queen's journey to holyrood

Route Queen’s cortege will take from Balmoral to Holyrood Palace revealed

Details of the route the Queen’s coffin will take from Balmoral to Edinburgh have been revealed.

The cortege is expected to leave the castle on Royal Deeside – where the Queen died on Thursday – at 10am on Sunday morning.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the “poignant” journey, which will see the Queen’s coffin transported to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, would give the public a chance to come together to “mark our country’s shared loss”.

Wellwishers are expected to gather along the route the cortege will take as it travels from Balmoral to the Scottish capital.

It will first head to the nearby town on Ballater, where it is expected at approximately 10.12am.

It is then expected to arrive in Aberdeen about an hour later, with tributes expected to be paid in the city’s Duthie Park.

Travelling south along the A90, it will then arrive in Dundee at about 2pm.

In Edinburgh, Ms Sturgeon and other party leaders in Scotland are expected to observe the coffin as it goes past the Scottish Parliament.

From there it will be taken into the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where it will remain for the night.

Transport bosses said an “unprecedented” amount of preparation and planning had gone into drawing up the route, which marks the start of the Queen’s last journey.

Ms Sturgeon stated: “Her Majesty’s death at Balmoral Castle means Scotland has lost one of its most dedicated and beloved servants.

“The grief we have seen across the world has been profound and deeply touching. It will be especially poignant to see Her Majesty’s coffin begin its journey from her Aberdeenshire home to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

“This is a chance for people to gather together publicly and begin to mark our country’s shared loss.”

The First Minister added: “We anticipate many, many people will be keen to pay their respects and we ask them to observe public safety messaging to ensure the safety of all.”

Travel advice… Please plan ahead and expect delays if you are travelling in the east of Scotland, especially around Edinburgh, as traffic is expected to be busy over the coming days. #PlanAhead @SETrunkRoads pic.twitter.com/VZfb0f13vR — Traffic Scotland (@trafficscotland) September 10, 2022

Transport Scotland operations manager Stein Connelly echoed that – as he warned road closures on Sunday could result in delays and disruption.

He urged those planning to come and see the coffin on its journey to “please plan ahead and use public transport where possible”

Mr Connelly added: “If you absolutely have to travel by car, allow extra time and only park within designated areas.”

He continued: “This is an event of unprecedented scale. Even the recent Cop26 gathering in Glasgow cannot match the amount of preparation and planning that has gone into this operation.”

Well-wishers are being asked by police not to leave  vehicles by the roadside, as this could pose a risk to public safety, with people instead being encouraged to  park in designated car parks.

Police Scotland Deputy Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said policing has “an important role to play” over the coming days.

He said: “The loss of Her Majesty The Queen is deeply felt and policing has an important role to play in the coming days to ensure ceremonial events take place safely and with dignity.

“Our priority is public safety and we are working with partners, including the UK and Scottish governments, as well as local authorities, to support the delivery of planned events.”

Mr Graham added that the authorities are working with businesses to plan ahead for any potential disruption as a result of the events.

He added: “We understand that the public will want to show their respects to Her Majesty and we would urge them to do so safely.”

After the coffin arrives at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on Sunday, it will rest in the Throne Room until the afternoon of Monday.

It will then travel in a procession to St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh, along the Royal Mile with the King and the late Queen’s other children the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex following behind on foot, along with Anne’s husband Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.

Camilla, now Queen Consort, and the Countess of Wessex will follow by car and also attend the service in St Giles’.

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Queen Elizabeth's coffin arrives in Edinburgh ahead of a final journey to London

Philip Reeves

Robert Griffiths

Frank Langfitt

Pallbearers carry the coffin of late Britain's Queen Elizabeth II covered with the Royal Standard of Scotland, at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, in Edinburgh. Alkis Konstantinidis/Pool/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

Pallbearers carry the coffin of late Britain's Queen Elizabeth II covered with the Royal Standard of Scotland, at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, in Edinburgh.

A cortege carrying Queen Elizabeth II's coffin arrived at the royal Palace of Holyroodhouse in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh on Sunday after traveling the 100-mile journey from Balmoral Castle.

The convoy carrying the queen from the royal estate where she died began slowly snaking through the hills and forests of the Scottish highlands. The route took her through villages and towns which were lined by her subjects.

Members of the public gather along the Royal Mile to watch the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, as it is driven through Edinburgh towards the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Jamie Williamson/Pool/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence (left) Britain's Prince Andrew, Duke of York (second left), Britain's Princess Anne, Princess Royal (center), Britain's Sophie, Countess of Wessex (second right) and Britain's Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex await the arrival of the hearse carrying the coffin of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Aaron Chown/Pool/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

People gather in tribute as the cortege carrying the coffin of the late Queen Elizabeth II passes by in Banchory, Scotland. Peter Summers/Getty Images hide caption

People gather in tribute as the cortege carrying the coffin of the late Queen Elizabeth II passes by in Banchory, Scotland.

Children gather along the streets as they wait to view the cortege carrying the coffin of the late Queen Elizabeth II in Ballater, Scotland. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images hide caption

Children gather along the streets as they wait to view the cortege carrying the coffin of the late Queen Elizabeth II in Ballater, Scotland.

