh Airport will close for a limited period of time on Tuesday afternoon

A spokesperson for Edinburgh Airport told Edinburgh Live: “The airspace around the airport will close temporarily on Tuesday afternoon. “The airport will remain open and passengers should check with their airline for any updates to their flight.” More updates on this story as we get it

The BBC will press pause on its extensive coverage of The Queen's death on Sunday evening

The BBC will press pause on its extensive coverage of The Queen's death on Sunday evening as programming returns to a more familiar pattern, with likes of the Antiques Roadshow and The Capture set to air.

Ever since an announcement came in on Thursday afternoon that The Queen was 'under medical supervision' at Balmoral after doctors had raised concerns for her health, BBC One has dedicated all of its airtime to Her Majesty, with newsreader Huw Edwards having the difficult job of announcing her death to the nation a few hours later.

Since Queen Elizabeth II's passing, at the age of 96, BBC One has cancelled a number of shows and moved others, including coverage of Sunday's Great North Run to BBC Two as momentous occasions like the new King Charles III's first public address, his formal proclamation as monarch and The Queen's coffin leaving Balmoral for Edinburgh have ben given prominence on the main channel.

But, an update from the BBC Media Centre confirmed that the news coverage was be halted by early evening, with Countryfile going ahead in its usual just after teatime slot.

The long-running programme is scheduled to be on at 6, kicking off a few hours of normal programming, which will also include the Antiques Roadshow at 7pm, Frozen Planet II at 8pm and the penultimate episode of The Capture series 2 at 9pm.

One family travelled from Yorkshire to Edinburgh to pay their respects

We speak to a veteran who travelled for the ceremony today.

• Most Recent

Public to line streets as Queen's coffin leaves Balmoral for Edinburgh - here's the route it will take

The first step on the Queen's journey back to London begins with ceremonies in Edinburgh, where the first members of the public will be able to see her coffin and pay their respects. Senior royals will keep watch in the evening in the 'Vigil of the Princes'.

Sunday 11 September 2022 10:06, UK

Thousands are expected to turn out on the streets of Scotland later as the Queen's coffin is driven from Balmoral to Edinburgh.

Six gamekeepers from the estate will lift it into a hearse at 10am, with the journey expected to take about six hours.

She will rest at Edinburgh's Holyroodhouse - the monarch's official Scottish residence - to allow staff to pay their respects.

Live updates: William, Kate, Harry and Meghan reunite - as Queen's coffin to take first step in journey to London

The public will get their first chance to see the coffin at rest on Monday, when it moves to the city's St Giles' Cathedral.

Today's road journey will:

• Reach Ballater at around 10.12am • Make its way through Aboyne, Banchory, Peterculter • Arrive in Aberdeen at around 11.20am, moving through the city's suburbs • Move through Porthleven, Stonehaven before heading inland • Head through the Angus countryside and past Brechin • Arrive in Dundee at around 2.15pm, where it will go around the city on the Kingsway • Head towards Perth, across the Friarton Bridge and down the M90 • Go over the Queensferry Crossing towards Edinburgh • Enter Edinburgh from the west, skirt by Edinburgh Castle • Down the full length of the Royal Mile to the Palace of Holyroodhouse by about 4pm

Watch Sky News live from 10am as a cortege takes the coffin from Balmoral to Edinburgh.

The Queen's coffin will remain overnight in the Throne Room at Holyroodhouse, before the King and Queen Consort join a procession to the cathedral on Monday afternoon.

Public viewing of the coffin begins at 5pm on Monday but people have been warned of long waits, and photography and recording is strictly prohibited.

The King and other senior royals will keep constant watch around the coffin, known as the Vigil of the Princes, from 7.20pm on Monday.

Princess Anne will fly to London with her mother's body on Tuesday.

The events in Scotland are the first meticulously planned steps leading to the funeral in Westminster Abbey on Monday 19 September - a day that will be a bank holiday.

Read more Day-by-day guide to what happens until Queen's funeral From school bullies to Diana tragedy - the events that shaped Charles

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King proclaimed in historic ceremony

On Saturday, Charles III was officially proclaimed King in an ancient ceremony at St James's Palace in London.

The Accession Council meeting took place in front of Privy Counsellors including Prince William, the Archbishop of Canterbury and six former prime ministers.

Standing before the throne, the King said his mother's reign was "unequalled in its duration, dedication and devotion".

The ceremony included trumpeters, a rendition of the national anthem and "three cheers for the King". An hour later, a second proclamation was read at the Royal Exchange in the City of London .

Prince Andrew and the Queen's other children and grandchildren had earlier come together to look at the flowers left for the Queen at Balmoral.

"We've been allowed one day, now we start the process of handing her on," Andrew said as he thanked well-wishers.

Several members of the family were seen wiping away tears as they read the public's messages.

There was also a touching tribute from Prince William as the new heir paid tribute to his "Grannie" in a statement published on Twitter.

"She was by my side at my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life," he said.

"I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real."

The prince said he was grateful his children got to spend precious years in her company, creating "memories that will last their whole lives".

Read more: King reveals new signature - and appears to show royal cypher Line of succession - who's now closer to the throne Leave your tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

Princes set aside rift in show of unity

However, it was an unscheduled event that made most newspaper front pages on Sunday - with William and Prince Harry seemingly putting aside their rift to meet the public in Windsor .

The brothers were joined by Kate and Meghan and the couples greeted people for over 45 minutes on the town's Long Walk.

It's understood Prince William reached out to his brother with the hope of putting on a show of unity after their much-publicised falling out of the last few years.

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The King had set the tone on Friday when he stopped outside Buckingham Palace to meet the public - a move that was widely praised - and one he repeated on Saturday near Clarence House .

One of his first engagements is an audience with the Commonwealth secretary-general at Buckingham Palace on Sunday, before later meeting high commissioners from countries where he is head of state.

Looking ahead to next week, the Queen's coffin will be taken to Buckingham Palace after it lands in London on Tuesday, allowing staff to pay their respects.

It will then be taken to Westminster Hall on Wednesday, and on Thursday four clear days of lying in state begin - with hundreds of thousands expected to file past the coffin.

