- King Charles visits Northern Ireland
- The Queen’s coffin to leave Edinburgh for London
- Crowds are already gathering
- London prepared to lie in state
BELFAST/EDINBURGH, Sept 13 (Portal) – King Charles travels to Northern Ireland on Tuesday, leading the mourning for Queen Elizabeth across the four parts of the UK before his mother’s coffin was flown to London in the state four days ago.
People queued overnight to pass the Queen’s coffin, some with them, after a silent vigil attended by Charles, his sister Anne and brothers Andrew and Edward on Monday at St Giles’ Cathedral in the Scottish capital Edinburgh sleeping children.
Charles, 73, is traveling to the four parts of the UK ahead of the Queen’s funeral on September 19. In Northern Ireland, people lined the streets of Hillsborough Castle, the monarch’s official residence, ahead of his visit.
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“We came out to pay our respects to Queen Elizabeth because she was a fantastic queen and very loyal to Northern Ireland and we wanted to be here to welcome the new king,” said Heather Paul, 61, with flowers and one small union flag.
“We think Charles will be a fantastic king, he has had a very long education and I think he will follow in the Queen’s footsteps,” said Paul, who traveled 80km to pay his respects.
He is due to arrive later on Tuesday from Scotland, where he followed the Queen’s coffin up Edinburgh’s Royal Mile and was joined by his siblings for a 10-minute vigil at St Giles’ Cathedral. They stood on the four sides of the coffin, heads bowed, while members of the public walked by.
People queued up overnight to pay their respects, many wearing winter jackets, scarves and woolen hats to keep out the cold.
“We really wanted to be here to show our respect.” said Will Brehme, an Edinburgh engineer, who arrived in the early hours with his partner and their 20-month-old daughter, who is sleeping in a baby carrier.
“It’s a moment that will stay with us forever. Considering she’s worked for us her whole life, that’s the least we can do.”
Elizabeth died Thursday at her holiday home at Balmoral Castle in the Scottish Highlands at the age of 96 after 70 years of rule, plunging the nation into mourning.
‘SPLIT COUNTRY’
Charles, who automatically became king of the United Kingdom and 14 other kingdoms including Australia, Canada and Jamaica, is supported by new Prime Minister Liz Truss. Continue reading
In Belfast he will meet high-ranking politicians and faith leaders and attend a service at the city’s St Anne’s Cathedral before returning to London. Continue reading
“She meant a lot to Northern Ireland here. Unfortunately, as you know, we are quite a divided country, but the Queen has always stood by our side. She never made a mistake,” said Joey McPolin, 77, of Dramore.
“I think to be fair, our friends here in Northern Ireland, we all want to live together, we really do. I think people of different religions recognize the wonderful work she has done. I really hope we all move forward and support our king. “
A potent symbol of the Union, the Queen became a key force for reconciliation with her Irish nationalist enemies in her later years, with her state visit to Ireland in 2011, the first by a female monarch in almost a century of independence.
Charles has also spoken out about the 1979 assassination of his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten, to whom he was very close, in Ireland by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and said the death gave him a deep understanding of the anguish endured by so many were carried people in the country.
“Don’t forget that the Royal Family themselves are deeply affected by the violence in Northern Ireland at their own family and loss,” said Irish Foreign Secretary Simon Coveney.
“I understand that given the complexity of our past and the polarization of political opinion, particularly in Northern Ireland, he would like to see his role as one of protecting, building and strengthening the UK-Ireland relationship,” he told the BBC radio .
SCOTLAND
In Scotland, tens of thousands of mourners turned out to watch the processions along the historic Royal Mile. In London, large crowds have left flowers and messages in the grounds of royal parks.
The Queen’s coffin will leave Scotland for the first time since her death when it is flown to London in the early evening and then driven to Buckingham Palace.
On Wednesday it will be taken in a grand military procession on a gun carriage to Westminster Hall, where a period of state quiet begins until September 19.
Members of the public are allowed to walk past the coffin, which will be surmounted by the Royal Standard flag bearing the orb and scepter of the sovereign, 24 hours a day until the morning of the funeral.
The death of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch has drawn tears and warm tributes, not just from the Queen’s immediate family and across Britain, but from around the world – a reflection of her presence on the world stage for seven decades.
More about Queen Elizabeth
* Queen Elizabeth’s coffin will be flown to London on Tuesday after 24 hours of rest at Edinburgh’s historic cathedral
* Liz Truss is determined to strike the right note in her first days in power
* Find details of events leading up to the funeral here
* A nation fit for a king? The Scots face a new era as the fall of independence looms
* In the reign of Queen Elizabeth, there were enchiladas with Reagan dancing with Ford
* Images from the life of Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s longest reigning sovereign
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writing by Kate Holton, Michael Holden and Elizabeth Piper; Adaptation by Janet Lawrence
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