Queen's coffin arrives at Buckingham Palace as crowds gather to pay their respects
LONDON — Thousands of mourners lined up through the night to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II in Edinburgh, Scotland, as the United Kingdom continued a week of pageantry to mark the death of its longest-serving monarch.
The queen's coffin arrived at London's Buckingham Palace on Tuesday night. More than a day before, a line began forming there of those who want a chance to bid farewell to the queen when she lies in state at Parliament later this week.
Meanwhile, her eldest son, King Charles III, is already undertaking the task of shoring up the monarchy throughout the U.K. He traveled to Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Tuesday to meet political leaders, receive condolences and attend a prayer service.
In a sign of how far the territory has come since the height of the "troubles," representatives of Sinn Fein — the Irish nationalist party with historical links to the Irish Republican Army — met the king and attended the memorial events for a queen whose rule they sought to cast off.
Here’s what to know for Tuesday:
- Members of the public viewed the queen's coffin as she lay at rest in Edinburgh's St. Giles' Cathedral.
- The coffin was transported by car to Edinburgh Airport before being flown to RAF Northolt near London.
- A state hearse took the queen's coffin to Buckingham Palace, where mourners have continued to gather to pay their respects.
- The king met dignitaries in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where he was due to attend a prayer service at St. Anne's Cathedral before returning to London.
- A 4-mile queue route was announced for mourners to line up to pay their respects to the queen at the Palace of Westminster between Wednesday evening and Monday morning.
Follow here for live coverage. Queue route announced for mourners paying their respects at the Palace of Westminster