Flowers and pictures of the late Queen Elizabeth II are placed outside of the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Flowers and pictures of the late Queen Elizabeth II are placed outside of the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

The guard of honour from the King's Bodyguard for Scotland (Royal Company of Archers) arrive at the Palace of Holyrood House ahead of the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II. Aaron Chown/AP hide caption

Members of the public gather in Princes Street Gardens to observe the Death Gun Salute fired by 105th Regiment Royal Artillery at Edinburgh Castle. Lesley Martin/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Members of the public pay their respects as they hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater. Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Elaine Weir, a bank worker from Glasgow, came with her two daughters to watch the cortege pass down the Royal Mile in Edinburgh.

"We all know how much Scotland meant to the Queen , so I think it is lovely for us to be here to witness this event in Scotland, in the capital," she told NPR.

Gamekeepers from the summer retreat Balmoral, where the queen died on Thursday after 70 years on the throne, carried the late sovereign's oak coffin from the castle's ballroom to a hearse. The hearse drove out of the gates of Balmoral past piles of flowers left by the public.

Members of the armed services march near St. Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland. Jon Super/AP hide caption

Members of the armed services march near St. Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Spectators watch as the cortege with the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II drives on the M90 motorway as it makes its journey to Edinburgh from Balmoral in Scotland. Alastair Grant/AP hide caption

Spectators watch as the cortege with the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II crosses the Queensferry Bridge. Alastair Grant/AP hide caption

The coffin of the late Queen Elizabeth II is being transported Sunday on a journey from Balmoral to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, where it will lie at rest before being moved to London later in the week. Jon Super/AP hide caption

The coffin of the late Queen Elizabeth II is being transported Sunday on a journey from Balmoral to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, where it will lie at rest before being moved to London later in the week.

Members of the public stand on a bridge, in Kinross, overlooking the M90 motorway, to pay their respects as they look at the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II. Andy Buchanan/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

The Princess Royal and her husband Admiral Sir Tim Laurence travel behind the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II. Paul Campbell/PA Images via Getty Images hide caption

The Princess Royal and her husband Admiral Sir Tim Laurence travel behind the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II.

Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Thursday. She is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images hide caption

Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Thursday. She is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III.

In Scotland, there is respect for the queen but skepticism for the institution of monarchy.

Heather McGrath, a chef who lives in Glasgow, told NPR she thinks the royal family is redundant.

"We don't really need them. It's just like it's a tourist attraction more than anything."

Heather McGrath, 38, who works as a pastry chef in Glasgow, supports Scottish independence and does not support the monarchy. Frank Langfitt/NPR hide caption

Heather McGrath, 38, who works as a pastry chef in Glasgow, supports Scottish independence and does not support the monarchy.

A Scottish nationalist, McGrath voted for independence in the 2014 referendum and said she would do so again if she gets the chance.

For others, though, the cortege felt personal and historic. Terry Rigby, a retired air traffic controller, brought his grandson to watch in the town of Banchory.

Terry Rigby, 72, a retired air traffic controller, brought his grandson, River, 11, to watch the queen's funeral cortege pass through the Scottish town of Banchory. Frank Langfitt/NPR hide caption

Terry Rigby, 72, a retired air traffic controller, brought his grandson, River, 11, to watch the queen's funeral cortege pass through the Scottish town of Banchory.

Rigby said he had celebrated the queen's coronation in 1953 outside Buckingham Palace.

"I was sitting on my father's shoulders," Rigby recalled. "That was her first journey. This is the last."

Police officers wait for Queen Elizabeth II's coffin on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images hide caption

Police officers wait for Queen Elizabeth II's coffin on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh.

People hold flowers as they wait to view the cortege carrying the coffin of the late Queen Elizabeth II in Ballater, Scotland. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images hide caption

People hold flowers as they wait to view the cortege carrying the coffin of the late Queen Elizabeth II in Ballater, Scotland.

The hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, which is covered with the Royal Standard of Scotland and flowers, is driven away from Balmoral Castle in Ballater. Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

The hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, which is covered with the Royal Standard of Scotland and flowers, is driven away from Balmoral Castle in Ballater.

The queen's death kicked off a series of events that will last more than a week before her funeral, scheduled to take place Sept. 19 . On Monday, she'll be conveyed from the palace to nearby St. Giles' Cathedral to lie at rest before being flown to London on Tuesday.

Over the weekend, the queen's eldest son was formally proclaimed the new monarch — King Charles III — at an accession ceremony .

"I am deeply aware of this great inheritance and of the duties and heavy responsibilities of sovereignty, which have now passed to me," he said.

The hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped with the Royal Standard of Scotland, leaves Balmoral as it begins its journey to Edinburgh. Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images hide caption

The hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped with the Royal Standard of Scotland, leaves Balmoral as it begins its journey to Edinburgh.

• Queen Elizabeth
• king charles

• International

Queen Elizabeth's death and funeral

By Rob Picheta , Ed Upright, Aditi Sangal , Elise Hammond and Maureen Chowdhury, CNN

Queen's coffin begins journey to St. Giles' Cathedral, followed by King Charles III

From CNN's Max Foster

The Queen's coffin has begun its journey from Edinburgh's Palace of Holyroodhouse to St. Giles' Cathedral, with King Charles III heading the procession.

Elizabeth II's other children — Princes Edwards and Andrew, and Princess Anne — are accompanying the King and Queen Consort.

They will walk past the crowds of people who have lined the route of the Scottish capital.

It is likely to be a somber and difficult undertaking for the new King, marking the first time he has glimpsed his mother's coffin since it left Balmoral Castle.

Queen's coffin emerges from Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland's capital

Queen Elizabeth II's coffin has emerged from the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, ahead of the procession that will take it to St. Giles' Cathedral for a service.

