Thousands queue to pay their respects to the Queen in Edinburgh
Mourners have been queuing her to see Her Majesty's coffin before it's moved to London this evening
Queen's coffin in Edinburgh
Author: Abi SimpsonPublished 13th Sep 2022 Last updated 14th Sep 2022
'Tens of thousands' of mourners have been queuing for hours in Edinburgh to see the Queen's coffin before it's moved to London later today.
Lord Ian Duncan, the Deputy Speaker in the House of Lords, said crowds along the Royal Mile were “ten-deep”, while the streets surrounding the historic precinct were equally crammed with people.
“The sheer quantity of individuals moving into Edinburgh today (indicates) that there will be many tens – possibly even hundreds – of thousands of people who will wish to pay their respects to the late Queen,” Lord Duncan told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Radio National programme on Tuesday morning.
“That is an extraordinary outpouring of respect, grief, celebration of an extraordinary woman.
“By goodness, they were ten-deep. They had to stop people trying to get there because it would have become dangerous.
“The streets around (the Royal Mile) were crammed and now, as people wait to walk past the coffin itself, the expectation of the numbers and the sheer quantity of humanity in Edinburgh today is extraordinary.”
Queues to see the Queen's coffin in Edinburgh overnight
While many people were warned to expect a 12-hour wait to see the monarch’s coffin at St Giles’ Cathedral, those who queued overnight said their wait-time was five or six hours.
Gavin Hamilton from Edinburgh told the PA news agency he was informed upon arrival it would likely be 13 hours before he would have the chance to pay respects to the Queen but it soon became apparent the wait would only be five or six hours.
“It took about five and a quarter hours waiting in line to see her,” he said, adding that he made into the cathedral just before 3am.
“There were people in the queue with me who had travelled from Aberdeen, over 100 miles away, to do this. There were thousands of people in line at 12.30am at the start of the queue.
“The people were still (lining up) after 2.50 am when I got into the cathedral.”
Princess Anne, Earl of Wessex, King Charles and the Duke of York stood vigil last night
Fellow mourner Mitch Stevenson, who queued for just under five hours with his sister, said they were “overwhelmed with the power and emotion of the occasion” after making it into St Giles’ cathedral just after 1am.
The siblings had initially been advised they would likely need to wait 11 hours to see the Queen’s coffin but were not deterred.
“It was a very important occasion for us – we lost our mum earlier this year and she would have loved to have been able to go, so we went for her memory also,” Mr Stevenson told PA.
“We were told (we would need to wait) about 11 hours. We accepted this but later found out it was not the case,” he added. “Some people, including myself, felt it was perhaps a little bit of scaremongering to get the crowd numbers down a bit.”
Members of the public started going into the cathedral at about 6pm, and the procession was temporarily paused to allow the royal family to take part in a short vigil at about 8pm.
Notes tied to barrier outside St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh
Where is the Queen's coffin going today?
Her Majesty's coffin will continue to lie-at-rest in St Giles' Cathedral throughout much of today.
It will leave Edinburgh at around 5pm in a hearse bound for the airport.
Her Majesty's coffin will then be flown from Edinburgh to RAF Northolt in West London, accompanied by the Princess Royal and her husband.
The coffin is expected to land back in England just before 7pm this evening.
It will be met at Buckingham Palace by the King, Queen Consort, and the Prince and Princess of Wales.
The Queen's coffin will then rest overnight in the Bow Room in the palace before a large procession tomorrow afternoon which will see her moved to Westminster Hall where she'll lie-in-state until the funeral on Monday.
Queen Elizabeth II's finest moments
The Coronation
On June 2nd 1953, Princess Elizabeth was crowned Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 27. The coronation was the first to be broadcasted on national television and made for a national occasion of celebration. The televised event was watched by over 8 million households as well as the 8,000 VIP guests that were in attendance at Westminster Abbey to witness the start of the Queen's reign.
Thousands queue to pay their respects to the Queen in Edinburgh
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Her reaction to Lady Diana's death
Though the royal family - and The Queen in particular - were initially criticised for their reaction to Princess Diana's tragic death in 1997, the Queen later bowed to her coffin and said in a touching televised tribute to her, "She never lost her capacity to smile and laugh, nor to inspire others with her warmth and kindness. I admired and respected her for her energy and commitment to others, and especially for her devotion to her two boys."
The Coronation
On June 2nd 1953, Princess Elizabeth was crowned Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 27. The coronation was the first to be broadcasted on national television and made for a national occasion of celebration. The televised event was watched by over 8 million households as well as the 8,000 VIP guests that were in attendance at Westminster Abbey to witness the start of the Queen's reign.
Whenever we see her with her beloved Corgis
"My corgis are family," the Queen has said in the past. The Queen's love of Corgis dates back to when she was just 7-years-old. It was a Pembroke Welsh Corgi named Dookie that her father, King George VI, brought home. She fell in love with the breed so much that she got many more corgis including Jane and Susan who even joined the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh on their honeymoon!