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Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022) Scotland Says Goodbye to the Queen

Thousands lined the route her coffin traveled through Edinburgh to St. Giles Cathedral, where mourners filed past to pay their final respects. The queen’s body will be flown on Tuesday to London, where it will lie in state.

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• Edinburgh Pool photo by Odd Andersen
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• Edinburgh Phil Noble/Reuters

Stephen Castle

Jackie Curran stood in line for more than four hours to pay her respects, but she said it was worth the wait. “Normally when you go into a cathedral it’s cold, but it felt warm," she said. “Nice and serene.” Her mother-in-law, Margaret Curran, said Scotland gave the queen “a good send-off.” “Scotland did her proud,” she said.

Sophie Macpherson-Crosse, a civil servant originally from England who lives in Edinburgh, said she had waited about five hours before passing by the queen's coffin in St. Giles’ Cathedral. “It felt somber, but also there was a feeling of love,” she said.

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King Charles and the other members of the royal family have left the vigil at St. Giles’ Cathedral, where a stream of visitors waited hours to file past the queen’s coffin to pay their respects.

The queen’s other children — Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward — are also taking part in the vigil, standing in silence by the coffin.

King Charles III and Camilla, the queen consort, have returned to St. Giles’ Cathedral to take part in a vigil by Queen Elizabeth’s coffin. Already people have been filing past, and long lines of those hoping to pay their respects have built up outside.

Not everyone is supporting the royal family during this period of mourning. Proclamations of “God save the king!” in Edinburgh on Sunday prompted some shouts of disapproval from the crowd.

Yonette Joseph

No bears or balloons as tributes to the queen, please. And skip the marmalade sandwiches, too.

Amid the outpouring of grief after the death of Queen Elizabeth II at 96, Britons have laid many a tribute in parks and outside palace gates in England. But the charity responsible for all the royal acres in the land has a plea:

Bouquets of flowers are ever so lovely, but please skip the teddy bears and balloons.

The charity, Royal Parks , asks well-wishers to bring only “organic or compostable material” to the designated site for tributes to the queen, in Green Park near Buckingham Palace.

Mourners have already contributed stuffed Paddington Bears, a marmalade sandwich in a plastic bag , a tea set, rubber ducks shaped like the queen and plastic flamingos outside the palace, all in honor of the late monarch.

Paddington is an especially popular tribute because of a video released around the time of Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee in June, in which the queen and the bear have tea and discuss keeping marmalade sandwiches on hand for emergencies. (He keeps one in his hat; she, supposedly, kept one in her purse.)

But Royal Parks says mourners should choose their tributes “in the interests of sustainability.” Any form of floral tribute is acceptable, but wrappings should be removed and put in the trash, the charity said.

“Removing the wrapping will aid the longevity of the flowers and will assist in subsequent composting,” the charity said.

As for candles, Royal Parks advises: “It will not be possible to light candles in the parks. Lit candles will be extinguished and periodically removed.”

In brief remarks to Scotland’s Parliament, King Charles said his mother had the “greatest admiration” for the Scottish people. He added that he was determined to follow her “inspiring example” and maintain the principles of constitutional government.

After meeting privately with Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, King Charles III is receiving condolences from Scotland’s Parliament.

After a pause following the queen's death, Premier League soccer matches will resume this weekend. But the league said some matches will be further delayed because of events surrounding the queen’s funeral: Chelsea-Liverpool, Manchester United-Leeds United and Brighton & Hove Albion-Crystal Palace.

Peter Robins

What is a constitutional monarchy?

LONDON — One topic was at the heart of King Charles III’s address to the British Parliament on Monday, and, many experts would say, of almost all his public statements and actions since the death of Queen Elizabeth: upholding Britain’s system of constitutional monarchy.

He ended his speech by recalling his mother’s promise to “maintain the precious principles of constitutional government which lie at the heart of our nation,” and by vowing to follow her example.

For some foreign observers, that has raised the question: How can you have a constitutional monarchy when you don’t have a written Constitution?

While Britain does not have a single constitutional document like the one ratified by the United States in 1788 — or the one rejected by Chilean voters earlier this month — it still has laws and carefully documented traditions that together form a Constitution, one that binds the king.

These rules have accumulated in centuries of legislation and a surrounding mass of convention. (The explanation of Britain’s constitutional monarchy provided by the House of Lords Library begins with Magna Carta in 1215, and the initial restraints on royal power, and continues though a thicket of legal dates to 1701, when Parliament intervened in the royal succession.)

Together, they make the king a constitutional monarch: an embodiment of power and statehood with no personal public role in politics, and tight constraints even on private influence.

Charles acknowledged those conventions to lawmakers by beginning with praise of “vital parliamentary traditions,” linking them to the vaulted medieval timber roof of Westminster Hall, the parliamentary building in which he spoke.

Constitutional traditions came under some strain in Parliament in recent years, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson sought to drive through his legislation on leaving the European Union. One use of executive powers, a weekslong suspension of Parliament , drew a rebuke from Britain’s Supreme Court.

“Our constitution basically depends on very British sentiments of decency and fair play, and it assumes people who reach high office will respect conventions, precedents and unwritten rules,” Professor Meg Russell, the director of the Constitution Unit at University College London, told The Times in 2019 .

The queen, by contrast, maintained the popularity of the monarchy in part by what her son described to lawmakers on Monday as “unsurpassed devotion” to a tradition of restraint.

That’s one reason that Charles raised eyebrows in his long decades as Prince of Wales . He publicly championed what might otherwise have seemed an innocuous set of causes: the environment, organic farming, complementary medicine, traditional architecture. He touched on the matter in his very first address as monarch last week, saying: “It will no longer be possible for me to give so much of my time and energies to the charities and issues for which I care so deeply.”

He would leave all that, he said, “in the trusted hands of others.” After the example of his mother, it may be what the British Constitution has come to require.

The thanksgiving service has ended. Next, the new king will meet Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, then hear messages of condolence in the Scottish Parliament. The queen’s coffin will remain at St. Giles’ Cathedral, where thousands are expected to file past it in the next 24 hours.

Natasha Frost

New Zealand will probably be a republic one day, but not now, its leader says.

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II last week, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand reaffirmed her support for the country to eventually become a republic, but said it was not an urgent issue for her government to pursue.