A royal salute has been given, and a rendition of God Save the King is underway.

That short journey will begin shortly.

The UK is invited to observe one-minute silence on eve of Queen's funeral, PM's spokesperson says

From CNN's Alex Hardie

The UK public is being invited to observe a one-minute silence at 8 p.m. [local time] on Sunday Sept. 18, Prime Minister Liz Truss’ spokesperson said Monday.

The minute’s silence will be held the evening before Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral for a national moment of reflection, according to the prime minister’s spokesperson. 

King Charles III and Queen Consort arrive at Palace of Holyroodhouse for Ceremony of the Keys

From CNN’s Arnaud Siad in London

King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, have arrived at Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland where Queen Elizabeth is lying at rest.

He is currently greeting members of the public standing behind barriers.

The King will then attend the Ceremony of the Keys.

The monarch is traditionally welcomed to the city of Edinburgh, “[his] ancient and hereditary kingdom of Scotland,” by the Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, Robert Aldridge – the City’s civic head. He will offer Charles the keys to the city, according to the website of the British monarchy.

The gesture of offering the keys is purely ceremonial, and the King is expected to decline them, with the words: "I return these keys, being perfectly convinced that they cannot be placed in better hands than those of the Lord Provost and Councillors of my good City of Edinburgh."

The King will later walk behind the Queen's coffin as it moves in procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St. Giles' Cathedral.

King Charles III lands in Scotland

King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, have now landed in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The King will later walk behind Queen Elizabeth II's coffin in a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St. Giles' Cathedral in the Scottish capital.

They departed from the RAF Northolt airbase in west London earlier aboard a G-LEGC Embraer Legacy 600 jet.

Cloud of colonialism hangs over Queen Elizabeth’s legacy in Africa

From CNN's Stephanie Busari

The  death of Queen Elizabeth II  has prompted an outpouring of reflection and reaction online. But not all was grief – some young Africans instead are sharing images and stories of their own elders, who endured a brutal period of British colonial history during the Queen’s long reign.

“I cannot mourn,” one wrote on Twitter,  posting an image  of what she said was her grandmother’s “movement pass” – a colonial document which prevented free travel for Kenyans under British rule in the east African country.

Another  wrote  that her grandmother “used to narrate to us how they were beaten & how their husbands were taken away from them & left to look after their kids,” during colonial times. “May we never forget them. They are our heroes,” she added.

Their refusal to mourn highlights the complexity of the legacy of the Queen, who despite widespread popularity was also seen as a symbol of oppression in parts of the world where the British Empire once extended.

Kenya, which had been under British rule since 1895, was named an official colony in 1920 and remained that way until it won independence in 1963. Among the worst atrocities under British rule occurred during the Mau Mau uprising, which started in 1952 – the year Queen Elizabeth took the throne.

Africa’s memory of the Queen cannot be separated from that colonial past, professor of communication Farooq Kperogi at Kennesaw State University told CNN.

Read the full article here.

How the Queen stayed relevant and transformed the monarchy

Analysis by CNN's Max Foster

“I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.”

This line, delivered on Elizabeth II’s 21st birthday,  defines her career  like few others. Within five years, she would be Queen – and she’d go on to be the longest serving monarch in British history.

Elizabeth II dedicated herself to lifelong service. This explains why she never abdicated, even as many of her younger contemporaries did. Between February 2013 and June 19, 2014, four European monarchs stepped down: Pope Benedict XVI of Vatican City; Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands; King Albert II of Belgium; and King Juan Carlos I of Spain.

Elizabeth, a devout Christian who rarely missed a Sunday at church, resisted the exodus because of the promise she made not just to her subjects but to God. There’s a clue to that at the end of her 21st birthday speech: “I shall not have strength to carry out this resolution alone unless you join in it with me, as I now invite you to do: I know that your support will be unfailingly given. God help me to make good my vow, and God bless all of you who are willing to share in it.”

Even when her husband,  Prince Philip , retired in 2017, Elizabeth continued public engagements and brought in other members of the family to accompany her as needed. Just days after Philip’s death in 2021, she resumed official duties with the appointment of new ambassadors to the UK.

Elizabeth understood the power of the media from an early age, and harnessing it was to become another key theme of her reign. That speech on her 21st birthday was recorded not just for radio but also for the emerging medium of television. At her coronation in 1953, she personally requested that cameras be allowed in to Westminster Abbey to broadcast the ceremony live.

People famously went out to buy television sets so they could watch. It was a sacrosanct moment the public had never before been able to witness; they remembered where they were and who they watched with. The Queen had inadvertently invented event television. All she wanted was for as many people as possible to feel part of it.

A phrase often attributed to Elizabeth was that “you have to be seen to be believed.” She understood that it wasn’t enough to go out in public, but she had to be seen there. Television gave her a bigger audience and when color was introduced, she  wore brighter shades  so she would stand out.

Read more about the modernizing monarch here:

TV, travel, walkabouts: How the Queen stayed relevant

Charles and camilla to fly to scotland.

King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla have arrived at the RAF Northolt airbase in west London, and will soon fly to Edinburgh, Scotland.

There, the King will walk behind the Queen's coffin from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St. Giles' Cathedral in the Scottish capital.

Charles will later meet with Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon before he attends Scottish Parliament to receive a motion of condolence.

Queen's corgis to live with the Duke and Duchess of York

From CNN's Max Foster and Niamh Kennedy

The Queen's corgis will live with the Duke and Duchess of York, Andrew and Sarah, a source close to the Duke of York told CNN on Sunday.

