The procession scheduled for the afternoon in Edinburgh with the coffin of the deceased leads from the royal residence of the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St. Giles, the main church of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. According to British media, Charles and other members of the royal family would be making the journey on foot. The royals then attend a church service. The Scots then have 24 hours to say goodbye to the queen in church.
Charles will also host Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon in Edinburgh. He and his wife Camilla also want to receive condolences in the Scottish Parliament. His trip to Scotland forms part of Operation Spring Tide, which sees Charles as the new king visits all four parts of Britain. The royal couple will therefore travel to Northern Ireland tomorrow, Tuesday; the visit to Wales follows on Friday.
The transfer of the queen’s body by plane to London is also scheduled for Tuesday, where the deceased is expected to stay for several days. On Wednesday, King Charles will lead another funeral procession through the British capital, from Buckingham Palace to Parliament.
From Wednesday (5 pm local time), the coffin will be placed in Westminster Hall of Parliament. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend the wake. A Conservative deputy even spoke of up to two million people on Monday.
The British government recommends that mourners bring weatherproof clothing, sufficient provisions, a cell phone charger and lots of patience. The British public has until the day of the state funeral, on 19 September, to pay the Queen one last visit and bid her farewell. However, a lot of time must be planned for this. “They have to stand for many hours, probably during the night, with few opportunities to sit down because the line will keep moving”, says the information from the Ministry of Culture about the procedures. You should think twice before bringing children. Road closures and disruptions to the transport network are also expected.
The state funeral, to which Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen also wants to travel, is set for September 19. Brits get an extra holiday for this. Until then, national mourning applies; official events and parliamentary operations are suspended.