“I do believe that is where New Zealand will head in time,” she told reporters on Monday. Ms. Ardern’s comments came a day after she expressed support for the new British sovereign, King Charles III.

“King Charles has long had an affection for Aotearoa New Zealand and has consistently demonstrated his deep care for our nation,” using the Maori and English names for the country at a proclamation ceremony for the new head of state. That relationship is “deeply valued by our people,” she said, and added: “I have no doubt it will deepen.”

New Zealand has had few publicly republican leaders before Ms. Ardern. But she is unlikely to shepherd in a referendum on the matter. “I believe it’s likely to occur in my lifetime, but I don’t see it as a short-term measure or anything that is on the agenda anytime soon,” she said on Monday, citing a lack of “urgency.”

Former British colonies around the world have begun to re-examine their relationship with the monarchy in the wake of the queen’s death. On Saturday, the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda announced plans to hold a referendum on becoming a republic within three years. That follows in the footsteps of another Caribbean nation, Barbados, which last year voted to remove Queen Elizabeth as head of state .

“This is a matter that has to be taken to a referendum for the people to decide,” Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda said. Charles III serves as head of state for 15 countries, including Britain.

In New Zealand, there appears to be little public appetite for a major constitutional change away from the monarchy. In a 2021 poll, just one third of New Zealanders surveyed said they would support abandoning the country’s ties to the royal family, while a proposal in 2016 to remove the Union Jack from New Zealand’s flag was roundly defeated .

New Zealand’s Indigenous population has a complex relationship with the British monarchy. In 1840, Maori chiefs joined with representatives of the British monarchy to sign the Treaty of Waitangi, a legal document that has played a key role in the relationship between New Zealand’s government and the Maori population. “They’ve always seen the monarch as the other partner in the Treaty of Waitangi, so that relationship has always been important,” said Jock Phillips, a New Zealand historian.

Earlier this year, Te Pati Maori, a minority party that seeks to represent the interests of New Zealand’s Indigenous population, called for the British royal family to be removed as head of state.

“This is an opportunity to rebalance the scales of power,” Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, a co-leader of the party, said at the time.

Republicanism is more entrenched in Australia, which has a larger population of Irish descent, Dr. Phillips said, and it was hard to know what might bring on a more active debate in New Zealand. “If Australia were to become a republic, I think that would precipitate a much more intense discussion,” he said.

There is some evidence that public sentiment is shifting. During her reign, the queen made 10 visits to New Zealand: In 1953, her first visit to the country, some 75 percent of New Zealanders made an effort to see her. In her most recent trip in 2002, those crowds had dwindled, Dr. Phillips said. “We’re simply not that tied into Britain,” he said.

The crown of Scotland has been placed next to the wreath on the queen’s coffin, which is covered by a royal standard. It’s another moment of ceremony on a day full of tradition and the kind of carefully choreographed protocol at which Britain excels.

The coffin has arrived at St. Giles’ Cathedral for a service of thanksgiving. Apart from members of the royal family, attendees include Liz Truss, the British prime minister; Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister; as well as members of military, veterans, and other officials. Representatives from many other organizations and faith groups are also attending.

The hearse carrying the queen’s coffin is moving at a slow walking pace through the ancient streets of Edinburgh, flanked by a Scottish military guard. Despite some sporadic applause from the crowd, there is a respectful hush in the city’s main streets as it pays its respects to Queen Elizabeth II.

King Charles III is now walking behind his mother’s coffin as it begins its journey from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St. Giles’ Cathedral. Also in the procession are the king’s sister, Princess Anne, and two brothers, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. Earlier there was a ceremony in which the king was presented with the keys to the city of Edinburgh.

The queen’s coffin has now been brought from the throne room at the Palace of Holyroodhouse to the hearse in which it will make the short journey up the Royal Mile to St. Giles’ Cathedral, first for a religious service, then to rest there overnight.

Mark Landler

Prince Andrew will join memorial ceremonies, but not in military uniform.

LONDON — Prince Andrew’s role in the public ceremonies for his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, is a sensitive issue, given that he has been largely exiled from public life because of his ties to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein .

Buckingham Palace appears to be trying to strike a balance, disclosing on Monday that Andrew would march in processions and take part in vigils for his mother. But because he is no longer a working royal, he will not wear a military uniform, officials from the palace said, unlike his elder brother, King Charles III, or his younger brother, Prince Edward.

The palace said Andrew, who served in the Royal Navy during the 1982 Falklands War, would wear a uniform in the final vigil for the queen, held at Westminster Hall, “as a special mark of respect.”

Officials did not say whether Prince Harry would wear civilian dress. He stopped being a working member of the family when he and his wife, Meghan, moved to Southern California in 2020.

Andrew settled a sex abuse lawsuit brought against him by a woman who said she was trafficked to him by Mr. Epstein, who committed suicide in 2019. The palace stripped Andrew of his honorary military titles and royal charities.

The Palace of Holyroodhouse, where King Charles is at present, has played an important role in Scottish history. It was here that King James VI of Scotland learned in 1603, following the death of Queen Elizabeth I, that he had inherited the throne of England, joining the crowns of the two nations.

The king has now arrived at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

King Charles and Camilla, the queen consort, are now driving down the Royal Mile toward the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where his mother’s coffin rested overnight.

King Charles has arrived in Scotland and will now head to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, from where he is expected to follow his mother’s coffin as it is moved to St. Giles’ Cathedral.

In Edinburgh, mourners gathered from the early hours.

EDINBURGH — Mourners gathered in Edinburgh, the Scottish capital, from early morning to await the arrival of King Charles III and the transfer of his mother’s coffin from the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the royal residence, along the Royal Mile to St Giles’ Cathedral.

By midmorning, huge crowds lined the narrow streets of the center of the city, cramming behind barriers erected along the route the procession will take.

After attending a religious service at the cathedral, the king is scheduled to hold an audience with Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, and will then receive condolences in the nearby Scottish Parliament.

The queen’s coffin will remain in the cathedral until Tuesday afternoon, when it will be flown to London. That allows people in Edinburgh a little under 24 hours to pay their respects and large numbers are expected to stand in line to do so.