The pair, who divorced in 1996, both reside at the Royal Lodge on the Windsor estate.

The source told CNN that Sarah, Duchess of York bonded with the late Queen over a shared love of dog walking and horse riding.

Even after her divorce from Andrew, Sarah continued her friendship with the Queen by walking dogs through the Windsor estate, the source added.

In addition to her two Pembroke Welsh corgis, Muick and Sandy, the Queen is reported to have left behind an older, mixed breed "dorgi" called Candy and a cocker spaniel named Lissy.

See pictures of the Queen's corgis here:

Photos: The Queen and her corgis

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Queen’s coffin arrives at Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh after long journey

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The Queen ’s two youngest sons received her coffin as the hearse arrived at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh , following a journey from Balmoral on a route lined by crowds of thousands.

Wellwishers gathered and stood in silence beside country roads and on bridges and in village and city centres to watch the cortege go by during its six-hour journey.

Having left her “beloved” Balmoral estate, where she died peacefully on Thursday, the Queen arrived in the Scottish capital for one final time.

Crowds had been gathering all day, and when the procession reached the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the monarchy’s official residence in Scotland, they were 10 deep in places on the famous Royal Mile, which the Queen knew well.

Some mourners threw flowers into the road to show their respect, as the cortege made its way through the Scottish capital.

The coffin received a guard of honour by the King’s Bodyguard for Scotland (Royal Company of Archers) as it entered the palace.

The Duke of York, and the Duke and Duchess of Wessex, and around 50 members of palace staff had gathered in the courtyard.

Both the Queen’s daughter, the Princess Royal, and Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, gave deep curtseys as the coffin was carried into the palace. The guard then left via Queen’s Drive.

As the royal convoy had travelled along the Royal Mile, there was a ripple of gentle applause, but the crowd fell silent when it entered the palace forecourt.

Scotland’s political leaders assembled to pay their respects outside the Scottish parliament when the cortege passed by.

First minister Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, Scottish Green co-leader Lorna Slater and Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton stood on the pavement outside Holyrood as the hearse slowed.

The procession then increased its speed into the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Earlier, the convoy, led by the hearse carrying the Queen’s coffin, had passed over the Queensferry Crossing.

It crossed the River Forth from Fife around six hours after leaving Balmoral.

Upriver from the original Forth road and rail crossings, the structure was officially opened by the Queen on September 4 2017, 53 years to the day after she opened the adjacent Forth Road Bridge.

The oak coffin, draped with the Royal Standard of Scotland with a wreath of Balmoral flowers on top, will remain at the Palace of Holyroodhouse overnight.

On Monday it will process along the Royal Mile in Edinburgh to St Giles’ Cathedral, where the Queen will lie at rest to allow the public to pay their respects.

The procession, which went from Balmoral, the Queen’s summer sanctuary in the Highlands, to Edinburgh, included the Princess Royal and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, who were in a limousine directly behind the hearse.

A single motorbike police outrider led the way as the hearse, followed by six vehicles, travelled at a stately pace through the Aberdeenshire countryside.

At one point, as the cortege travelled through Dundee, a lone long-stemmed flower could be seen on the hearse windscreen and in a rural part of the route farmers paid homage to the Queen with tractors lined up in a field.

Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, said he sympathised with those reminded of the death of a loved one in his Sunday sermon at Canterbury Cathedral.

He said: “Many people will be navigating their way around the raw and ragged edges of grief today.

“All because of the Queen. But many families as well will have lost loved ones or been reminded of the loss of loved ones this week.

“Their grief may well feel all the more painful during this time of national and international mourning for loss is overwhelming to the person bereaved.”

Ms Sturgeon paid tribute to the Queen, writing on Twitter: “A sad and poignant moment as Her Majesty The Queen leaves her beloved Balmoral for the final time.

“Today, as she makes her journey to Edinburgh, Scotland will pay tribute to an extraordinary woman.”

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News / North East & Tayside

Queen leaves Balmoral for final journey through Scotland

Thousands have lined the route from Aberdeenshire to Edinburgh ahead of the arrival of the former monarch's coffin at Holyrood.

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More on this story, what will happen on sunday as queen's coffin taken to edinburgh, queen's coffin to be taken on road journey to edinburgh, queen's funeral to be held on monday, september 19, royal family thank mourners for tributes left outside balmoral.

The Queen’s coffin has left Balmoral to begin her final journey through Scotland to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

The cortege left the castle – where Elizabeth II passed away on Thursday at the age of 96 – shortly after 10am on Sunday morning.

Well-wishers lined the route leaving the royal estate to pay a final tribute to the former monarch before her body arrives in the capital to lie in state for around 24 hours.

Flanked by six other vehicles, including the royal Bentley containing members of her immediate family, the cortege passed crowds in the nearby town of Ballater.

It is then expected to arrive in Aberdeen about an hour later, with tributes expected to be paid in the city’s Duthie Park.

Travelling south along the A90, it will then stop in Dundee at about 2pm before continuing on to Edinburgh.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and other party leaders in Scotland are expected to observe the coffin as it goes past the Scottish Parliament.

From there it will be taken into the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where it will remain for the night.

A procession up the High Street and Royal Mile on Monday will take her to St Giles’ Cathedral, where she will remain for 24 hours, allowing the public to pay tribute.

Thousands from across the country are expected to line the streets of the capital for her arrival.

