Queen Elizabeth II began her final journey on Sunday, her coffin leaving the royal estate of Balmoral in Scotland for an overnight stay in Edinburgh, greeted by thousands of excited people gathered along the route. She will return to London on Tuesday, before her state funeral on September 19.
The oak coffin, which passed through the Balmoral gates shortly after 11 a.m. (French time), was draped with the royal Scottish standard on which was placed a wreath of white heather, dahlias and sweet peas, sourced from the gardens of the Balmoral estate. .
Thousands of people had crowded along the route, some in mourning, others crushing a tear or bowing their heads as the convoy passed, to greet for the last time the one who had reigned 70 years and 7 months, a familiar and reassuring presence, but always mysterious. , having gone through times and crises imperturbably.
Several people applauded the procession, made up of seven vehicles. Princess Anne, daughter of the late sovereign, had taken her place with her husband Tim Laurence in a limo following the royal hearse.
The hearse will travel 300 km in the east of Scotland
The procession is expected to arrive in Edinburgh, the Scottish capital, around 5:00 p.m., after a journey of almost 300 kilometres. There you will spend the night at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Scottish royal residence. King Charles III is expected there on Monday for a religious ceremony at the Saint-Gilles cathedral, where the coffin will be transferred.
The British had come to Balmoral, for this last tribute to the sovereign who died this Thursday at the age of 96 in her Scottish castle. “Her Majesty of her gave us her life and her time in her own selflessness. Paying tribute to her in a traditional way was a way of thanking her for all she has done,” said Mark Lindley-Highfield, a 47-year-old scholar. years come from Inverness. two hours north by car. For the occasion, he wears a black tailcoat and a top hat.
The hearse first passed through Ballater, the village very close to the castle, where the queen, who had come to Balmoral since her childhood, was well known. The inhabitants made a guard of honor for him, collected, motionless at the edge of the road. Protected by the immensity of the royal domain (more than 20,000 hectares of moors, forests and farmlands) the queen liked to spend the summer there. There he lived a simpler and more relaxed life.
state funeral on September 19
His funeral will take place on September 19 at Westminster Abbey in London, the mecca of royal weddings, coronations and burials for nearly a millennium. It was there that the still only young Princess Elizabeth had married 21-year-old Philip Mountbatten in November 1947. She was also there where she was crowned on June 2, 1953 at the age of 27, 16 months after becoming queen following the death of her father, King George VI, on February 6, 1952.
Dignitaries from around the world are expected, including US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, as well as many royals.
Hundreds of thousands of people will also have to pay their last respects to him at the Palace of Westminster, where his coffin will rest from September 14 to 19, before being transferred to the Abbey for the funeral that will begin at 12:00, declared a public holiday. . in the United Kingdom.
The accession to the throne of King Carlos III
After being proclaimed king on Saturday in London, King Charles III was proclaimed king again on Saturday in the other three constituent countries of the United Kingdom, during ceremonies with an immutable ritual, in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. Twenty-one gunshots were fired at the three locations.
On Saturday, during the proclamation ceremony at Saint James’s Palace in London, he said he was “deeply aware of this great heritage, of the duties and heavy responsibilities of sovereignty, which are now handed down to me”, after welcoming the his mother’s reign. “unsurpassed in duration, devotion, and devotion.”
“As I take on these responsibilities, I will strive to follow the inspiring example I have been given,” he added.
Joint appearance of William and Harry
Her son William, now heir to the throne and Prince of Wales, also paid an emotional tribute to his grandmother.
“She was by my side through my happiest times. And she was by my side through the saddest days of my life. I knew this day would come, but it’s going to take time to get used to the reality of life without Grandma.” an “extraordinary queen, he said on Saturday. I will honor her memory by supporting my father, the king, in any way I can.”
The prince then created a surprise by going with his wife Kate, but also his brother Harry and his wife Meghan to admire the flowers laid in front of Windsor Castle in tribute to Elizabeth II, where the acclaimed quartet took a long bath.
The two couples are notoriously cold. Although Harry and Meghan are now based in California, they had not been seen together in public for more than two years. They all left in the same car, but the faces were closed, the interactions minimal. According to the newspaper sunday timehe had taken “protracted negotiations” behind the scenes between the two camps, delaying his appearance by 45 minutes.
The 96-year-old queen was in poor health
Increasingly fragile in recent months, Queen Elizabeth has dedicated her life to the monarchy. On Tuesday she continued to work, receiving in audience the resigning prime minister, Boris Johnson, and the new prime minister, Liz Truss, whom she had asked to create a new government.
However, the monarch had remained at Balmoral for these audiences, too weak to travel. The last photo of him shows him greeting Liz Truss, smiling and leaning on a cane. The next day, with his health deteriorating, he canceled an online appearance. His death was announced Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
Source: BFM TV