Mourners will be asked not to linger in front of the coffin to allow the maximum number to pass through the cathedral.

In a doorway opposite the cathedral, Marisa Ippolito, a travel counselor from Biggar, about an hour’s drive south of Edinburgh, said that she had arrived at 1 a.m. to identify a place to stand and then returned at around 8 a.m., by which time it had been filled.

“Scotland loved her and she was our queen. My belief is that the queen chose Balmoral to spend her last days,” said Ms. Ippolito, referring to the country estate where the queen spent her summer vacations and where she died last week.

“I believe that she had an ulterior motive to unite the country and that she wanted to spend her last days in Scotland, which she loves to so because she wants to maintain the union,” added Ms. Ippolito.

Callie Waddle, age 10, from Kilmarnock in western Scotland, said she had arrived before 5.30 a.m., persuaded by her father to witness a moment of history. “I came to show some respect to the queen,” she added.

Mandy Geens, from Solihull in central England, was visiting her daughter at university but extended her stay to take part in the events and, hopefully, to pay her respects in person. “She was everyone’s favorite grandmother and I will miss her smile. We feel honored to be here, I said to my husband it was probably fate that we were here at this moment,” she added.

Enjoli Liston

Britain will hold a national minute of silence Sunday night to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, the government announced. The silence will take place at 8 p.m. local time (3 p.m. Eastern) the day before the queen’s funeral to allow the country “to mourn and reflect” on her “life and legacy,” Downing Street said in a statement.

King Charles addresses Parliament, promising to uphold Britain’s Constitution.

LONDON — Under the ancient, vaulted timbers of Westminster Hall, King Charles III addressed Britain’s Parliament on Monday for the first time as sovereign, accepting condolences and pledging to uphold the principles of the country’s constitutional monarchy.

Speaking from the chamber where the body of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, will lie in state later this week, Charles said, “Parliament is the living and breathing instrument of our democracy.”

The ceremony showcased the harmonious and occasionally fraught intersection of British royalty and government. There were expressions of fealty from Parliament to the king and a reciprocal pledge by him to abide by the limits of his constitutional role, which stipulates that he remain above politics.

But the speaker of the House, Lindsay Hoyle, made a wry allusion to more turbulent times. King Charles I was tried on charges of tyranny and treason in Westminster Hall in 1649, and outside it stands a statue of Oliver Cromwell, who led armies on Parliament’s behalf against Charles in the English Civil War and went on to rule the country as lord protector.

“It is perhaps very British,” Mr. Hoyle said, to take note of revolutions in a formal statement to the monarch. That drew a faint smile from the king.

Charles struck a more poignant note, paying tribute to the queen, whom he said was a “pattern to all princes living,” quoting from Shakespeare. He referred to her constancy, symbolized by a stained-glass window that was installed to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

“While very young, her late majesty pledged herself to serve her country and her people and to maintain the precious principles of constitutional government which lie at the heart of our nation,” the king said.

“This vow, she kept with unsurpassed devotion,” Charles said. “She set an example of selfless duty which with God’s help and your counsels I am resolved faithfully to follow.”

King Charles has now departed Westminster Hall. He will now fly to Scotland to lead a procession in Edinburgh, in which the coffin of his mother will be moved from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to lie at rest in St. Giles’ Cathedral.

The king’s address completed, the lawmakers rise to sing, “God save our king.”

Daniel Victor

Prince Harry pays tribute to ‘Granny,’ saying thanks for her ‘infectious smile’ and ‘sound advice.’

Follow the latest news on Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral .

LONDON — In his first public comments since the death of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Harry paid tribute to “Granny” in a statement Monday morning, thanking her for her “sound advice” and her “infectious smile.”

Writing largely as if speaking directly to the queen, Harry, 37, said he was grateful for the time he had spent with her, “from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my commander in chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved great-grandchildren.”

He continued: “I cherish these times shared with you, and the many other special moments in between. You are already sorely missed, not just by us, but by the world over.”

Harry and his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, have had a strained relationship with the royal family, particularly since they stepped back from royal duties in 2020. But Harry was said to have remained close with the queen; the couple, who named their daughter Lilibet after her childhood nickname, paid her a surprise visit in April .

In what was widely perceived as an olive-branch moment, Harry and Meghan made a rare joint appearance on Saturday with William and Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales, as the two brothers and their wives greeted crowds outside Windsor Palace.

Harry’s full statement is below.

In celebrating the life of my grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen — and in mourning her loss — we are all reminded of the guiding compass she was to so many in her commitment to service and duty. She was globally admired and respected. Her unwavering grace and dignity remained true throughout her life and now her everlasting legacy. Let us echo the words she spoke after the passing of her husband, Prince Philip, words which can bring comfort to all of us now: “Life, of course, consists of final partings as well as first meetings.” Granny, while this final parting brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings — from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my commander in chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved great-grandchildren. I cherish these times shared with you, and the many other special moments in between. You are already sorely missed, not just by us, but by the world over. And as it comes to first meetings, we now honor my father in his new role as King Charles III. Thank you for your commitment to service. Thank you for your sound advice. Thank you for your infectious smile. We, too, smile knowing that you and grandpa are reunited now, and both together in peace.

Patrick Kingsley

Anti-monarchists tread lightly after queen’s death, but their goal persists.

LONDON — When Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday , the most prominent anti-monarchist movement in Britain did what it had been planning to do for years upon her death: It lay low.

Republic , a group founded in 1983 that campaigns for an elected head of state and wants the monarchy abolished, instead released a short statement of condolence to the royal family that acknowledged its right to grieve and pledged to avoid further commentary for the immediate future.

Normal business then tentatively resumed on Saturday, when Republic criticized King Charles III’s formal accession to the throne as undemocratic, while still expressing “every sympathy for King Charles” as he mourned his mother.

“It’s just a sensible thing to do, really,” said Graham Smith, Republic’s chief executive. “Let all this run its course, and we will get into the more serious things later.”

This is the careful line that Britain’s leading anti-monarchists, known as republicans, believe they must tread in the early days of the new reign — balancing long-term opportunity with short-term pitfalls.