Sturgeon said: “Her Majesty’s death at Balmoral Castle means Scotland has lost one of its most dedicated and beloved servants.

The Queen leaves Balmoral for the final time. @STVNews pic.twitter.com/m1edtdRN5y — Steven Brown (@smwbrown) September 11, 2022

“The grief we have seen across the world has been profound and deeply touching. It will be especially poignant to see Her Majesty’s coffin begin its journey from her Aberdeenshire home to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. 

“This is a chance for people to gather together publicly and begin to mark our country’s shared loss. We anticipate many, many people will be keen to pay their respects and we ask them to observe public safety messaging to ensure the safety of all.”

For updates on the cortege, follow STV News’ live blog here .

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Queen’s Edinburgh procession route map: What time coffin travels up Royal Mile to St Giles’ Cathedral today

The queen's procession in edinburgh will travel up the royal mile to st giles’ cathedral on wednesday for a service expected to last about an hour.

The Queen’s coffin left Balmoral on Sunday to embark on a six-hour drive to Edinburgh, where it will remain until Tuesday.

As the coffin travelled through Scottish towns, cities and villages, mourners lining the streets have fallen silent out of respect for the late monarch.

On Tuesday, the coffin will then be flown to London and the Queen will be taken to Westminster Hall for the lying-in-state .

The Queen’s state funeral on Monday 19 September will mark the end of the national period of mourning .

What happens in Edinburgh?

After the cortege arrives in Edinburgh , First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and other party leaders in Scotland are expected to observe the coffin as it goes past the Scottish parliament.

The pavements along the route from the north of the city to the Scottish parliament were lined with barriers to allow the public to view from there.

From there, the coffin was taken into the Palace of Holyroodhouse , where it will remain overnight on Sunday.

What time is the procession in Edinburgh?

It is understood a Ceremony of the Keys will take place at Holyroodhouse on Monday , before the solemn procession sets off from there at around 2.30pm.

It will travel up the Royal Mile to St Giles’ Cathedral for a service expected to last about an hour.

Crowds are expected to line the street as the procession passes, and a series of road closures in Scotland’s capital have already been announced.

In Edinburgh, the final stop of the cortege’s journey, several roads will be closed to allow for the coffin’s procession.

Closed roads in Edinburgh:

• Blackfriars Street
• Castle Terrace
• Chambers Street
• Carrington Road at Crewe Road South
• Carrington Road at East Fettes Avenue
• Fettes Avenue
• Queens Drive – east of the roundabout (Holyrood Gait entrance)
• Holyrood Park entrance at Meadowbank Terrace
• East Market Street at Junction with Jeffrey Street
• New Street, south of the entrance to Waverley Car Park
• Old Tollboth Wynd
• Calton Road at Abbeyhill Crescent and Leith Street
• Abbeyhill at Abbeyhill Crescent
• Abbeyhill at abbey Lane
• Abbey Mount at Regent Road
• Canongate at St Mary Street / Jeffrey Street
• High Street at George IV / The Mound
• High Street at Cockburn Street
• St Giles Street at North Bank Street
• Johnston Terrace
• Nicolson Street (northbound only) at West Nicholson Street
• Niddry Street
• Queen’s Drive – east of the roundabout (Holyrood Gait entrance)

Police Scotland Deputy Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said: “If you are attending to view the Queen’s cortege, please do not leave your vehicle at the side of the road as this poses a risk to public safety. Please only park in designated areas and follow the directions of stewards and police officers.

“We would also urge people not to stand in unsafe areas and to keep off the carriageway at all times. There will be rolling road closures along the route.”

Traffic Scotland operator manager Stein Connelly added: “ “Every effort will be made to minimise disruption to the travelling public, but significant delays are expected. Please plan ahead and use public transport where possible. If you absolutely have to travel by car, allow extra time and only park within designated areas.

More on The Queen

Where does the coffin go next?

On the afternoon of Tuesday 13 September, the Queen’s coffin will be transported by a Royal Air Force aircraft from Edinburgh Airport, to RAF Northolt. The coffin will be accompanied by the Queen’s only daughter, Princess Anne .

After arriving on Tuesday evening, the coffin will then be taken to Buckingham Palace by road, where it will stay overnight.

On Wednesday, 14 September, a procession will set off from Buckingham Palace.

A gun carriage of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery will carry the coffin through central London to Westminster Hall in the Palace of Westminster, where the monarch is to lie in state.

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The Queen's journey to Holyrood

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Queen’s coffin arrives at Edinburgh’s Holyrood Palace, after leaving Balmoral

In a sombre reception, the Queen’s coffin has completed the first six-hour leg of its journey, with Princes Anne honouring her mum in a moving tribute.

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The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II has arrived at Holyrood Palace, with the monarch’s children – Prince Andrew, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie Countess of Wessex receiving the casket.

Earlier in the day, Princess Anne travelled with the cortège that transported the Queen’s body from Balmoral to Edinburgh. As the coffin was carried into Holyrood Palace, the royal looked appeared stoic and sombre. As the coffin approached the palace’s entrance, the Princess Royal gave a deep curtsy in respect to her late mother.

Her brothers, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward also bowed the Queen’s coffin passed the group. Draped in the Royal Stands of Scotland, the casket will remain in the Throne Room overnight, before it is taken to the nearby St Giles Cathedral.

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Outside, thousands had waited along the Royal Mile for hours, as the cortege reached Holyrood.

Silence fell at 10am as the Queen left Balmoral for the final time in a black hearse with white flowers picked from the garden placed on top of her coffin.