Her marriage to Prince Philip
A young Princess Elizabeth first met her husband-to-be Prince Philip at the age of 8 at the wedding of Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark to Prince George, Duke of Kent. Little did she know then that she would one day marry Duke Philip Mountbatten on 20th November 1947 at Westminster Abbey when she was 21.
Every fashion moment
Over the years, the Queen has got herself to the top of many best dressed lists and is a fashion icon in her own right. From her bright, block colour outfits to her enviable collection of stylish handbags, the Queen always looks the part, whatever the occasion.
When she became the first female member of the Royal Family to join the Armed Services
As Princess Elizabeth, she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) in 1945 becoming the first female member of the Royal Family to join the Armed Services as a full-time active member. In this role she learnt to drive and maintain vehicles. Since then, The Queen has maintained a close relationship with the Armed Forces.
Everytime we see her with her grandchildren
With four children, eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, the Queen is a very proud grandma. Can you name them all? There's Peter, Zara, Prince William, Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise Windsor, James, Viscount Severn, Savannah Phillips, Isla Phillips, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, Mia Tindall and Lena Tindall, Lucas Tindall and August Brooksbank.
Her wicked sense of humour
Many who know the Queen personally have commented on the monarch's razor sharp wit and good humour. Biographer Karen Dolby even wrote a whole book of hilarious Elizabeth-isms, which you can buy here, and she's almost always giggling in photos.
The celebration of her Jubilees
Not many monarchs get to say they've celebrated their Jubilee, but Queen Elizabeth II has got a Silver, Golden and Diamond under her belt. Such is Britain's affection for Her Maj, Jubilees are cause for huge celebration up and down the country, bringing neighbours together for street parties.
Her reaction to Lady Diana's death
Though the royal family - and The Queen in particular - were initially criticised for their reaction to Princess Diana's tragic death in 1997, the Queen later bowed to her coffin and said in a touching televised tribute to her, "She never lost her capacity to smile and laugh, nor to inspire others with her warmth and kindness. I admired and respected her for her energy and commitment to others, and especially for her devotion to her two boys."
The Coronation
On June 2nd 1953, Princess Elizabeth was crowned Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 27. The coronation was the first to be broadcasted on national television and made for a national occasion of celebration. The televised event was watched by over 8 million households as well as the 8,000 VIP guests that were in attendance at Westminster Abbey to witness the start of the Queen's reign.
Whenever we see her with her beloved Corgis
"My corgis are family," the Queen has said in the past. The Queen's love of Corgis dates back to when she was just 7-years-old. It was a Pembroke Welsh Corgi named Dookie that her father, King George VI, brought home. She fell in love with the breed so much that she got many more corgis including Jane and Susan who even joined the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh on their honeymoon!
Her marriage to Prince Philip
A young Princess Elizabeth first met her husband-to-be Prince Philip at the age of 8 at the wedding of Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark to Prince George, Duke of Kent. Little did she know then that she would one day marry Duke Philip Mountbatten on 20th November 1947 at Westminster Abbey when she was 21.
Every fashion moment
Over the years, the Queen has got herself to the top of many best dressed lists and is a fashion icon in her own right. From her bright, block colour outfits to her enviable collection of stylish handbags, the Queen always looks the part, whatever the occasion.
When she became the first female member of the Royal Family to join the Armed Services
As Princess Elizabeth, she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) in 1945 becoming the first female member of the Royal Family to join the Armed Services as a full-time active member. In this role she learnt to drive and maintain vehicles. Since then, The Queen has maintained a close relationship with the Armed Forces.
Everytime we see her with her grandchildren
With four children, eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, the Queen is a very proud grandma. Can you name them all? There's Peter, Zara, Prince William, Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise Windsor, James, Viscount Severn, Savannah Phillips, Isla Phillips, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, Mia Tindall and Lena Tindall, Lucas Tindall and August Brooksbank.
Her wicked sense of humour
Many who know the Queen personally have commented on the monarch's razor sharp wit and good humour. Biographer Karen Dolby even wrote a whole book of hilarious Elizabeth-isms, which you can buy here, and she's almost always giggling in photos.
The celebration of her Jubilees
Not many monarchs get to say they've celebrated their Jubilee, but Queen Elizabeth II has got a Silver, Golden and Diamond under her belt. Such is Britain's affection for Her Maj, Jubilees are cause for huge celebration up and down the country, bringing neighbours together for street parties.
Her reaction to Lady Diana's death
Though the royal family - and The Queen in particular - were initially criticised for their reaction to Princess Diana's tragic death in 1997, the Queen later bowed to her coffin and said in a touching televised tribute to her, "She never lost her capacity to smile and laugh, nor to inspire others with her warmth and kindness. I admired and respected her for her energy and commitment to others, and especially for her devotion to her two boys."