Polling shows that Britons are far less enamored with Charles than with his mother, providing republican campaigners with their biggest chance to build momentum in a quarter-century. But they are wary of alienating potential supporters by appearing to be unmoved by the outpouring of grief for the queen.

The United Kingdom or the nation that dominates it, England, has been led by a hereditary monarchy for more than nine centuries, barring a brief period of republican rule in the 1600s.

While monarchs gradually ceded governing power to Parliament over the centuries, it still governs in the monarch’s name, and the king or queen still plays a significant if almost entirely symbolic role in important British functions: the transition from one government to another, the administration of the Church of England and the judicial system.

Republican campaigners want to change all of that — by replacing a hereditary king or queen with an elected president.

Since the end of the short-lived British republic in 1660, the concept has rarely, if ever, attracted significant popular support, but it has had its moments. Thomas Paine, the anti-monarchist philosopher whose writing helped build the intellectual underpinnings of the American Revolution, was born in Britain and wrote at least one of his major works there.

Much more recently, in 1991, Tony Benn, a prominent left-wing lawmaker, tried to get Parliament to vote to abolish the monarchy. In 2000, The Guardian newspaper led a campaign for the creation of a republic, hoping to spur public debate.

Both efforts failed. And for years, campaigners have known that the accession of King Charles — more awkward and opinionated than his mother, and less popular — would represent their best chance of garnering support for their cause.

Polling in May showed that Charles’s national approval rating stood at 65 percent, 21 points lower than the queen’s.

Charles has “neither the kind of celebrity, the kind of charisma or the kind of authority of years that Elizabeth had,” said David Edgerton , a historian of 20th-century British history.

For now, most British republicans are biding their time.

One protester disrupted a proclamation on Sunday in Oxford about the king’s accession, leading to his arrest, while another was arrested in Edinburgh in a separate incident. But republicans have otherwise mostly left the streets to the thousands of mourners and well-wishers.

The Green Party, one of the few British political parties to include opposition to the monarchy’s political role in its manifesto , called the queen’s death “a moment of great sadness for our nation,” avoiding any hint of criticism.

Opponents of the monarchy who have taken a less diplomatic position — criticizing the public for falling victim to establishment groupthink, for example — have been called out by other republicans for estranging would-be allies. “A republicanism that has no faith in the public is no republicanism at all,” wrote one columnist in Spiked, a libertarian online magazine that opposes the monarchy but often takes potshots at what it often sees as the “woke left.”

Still, some see an opportunity once the queen is buried and the public’s focus shifts to Charles.

“We will be campaigning pretty hard from not long after the funeral through to the coronation,” said Mr. Smith, the head of Republic. The queen, he said, was a “heat-shield that deflected a lot of criticism, and you just don’t get that with Charles.”

“It’s going to be a very much easier campaign to run,” Mr. Smith added.

While the queen was generally seen as a paragon of personal virtue, Charles’s judgment and propriety has been the subject of perpetual scrutiny from his time as a young prince even up until a few months ago.

Among other controversies, the police announced an investigation in February into allegations that one of Charles’s charities offered to help secure a knighthood and citizenship for a Saudi businessman, in exchange for a large donation. Charles’s spokesman said the royal had been unaware of any deal , and a top aide stepped down under pressure over the transaction.

Charles is also remembered for his fractious divorce during the 1990s from his first wife, Diana, in which the news media often presented him as cold and distant. The public has largely moved on, as has Charles with his second marriage to Camilla, now the queen consort, but the impression that the split created has not entirely dissipated.

Republicanism is also rising among a younger generation of Britons . An estimated 41 percent of Britons 18 to 25 said they wanted an elected head of state, according to polling from 2021 — 15 points higher than in 2019.

Demand for a republic has remained fairly static for decades — the most recent polling suggested nearly 70 percent of Britons support a monarchy, about the same as in the early 1990s .

But some commentators and historians believe that public backing for the monarchy is based less on a strong belief in the institution than on affection for the queen herself — giving republicans a glimmer of hope that they can swing opinion their way.

Much of the current grief for the queen “is a reflection of her particular contribution to the nation and longevity of her reign,” said Professor Edgerton, the historian. “It’s not a reaffirmation of the essence of the hereditary principle or an aristocratic principle — or even, actually, the notion of a constitutional monarchy.”

Part of the queen’s appeal was in the opacity of her beliefs, said Laura Clancy , who researches the public image of the royal family at the University of Lancaster.

The queen revealed little about her personal opinions, creating an aura of mystery about her core beliefs, allowing others to project onto her whatever views they hoped she might hold. Before and after Britain’s exit from the European Union, the inscrutability of the queen’s own position allowed both supporters and critics of Brexit to claim her as their own.

“You couldn’t possibly do that with Charles,” Dr. Clancy said. “Because we know what he thinks about lots of things.”

Charles’s views on architecture, aesthetics and the environment are widely reported. He is seen by some as a meddler, achieving notoriety for sending handwritten messages to government ministers about political matters — messages known as “black spider” letters because of the messiness of his handwriting and the black ink of his pen.

But even if Charles’s accession offers a chance for republicans to construct a different narrative about monarchy, commentators and campaigners say that any success will be slow.

The ruling Conservative Party strongly supports the monarchy. The Labour Party, the largest opposition group, contains prominent republicans, but an elected head of state is not a priority for the party, let alone official policy. Under Keir Starmer, the current Labour leader, the party has sought to build a reputation of sobriety and respect for tradition — an effort that would be undermined by pushing for major constitutional change.

A British republic is still a “very long way off,” Dr. Clancy said. Instead, Charles’s accession offers the chance for a slight shift in discourse.

“Talking about Republicanism in the U.K. is still, actually, quite taboo,” Dr. Clancy said. “Is there going to be a moment when it becomes less taboo? That’s what I feel like is coming.”

Emma Bubola

Official guidance for mourners: Warm clothes, no teddy bears and practice common sense.

Don’t whistle, don’t jump the line, avoid “drunken behavior” and be patient.

Those are just some of the suggestions the British government has for mourners who plan to process by Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin as she lies in state at the Palace of Westminster in London starting on Wednesday.

The palace will open to mourners at 5 p.m. on Wednesday and stay open continuously for more than four days.

Hundreds of thousands of mourners are expected, and the warnings and guidelines the authorities have offered are similar to those issued before top soccer matches or major concerts.