She was first taken to the village of Ballater where crowds bowed their heads silently as the cortege containing a heartbroken Princess Anne passed.

Other tearful royal fans also threw flowers in the path of the procession as a final goodbye.

Tomorrow the King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla will travel to Edinburgh, where Elizabeth II’s oak coffin arrived today after a six-hour journey through Scotland.

The black hearse carrying Her Majesty’s body left Balmoral at 10am, local time. White flowers picked from the garden were placed on top, with a wreath made of sweet peas (one of her favourite flowers), dahlias, phlox, white heather and pine fir.

Mourners lining the streets outside Balmoral were silent in a show of respect as the procession made its way past.

Princess Anne, her husband Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the minister of Crathie Kirk and a representative of the Lord Chamberlain’s office were in the convoy following the Queen.

It first visited the village of Ballater, where crowds again bowed their heads silently. The Queen spent her childhoods in the village while staying with her family at Balmoral.

The route also took the coffin to Aberdeen, where tributes were paid in the city’s Duthie Park, then Aberdeen, and ended in Edinburgh, where Scottish political leaders including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon were ready to observe its final journey to Holyroodhouse.

“A sad and poignant moment as Her Majesty leaves her beloved Balmoral for the final time. Today, as she makes her journey to Edinburgh, Scotland will pay tribute to an extraordinary woman,” Ms Sturgeon posted online as the hearse departed.

The Queen’s coffin will remain in Edinburgh overnight.

Queen's coffin greeted with guard of honour before being carried into Holyroodhouse https://t.co/cgcY2ybZnw pic.twitter.com/S2c4qOsnxj — BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) September 11, 2022

Emotional King Charles arrives at palace

As mourners lined the streets to witness Queen Elizabeth coffin on its journey through Scotland today, photographers captured a watery-eyed King Charles arriving at Buckingham Palace for his second day of royal duties.

Crowds erupted in cheers as the King was driven down The Mall in London, followed by a car bearing his wife, Queen Consort Camilla.

King Charles’ schedule for the day included a meeting with Patricia Scotland, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations; a reception with Realm High Commissioners, and a meeting with the Dean of Windsor.

He waved on his way past the crowds and offered a smile, though there was a hint of sadness on his face.

Meanwhile his son William, the new Prince of Wales, issued a statement pledging to serve the Welsh people with “humility and great respect”.

The statement stressed Prince William and Princess Catherine’s “deep affection for Wales”, noted they made their first family home in Anglesey, “including during the earliest months of Prince George’s life”.

“The Prince and Princess will spend the months and years ahead deepening their relationship with communities across Wales. They want to do their part to support the aspirations of the Welsh people and to shine a spotlight on both the challenges and opportunities in front of them,” Kensington Palace said.

“The Prince and Princess look forward to celebrating Wales’ proud history and traditions, as well as a future that is full of promise. They will seek to live up to the proud contribution that members of the royal family have made in years past.”

The pair promised to visit Wales “very soon”.

King Charles to travel to Edinburgh

Once King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla arrive in Edinburgh tomorrow, they will travel with the coffin from Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral. There, the Queen will lie in state for 24 hours, allowing Scots to come to pay their respects.

Princess Anne will then accompany her late mother from Edinburgh Airport to RAF Northolt on Tuesday evening.

The coffin will be met by a Guard of Honour from the King’s Guard as it arrives at Buckingham Palace.

King Charles and Queen Camilla will watch as it is carried to the Bow Room where chaplains will keep watch.

On Wednesday, there will be a horse and carriage procession through the streets of London at 2.22pm to Westminster Hall.

One million mourners are expected to visit her coffin as the Queen lies in state for four full days.

Details on how to attend will be released in the coming days but it is expected to operate on a first come first served basis.

Soldiers will guard the coffin around the clock as the streams of mourners file past.

Members of the Royal Family are also expected to take turns standing guard in a tradition known as the Vigil of the Princes.

Prince Edward and Charles both stood watch over the Queen Mother’s coffin in 2002.

Her Majesty will then be laid to rest on Monday, September 19 at 11am.

The state funeral has officially been declared as a Bank Holiday with a two minute’s silence expected to beheld across the nation at midday.

More Coverage

The Queen’s final resting place will be the King George VI memorial chapel where her mother and father were buried along with the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret.

Prince Philip’s coffin will move from the Royal Vault to the memorial chapel to join his beloved wife of 73 years.

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Queen Camilla gets sassy when asked about King Charles’ cancer journey

Last month, King Charles began his return to his public-facing royal duties.

During the several public outings he’s completed so far in the last few weeks, the king has looked well.

However, during his latest outing, the 75-year-old opened up about one of the side effects he’s been dealing with while undergoing cancer treatment. According to the king himself , he’s lost his sense of taste.

Now, the king’s wife, Queen Camilla, is opening up even more about her husband’s cancer journey. And as it turns out, he may be as stubborn as his nephew said he was earlier this year.

While sitting down with Sky News Australia , Peter Phillips, the son of Princess Anne, said though his uncle is in “good spirits” and being “very pragmatic” about his situation, the king is “ultimately … hugely frustrated that he can’t get on and do everything that he wants to be able to do.”

View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily)

“He understands that there’s a period of time that he really needs to focus on himself. But at the same time, he is always pushing his staff and everybody, his doctors and nurses, to be able to say, ‘Actually, can I do this and can I do that?’”

And as Camilla told the public this week, not much has changed.