“You will need to stand for many hours, possibly overnight, with very little opportunity to sit down as the queue will be continuously moving,” the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport warned in a statement early Monday. The Times of London predicted a five-mile line and a 20-hour wait .

The official statement said the queen’s closed coffin would rest on a raised platform, called a catafalque, in Westminster Hall, and would be draped in the royal standard with the royal orb and scepter placed on top.

The government expects large crowds, delays on public transportation and road closures around the area. Visitors will go through airport-style security checkpoints, with a bag-drop facility and tight restrictions on what they can take in, including a ban on flowers, candles, soft toys, and photographs inside the Palace of Westminster. Other restrictions — no knives, screwdrivers or fireworks — are more common sense.

Although the weather forecast was for a dry spell in the upcoming days, the government recommended those intending to join the queue to bring warm clothes and an umbrella.

“Do not wear clothes with political or offensive slogans,” the department said in its statement. The government added that mourners should not “bring or erect gazebos or tents” and should not “light barbecues and fires.”

Similar guidance was given for mourners who planned to visit the queen’s “Lying-at-Rest” at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh on Monday and Tuesday. Official guidance published by the Scottish government advised that mourners would be issued with wristbands before walking 1.5 miles to the cathedral. “There is mixed and challenging terrain due to the nature of the Old Town including cobbles, steep incline and uneven surfaces,” it said in a statement .

An earlier version of a headline on this live blog misstated the time and location of the queen’s burial. She will be buried in Windsor, England, after her funeral on Sept. 19, not on Tuesday in Scotland.

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The route of the Queen's final journey from Scotland has been revealed

Several roads will be closed in Edinburgh as thousands are expected to pay their respects.

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Details of the route the Queen’s coffin will take as it leaves Scotland for the last time have been revealed.

Huge crowds are expected to turn out in the capital on Tuesday to pay their final respects to the late monarch as the cortege travels from the Royal Mile to Edinburgh airport.

Queen Elizabeth II is lying in state at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, and council leader Cammy Day said the city would “look back with immense pride” at the role it has played since her death.

Thousands lined the streets on Monday to pay their respects as a procession transported the coffin from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles’ Cathedral.

Members of the public will be able to process past the Queen’s coffin in the church until about 3pm on Tuesday when she will leave Scotland for the final time.

On route to Edinburgh airport from around 4pm, the cortege will travel along Lawnmarket to Johnston Terrace and then on to Castle Terrace and Lothian Road.

From there it will travel along Queensferry Street, Dean Bridge, Queensferry Road, Maybury Road and then Turnhouse Road, before arriving at Edinburgh Airport.

Edinburgh City Council confirmed a number of roads would be closed to the public to allow for the cortege to make the journey.

The Scottish Government have urged people to work from home if they can, and those not wishing to pay their respects in person are being asked to avoid any non-essential travel.

It is warned that there will be significant disruption to travel along the route of the Queen’s coffin with numerous road closures from 1pm. Some schools in Edinburgh will also be impacted and close earlier.

Council leader Cammy Day said: “As a city, we will look back with immense pride at the role we’ve played in hosting these momentous events as the world looked on.

“As we say farewell to Her Majesty, and welcome our new sovereign King Charles III, I want to pay tribute to the incredible support shown by the public and our communities over the past few days, truly capturing the spirit of the Queen and her connection to Scotland and Edinburgh.”

With more disruption expected on Tuesday, he urged people “to continue to bear with us and consider their travel needs”.

He also urged those arriving to pay their respects to the Queen – either at St Giles’ or by lining the route – to dress appropriately for the weather, and be prepared for long periods of standing.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “This will be an extremely busy time in Edinburgh as members of the public come to pay their final respects.

“In light of this, we respectfully ask people to avoid non-essential travel if possible.”

He continued: “Those wishing to line the route should plan ahead taking into consideration local road closures, allowing for extra time and limited facilities. Prepare for long periods of standing and large crowds. Check the weather before you leave and bring water.

“Information on travel can be found at Traffic Scotland, Traveline Scotland, City of Edinburgh Council, Lothian Buses, Edinburgh Tram and ScotRail websites and social media channels. We are encouraging everyone to check for the latest information before finalising their travel plans.”

In addition to roads on the route, extensive closures and diversions of adjoining roads will be in place, including all crossover junctions which, it is warned, will have a knock-on impact on surrounding trunk roads including the M8 and the Edinburgh City Bypass.

The Scottish Government is working with City of Edinburgh Council, Transport Scotland, Police Scotland, ScotRail and other partners to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum, however, lengthy delays are to be expected.

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What time is the Queen’s Edinburgh procession today? Route map and live stream as coffin travels up Royal Mile

The queen's coffin will leave holyroodhouse at 2.35pm, and travel down edinburgh's royal mile.

Mourners in Scotland will get the chance to pay their respects to the Queen today, as her coffin is transported through Edinburgh .

On Sunday her body was taken on a lengthy journey from Balmoral to Edinburgh’s Palace of Holyroodhouse .

A William Purves hearse carried the coffin as it travelled from the Queen’s estate in the rural Scottish Highlands and wound its way through Aberdeen and Dundee before eventually making its way to Edinburgh after a six-hour journey.

Here is everything you need to know about today’s route.

What is the procession route?

The Queen’s coffin will leave Holyroodhouse at 2.35pm, and travel down Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.

It will be transported down the straight road to St Giles’ Cathedral, for a service of thanksgiving, which will start at around 3pm.

This will be attended by the King and Queen Consort, accompanied by other royal family members.

You can watch the procession live from Edinburgh via a stream on this page below:

It will also be airing live on BBC News and Sky News on TV, accessible online  through BBC iPlayer here  and the  Sky News live YouTube stream .

Crowds are expected to line the street as the procession passes, and a series of road closures in Scotland’s capital have already been announced.

The following roads will be closed:

• Blackfriars Street
• Castle Terrace
• Chambers Street
• Carrington Road at Crewe Road South
• Carrington Road at East Fettes Avenue
• Fettes Avenue
• Queens Drive – east of the roundabout (Holyrood Gait entrance)
• Holyrood Park entrance at Meadowbank Terrace
• East Market Street at Junction with Jeffrey Street
• New Street, south of the entrance to Waverley Car Park
• Old Tollboth Wynd
• Calton Road at Abbeyhill Crescent and Leith Street
• Abbeyhill at Abbeyhill Crescent
• Abbeyhill at abbey Lane
• Abbey Mount at Regent Road
• Canongate at St Mary Street / Jeffrey Street
• High Street at George IV / The Mound
• High Street at Cockburn Street
• St Giles Street at North Bank Street
• Johnston Terrace
• Nicolson Street (northbound only) at West Nicholson Street
• Niddry Street
• Queen’s Drive – east of the roundabout (Holyrood Gait entrance)

Police Scotland Deputy Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said: “If you are attending to view the Queen’s cortege, please do not leave your vehicle at the side of the road as this poses a risk to public safety. Please only park in designated areas and follow the directions of stewards and police officers.

“We would also urge people not to stand in unsafe areas and to keep off the carriageway at all times. There will be rolling road closures along the route.”

Traffic Scotland operator manager Stein Connelly added: “Every effort will be made to minimise disruption to the travelling public, but significant delays are expected. Please plan ahead and use public transport where possible. If you absolutely have to travel by car, allow extra time and only park within designated areas.”

For the procession, King Charles III will lead some of the royals on foot. This is expected to include his three siblings, the Duke of York, Earl of Wessex, the Princess Royal, and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.

Other family members, including the Queen consort, are expected to follow in cars.

Members of the public will be able to view the coffin at the cathedral and pay their respects from 5pm for a period of 24 hours as the Queen lies in rest.

Once the service has concluded, the King will then hold audiences with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Alison Johnstone, the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

King Charles and Camilla will then receive a motion of condolence, tabled by the First Minister at the Scottish Parliament, at 5.40pm.

Words of sympathy will be expressed by the Scottish Parliament and the King will offer a reply. The royal couple will later attend a reception.

Where does the coffin go next?

On the afternoon of Tuesday 13 September, the Queen’s coffin will be transported by a Royal Air Force aircraft from Edinburgh Airport, to RAF Northolt. The coffin will be accompanied by the Queen’s only daughter, Princess Anne .

After arriving on Tuesday evening, the coffin will then be taken to Buckingham Palace by road, where it will stay overnight.

On Wednesday, 14 September, a procession will set off from Buckingham Palace.

A gun carriage of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery will carry the coffin through central London to Westminster Hall in the Palace of Westminster, where the monarch is to lie in state.

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Queen Elizabeth Travels to Scotland for Historic Ceremony in First Public Appearance Since Jubilee

The Queen, 96, traveled to Edinburgh by Royal Train and was joined by her son Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex for a ceremony at the Palace of Holyroodhouse

Queen Elizabeth is back in Scotland!

The 96-year-old monarch traveled by Royal Train overnight to Edinburgh and will be based at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, her official residence in the Scottish capital — for the next several days as members of the royal family carry out a series of public duties.

The Queen was pictured smiling and holding her walking cane (which she has used frequently since last fall ) as she appeared for the historic Ceremony of the Keys on Monday morning. During the ceremony, the monarch is handed the keys of the city of Edinburgh and welcomed to "your ancient and hereditary kingdom of Scotland."

Although she has received audiences at her Windsor Castle home in the past week, the outing on Monday marked her first public appearance since her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in early June. The Queen was absent from all five days of Royal Ascot earlier this month — one of her go-to events. The palace also announced on Monday that the Queen will attend an Armed Forces Act of Loyalty Parade in the gardens of Holyroodhouse on Tuesday.

On Monday, the Queen was joined by her youngest son Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, the Countess of Wessex (known by their Scottish titles the Earl and Countess of Forfar when they're in Scotland.)

With pipers and drummers from the Royal Highland Fusiliers and the Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland providing the musical accompaniment for the ceremony, the Queen received the keys, which were presented to her on a red velvet cushion.

During the week, there will be a garden party attended by Prince Charles , Edward and Sophie and Princess Anne , and an investiture ceremony of Scottish people receiving honors from the Queen. She may also hold an audience with the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, but it's unknown how much the Queen will be seen.

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As has become the norm as she battles her ongoing mobility issues , Buckingham Palace only confirmed in the hours beforehand that the Queen had made the journey north to Scotland from Windsor Castle.

For more on Queen Elizabeth, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.

Last week, it emerged that the Queen has been horse-riding again after a hiatus due to "discomfort." A royal source told PEOPLE: "At 96, it's amazing that the Queen has been on her horse."

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King Charles set to resume royal tradition with exciting summer plans

The royal family typically head to balmoral in the summer months.

King Charles is expected to enjoy an extended summer break in Scotland this year, it has been revealed.

According to The Mail on Sunday , the monarch, 75, is set to resume a royal tradition once adopted by the late Queen Elizabeth II which saw the monarch reside at her Scottish bolthole, Balmoral, until the end of September or early October.

As per the publication, His Majesty's aides have reportedly said that Charles is planning to enjoy a longer break in Scotland, possibly staying at the Castle of Mey, and either Birkhall or Balmoral.

In 2023, Charles opted for a different approach, choosing to return to London early. And in late September, King Charles and Queen Camilla departed for their postponed state visit to France.

During their three-day trip, the royal couple visited Paris and Bordeaux with a ceremonial welcome at the Arc de Triomphe and later, a state banquet at the Palace of Versailles.

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The royal family's scottish retreat.

Located over 50,000 remote acres in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Balmoral has long been a deeply private retreat for the royal family. It affords them a great deal of privacy, with the family enjoying walks, picnics, fishing, and barbecues.

The Duke of Edinburgh left a legacy at the property in the form of a large kitchen garden, which is harvested between August and October during the royal family's summer holiday.

It was also regarded as one of the late Queen's favourite residences. In the ITV documentary, Our Queen at Ninety, Princess Eugenie spoke about the wonder of Balmoral.

"It's the most beautiful place on earth," she said, before adding: "I think Granny is the most happy there, I think she really, really loves the Highlands... Walks, picnics, dogs - a lot of dogs, there's always dogs! And people coming in and out all the time.