In a sassy response to how Charles is doing, the queen admitted he is “getting better,” before adding, “Well, he would be (getting better) if he behaved himself,” The Independent reports.

Just several days ago, Charles was the talk of the town when he unveiled the newest royal portrait of him.

Big, and red, many onlookers were stunned by the direction the king and the artist took when creating the large painted portrait.

“The new work depicts His Majesty wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guards, of which he was made Regimental Colonel in 1975,” the royal family revealed. “The painting will ultimately hang in Drapers’ Hall in London.”

The artist, Jonathan Yeo, explained that he does his “best to capture the life experiences and humanity etched into any individual sitter’s face, and I hope that is what I have achieved in this portrait.”

“To try and capture that for His Majesty The King, who occupies such a unique role, was both a tremendous professional challenge, and one which I thoroughly enjoyed and am immensely grateful for,” Yeo said specifically of the portrait of Charles.

Many commenters revealed that despite the delicate touch of the butterfly, the portrait left them feeling “not good.”

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King, Queen and William to attend D-Day events in Normandy

T he King is set to make his first overseas trip since being diagnosed with cancer as he joins the Queen and Prince William at the 80th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy next month.

Charles and Camilla will join the Ministry of Defence and Royal British Legion's commemorative event at the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer.

Meanwhile, William will attend the Canadian ceremony at Juno Beach Centre at Courseulles-sur-Mer hosted by the Canadian government, alongside Second World War veterans and Canadian armed forces personnel.

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The Princess of Wales  is not expected to travel to France .

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The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester are also due to attend 'D-Day 80: Remembering the Normandy Landings' at the Royal Albert Hall. 

The event has been described as an 'evening of music-led, multi-generational storytelling, reflecting on the Second World War'. 

Prior to travelling to France, the King, Queen and Prince William will attend the UK's national commemorative event for the anniversary of the D-Day Landings in Portsmouth on June 5, the Royal Family also announced today. 

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Hollywood Con Queen review – a truly boring journey through an astonishing scam

The story of Hargobind Tahilramani, who is accused of multiple frauds against people in the film industry, would have made for a riveting hour of TV. Instead, it is stretched to 180 backside-numbing minutes

H ollywood finds no subject more fascinating than Hollywood. It has dwelled on itself virtually from the moment the film industry began. The good stuff endures – from Sunset Boulevard and Singin’ in the Rain onwards – but there is a lot of bloated dross out there.

To the second pile we must add the three hours of Hollywood Con Queen – a tale of a scam that could be told in 60 minutes, rather than the 180 allocated. A large scam, to be sure, involving the impersonation of a lot of studio heads, but a scam nonetheless, operating along the same principles as any other to which we have borne witness in life or as viewers of true-crime shows.

For 10 years or more, according to this documentary, Hargobind Tahilramani targeted freelance actors, makeup artists, photographers and others in the entertainment industry by impersonating powerful women. These included Amy Pascal, then the co-chair of Sony Pictures, the art collector and entrepreneur Wendi Deng Murdoch and Sherry Lansing, then Paramount’s CEO. He convinced his victims to hand over thousands of dollars for acting and gym classes, or to fork out for expenses that were never reimbursed for speculative trips (usually to Tahilramani’s native Indonesia) for nonexistent projects.

The first hour is dedicated to victims’ testimony. All say theywere defrauded of money and suffered intrusion and psychological manipulation (“Amy Pascal”, or one of the women’s supposed assistants, would call at all hours with further instructions and requirements). In some cases, they also experienced sexual harassment, being inveigled into phone sex – at which point most realised that something was awry and extricated themselves from the scam. Those with whom Tahilramani did not go so far tended to lose more money, but emerged less psychologically scarred.

Their experiences are described in minute detail – it feels as if every phone call, blocked number and shiver of apprehension is noted – which does their suffering a disservice, as it numbs us with boredom. I presume it was done, if not for straightforward padding purposes, because those featured represent only a tiny proportion of the 500-plus people Tahilramani is estimated to have exploited, or to avoid accusations of prurience by giving unequal weight to the sex stuff. But throwing everything at us doesn’t work, either.

The series is based on the journalist Scott Johnson’s book The Con Queen of Hollywood: The Hunt for an Evil Genius, which grew out of his articles on the scammer who would eventually be revealed as Tahilramani, sitting in the middle of a complex web of interactions that reached – can you believe it! – beyond California.

Johnson takes us through his research, but the film-makers’ efforts to convince us that the private investigator Nicole Kotisianas is not the star of the story do not come off. She spent three years obsessively tracking the Instagram account of Tahilramani (then living in the UK and trying to establish himself as an influencer), even after she has gathered enough evidence to convince the FBI that it needed to take over (and, from the sounds of it, having doled out hefty doses of therapy to many of Tahilramani’s victims).

The second hour details the investigations, but spins its wheels a bit to save all the big stuff for the final hour. This comprises Johnson’s telephone and video-call interviews with Tahilramani; a reported account from his sister about her brother’s volatility since childhood and his lifetime of criminality, undiverted by time in jail and in mental institutions; and his eventual arrest for the Hollywood impersonation frauds.

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It’s a more interesting hour, but still feels bloated and self-indulgent. We see so much footage of Tahilramani – self-pitying, self-justifying, narcissistic, making claims of bipolar disorder and a troubled background – that it is easy to draw our own conclusions about him that do not differ much, I suspect, from Johnson’s. He offers no more insight than that Tahilramani has a sadistic streak and was in it as much for the thrill as the money – otherwise, the scam was too elaborate to be worth it.