"Family-wise we're all there, so it's a lovely base for Granny and Grandpa to be - for us to come and see them up there, where you just have room to breathe and run."

Charles and Camilla's busy autumn schedule

In October, King Charles and Queen Camilla are set to visit Samoa and Australia . The couple's last trip Down Under was in 2018, when they represented the late Queen Elizabeth II at the Commonwealth Games.

During their autumn visit, they will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2024. They are also expected to carry out engagements in the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales.

Their tour will not include a stop in New Zealand, however, due to Charles's ongoing treatment for cancer. A Palace spokesperson said: "The King's doctors have advised that a further extension to Their Majesties' trip should be avoided at this time, to prioritise His Majesty's continued recovery."

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King and Queen’s trip to Kenya tops list of most expensive royal trips

The royal family made few foreign trips in the year to March 2024, perhaps reflecting a need to stay closer to home during a period in which both the King and the Princess of Wales spent time in hospital for cancer treatment.

There are 27 separate journeys by royal family members listed in the official report for 2023/24 where travel costs were at least £17,000, only eight of which involved the King.

This includes the most expensive trip in the 12 months to March 2024, the five-day state visit by the King and Queen to Kenya in October and November 2023, which had travel costs totalling £166,557.

The King was also involved in the second and third most expensive trips on the list: a three-day state visit to France with the Queen in September 2023 (£117,942) and a solo two-day journey on the royal train in June 2023 to Pickering in North Yorkshire, to mark the centenary of the Flying Scotsman (£52,013).

Of the five other journeys mentioned in the report that involved the King, the cost is given for four of them:

– A two-day trip to Northern Ireland with the Queen, by plane, in May 2023 (£32,976);

– A day trip to Liverpool with the Queen, by plane, ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest in April 2023 (£23,596);

– A flight from Aberdeen to Farnborough in September 2023, returning to a royal residence (£22,248);

– A flight from Aberdeen to Northolt in October 2023, to attend a reception in London for leaders of African nations (£22,208).

The travel costs of the King’s eighth and final journey on the list, a three-day visit to Dubai in November and December 2023 to attend the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28), is not disclosed, as it was funded by the Foreign Office.

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The most expensive trip not involving the King was a six-day visit by the Princess Royal to Sri Lanka in January 2024, undertaken on behalf of the Foreign Office, with travel costs of £48,112.

Aside from the visits to Kenya, France, Dubai and Sri Lanka, the only other journeys outside the UK to feature on the list are:

– A day trip by the Prince of Wales to Kuwait in December 2023, to pay condolences after the death of Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah (£41,597);

– A two-day visit to Marseille in France by the Prince and Princess of Wales in October 2023, to watch the quarter-final of the Rugby World Cup (£30,975);

– A three-day trip by the Princess Royal to Johannesburg in South Africa in February 2024, to attend the state funeral of the former president of Namibia (funded by the Foreign Office);

– A five-day visit by the Prince of Wales to Singapore in November 2023, to attend the Earthshot Prize ceremony (funded by Earthshot).

Seven of the 27 royal trips listed in the report were carried out by the Princess Royal, four were undertaken by the King, and four involved the King and Queen together.

Three trips were carried out by the Prince of Wales, with a further three by the Prince and Princess of Wales together.

Two trips involved the Duke of Edinburgh, one the Duchess of Edinburgh, one the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh together and one the Duke of Kent.

The Queen appears by herself just once on the list, for the solo trip she made to the Isle of Man and Belfast in March 2024.

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King and Queen’s trip to Kenya tops list of most expensive royal trips

T he royal family made few foreign trips in the year to March 2024, perhaps reflecting a need to stay closer to home during a period in which both the King and the Princess of Wales spent time in hospital for cancer treatment.

There are 27 separate journeys by royal family members listed in the official report for 2023/24 where travel costs were at least £17,000, only eight of which involved the King.

This includes the most expensive trip in the 12 months to March 2024, the five-day state visit by the King and Queen to Kenya in October and November 2023, which had travel costs totalling £166,557.

The King was also involved in the second and third most expensive trips on the list: a three-day state visit to France with the Queen in September 2023 (£117,942) and a solo two-day journey on the royal train in June 2023 to Pickering in North Yorkshire, to mark the centenary of the Flying Scotsman (£52,013).

Of the five other journeys mentioned in the report that involved the King, the cost is given for four of them:

– A two-day trip to Northern Ireland with the Queen, by plane, in May 2023 (£32,976);

– A day trip to Liverpool with the Queen, by plane, ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest in April 2023 (£23,596);

– A flight from Aberdeen to Farnborough in September 2023, returning to a royal residence (£22,248);

– A flight from Aberdeen to Northolt in October 2023, to attend a reception in London for leaders of African nations (£22,208).

The travel costs of the King’s eighth and final journey on the list, a three-day visit to Dubai in November and December 2023 to attend the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28), is not disclosed, as it was funded by the Foreign Office.

The most expensive trip not involving the King was a six-day visit by the Princess Royal to Sri Lanka in January 2024, undertaken on behalf of the Foreign Office, with travel costs of £48,112.

Aside from the visits to Kenya, France, Dubai and Sri Lanka, the only other journeys outside the UK to feature on the list are:

– A day trip by the Prince of Wales to Kuwait in December 2023, to pay condolences after the death of Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah (£41,597);

– A two-day visit to Marseille in France by the Prince and Princess of Wales in October 2023, to watch the quarter-final of the Rugby World Cup (£30,975);

– A three-day trip by the Princess Royal to Johannesburg in South Africa in February 2024, to attend the state funeral of the former president of Namibia (funded by the Foreign Office);

– A five-day visit by the Prince of Wales to Singapore in November 2023, to attend the Earthshot Prize ceremony (funded by Earthshot).

Seven of the 27 royal trips listed in the report were carried out by the Princess Royal, four were undertaken by the King, and four involved the King and Queen together.

Three trips were carried out by the Prince of Wales, with a further three by the Prince and Princess of Wales together.

Two trips involved the Duke of Edinburgh, one the Duchess of Edinburgh, one the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh together and one the Duke of Kent.

The Queen appears by herself just once on the list, for the solo trip she made to the Isle of Man and Belfast in March 2024.