Tahilramani is currently in the UK fighting extradition to the US, where he faces a number of charges.

The series feels like a very long journey by the team behind Fyre and Tiger King, from whom you would expect better, to a close and familiar place.

Hollywood Con Queen is on Apple TV+ now

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‘They Are So Triggered by Me’: Conchita Wurst’s 10-Year Roller-Coaster Ride

Since winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 2014, the bearded drag queen has been celebrated and condemned. For her creator, Tom Neuwirth, it has been a journey.

By Valeriya Safronova

Reporting from Vienna

Follow live updates on the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest final.

Looking back at the last decade, Tom Neuwirth is amazed by how far his 2014 Eurovision win as the drag queen Conchita Wurst has reverberated.

“I think this moment, the win, happened to all of us,” Neuwirth said in a recent interview at his team’s offices in Vienna. Dressed in pink corduroys, a black hoodie and white sneakers, he was charming and sweet, jokey one second and quietly reflective the next. “People will tell me where they were and how their life took a turn from then on,” he said. “There are always big stories and emotions.”

That May, 10 years ago, 195 million people watched Conchita Wurst belt out the power ballad “ Rise Like a Phoenix, ” representing Austria in the finale of the Eurovision Song Contest. The annual show is Europe’s longest-running talent competition, in which singers representing their countries perform for a huge TV audience that votes for its favorite act.

This year’s Eurovision final takes place in Malmo, Sweden, on Saturday. The event, which has been referred to “ the queer Olympics ” or “ gay Christmas ,” has long been popular with L.G.B.T.Q. people. By 2014, the competition had already seen a number of gay, lesbian and bisexual participants, as well as several drag acts , and a trans winner as early as 1998.

Yet none of those performers received as explosive a reception as Conchita Wurst, whose victory arrived amid widespread advancements in L.G.B.T.Q. rights in Western Europe that included a wave of legalization for same-sex marriage . The singer became a worldwide symbol of the divisions between liberals and conservatives, with some calling her performance a high-profile victory for queer representation, and others seeing it as a sign of the degradation of traditional Western values.

At the time of his win, Neuwirth was 25 and a newcomer to the international pop scene . All he had behind him was a turn on an Austrian talent show, on which he placed second, and a brief period in a boy band that sputtered out.

So his victory was a huge surprise for him and for all of Austria, which had last won Eurovision in 1966. “Everyone was completely out of their minds, like, ‘What, we won that?’” recalled Florian Aschka, a member of a collective that runs the Queer Museum Vienna . “It felt like a win for the whole queer community.”

Invitations for Conchita Wurst flooded in: to headline L.G.B.T.Q. Pride events in Madrid, London, Antwerp and beyond; to perform at the European Parliament and the United Nations ; and to appear in a Jean Paul Gaultier fashion show .

Around the same time, “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” which had been on air for a few years, exploded in popularity , and drag queen story hours began in San Francisco. In the decade since, both the TV show and the story hours have turned into cultural phenomena.

Neuwirth said that today, the appearance of a bearded drag queen on Eurovision “wouldn’t be so much of a topic.” But elsewhere in the mainstream media, he said, there has been a growing backlash against L.G.B.T.Q. people’s increased visibility in public life — for example, from people who think drag queens are using story hours to groom children . “I think with all this recognition and visibility, people who do not understand the concept of inclusion get triggered to the max,” he said.

He would know; the blowback to Conchita Wurst was fierce. One ultranationalist Russian lawmaker described her performance as “the end of Europe”; another called it “propaganda for homosexuality and moral decay.” The leader of the conservative Law and Justice Party in Poland echoed those sentiments , and a few years later, Turkey’s public broadcaster, which had been boycotting Eurovision since 2012, said that the spectacle of “an Austrian with a beard and a skirt, who claims not to have a gender” affirmed its decision to step back from the contest.

But Neuwirth wasn’t bothered. He was too busy “living my princess fantasy,” he said. Attention from the haters was, if anything, flattering, he added: “They are so triggered by me that they have to talk about me.”

After the win, Neuwirth spent three years on the road, living his dream as a singer in the public eye, with “paparazzi, being famous and all the things that come with it.” But with time came wisdom. “There was a moment in my career where I thought, this can’t be it,” he said. “Conchita became a very narrow niche.”

Next, Neuwirth created a new, more masculine character called WURST, whose 2019 debut was coupled with an electronic album, “Truth Over Magnitude.” “I thought I was breaking free, but in hindsight I fled in the opposite direction and then again I was stuck in whatever I thought I had to be,” Neuwirth said.

These days, Neuwirth is 35 and starring in his first theater role, as the lead in “ LuziWuzi: I Am the Empress ,” a kitschy dramedy about a Hapsburg royal, Archduke Ludwig Victor, who was openly but quietly gay, periodically donned dresses and was eventually banned from Vienna by his brother, Emperor Franz Joseph, after he was accused of inappropriately approaching another man in the public baths. The show, which runs at the Rabenhof Theater in Vienna through Sept. 24 , has been very well received , with standing ovations and positive reviews.

Neuwirth said he now felt comfortable shifting between his private self — Tom in sweatpants — and his characters, whether it’s a glam Conchita Wurst or a campy Hapsburg archduke.

Finally, he said, “I understood for myself that there are no boundaries.”

“I always said it,” he added, “but I didn’t authentically live it as much as I wanted to for myself.”

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