Thousands of people queue into the night in Edinburgh to see the Queen’s coffin

Thousands of mourners have queued through the night to catch a glimpse of the Queen’s coffin in Edinburgh before the late monarch’s body is flown to London later today.

This follows a poignant evening vigil yesterday held inside St Giles’ Cathedral, where, after a short procession, King Charles III, Anne, the Princess Royal, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward each stood on one of the four corners of Her Majesty’s oak coffin with their heads bowed in a ceremony known as the Vigil of the Princes.

Respectful well-wishers have been overcome with emotion, as they solemnly walked past the Queen’s coffin, reflected on her historic 70-year reign, and bowed their heads or even curtsied, after queueing for hours through the streets of the Scottish capital.

Many more Scots continued to queue and filed past Her Majesty through the night, before her body begins the journey to London at 5pm ahead of the funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday, September 19.

Sharon Baum, 53, and her partner Alison Evans, 50, were at the front of the queue yesterday, as members of the public paid personal tributes to the beloved monarch. The couple queued up for nearly 11 hours and told MailOnline of their extraordinary experience on an historic day at St Giles’ Cathedral. 

Mrs Baum, from Chesterfield, Derbyshire said: ‘It was really serene and peaceful and solemn. We feel so privileged to be allowed to see it and do what we did. We felt like we were involved in a little bit of history. You can’t prepare yourself for how you are going to feel when you go through the door. I knew I would be upset. As soon as you are there it brings it all home. We are really big Royalists. I shed a tear – several. I said a little prayer and bowed my head. We probably could have stayed a little bit longer. There was nobody rushing you but there were so many people waiting. 

‘It was one of the most memorable and sad experiences of my life. I will remember it until my dying day. It was so emotional.’ 

King Charles III, his sister the Princess Royal and brothers the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex all arrived at St Giles’ Cathedral after the sun had set over the Scottish capital, then kept a vigil by their mother’s coffin from 7.46pm until 7.56pm while members of the public walked past silently. The King’s warring sons, the Duke of Sussex and the Prince of Wales, did not attend.

The King, who was wearing the Prince Charles Edward Stuart tartan and white heather in his lappelle from Balmoral, kept his hands joined and looked towards the floor as he stood alongside four suited members of the Royal Company of Archers, who were standing guard dressed in long-feathered hats and armed with arrows and quivers. Afterwards, tears appeared to fill his eyes as the monarch completed an emotional day which began with him addressing MPs in the Palace of Westminster.

As the Queen’s four children completed their vigil, they silently left the cathedral while mourners queueing outside applauded the royals. 

The King then smiled and waved to royal fans before leaving the cathedral. Outside, he was greeted by the Queen Consort, before the royal couple were driven in a state Rolls-Royce back to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where earlier the monarch had performed his first official engagement as head of state and also held an audience with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. 

Members of the crowd cheered as Charles arrived at the cathedral, and as he departed. As he drove past them, they took pictures and video and said: ‘Here he is. Here he is. It’s the King.’

One woman was heard to say: ‘I missed him earlier and travelled up from Glasgow to see him. I waited five hours – I finally saw him.’

The tradition has been honoured since the death of King George V in 1936, with Princess Anne today becoming the first female royal to take part. 

Charles and Camilla had earlier been at the Scottish Parliament to receive condolences over the late monarch’s death after leading a solemn military procession carrying the Queen’s body from the Palace of Holyroodhouse up the Royal Mile to the cathedral.

Members of the public queued up for up to five hours before being given white wristbands. They were led to a second queue close to the cathedral and were able to hear the service taking place before going through an airport-style security search in a marquee which was set up for the occasion. 

Sharon, a retail manager for a local charity, said: ‘We arrived at 7.30am and we were surprised to find ourselves right at the front of the queue. You have to go a little way into the cathedral and the Queen is on the left hand side. It was all really well organised. 

‘They didn’t have much time to organise it but everyone knew what we were doing. We’re glad we arrived when we did because the queue just got longer and longer.’ 

Alison said: ‘It was so emotional. We felt very privileged that we could show our respects. We just wanted to be a part of it.’ 

The couple set off from their home at 10pm on Saturday and drove through to travel to Ballater near Balmoral at 5am as the Queen made her final journey from the castle. On Sunday night, the couple were returning home but are hoping to be in London for the Queen’s funeral. 

Eleanor Wardrop, 72, and her twin sister Jennifer Davis were among the first in the queue arriving at 8am. 

Eleanor, a former executive PA, said: ‘It was a priceless moment. It really was very, very special. It was completely serene, just so dignified and quiet. It was just so beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. 

‘People were taking their time, walking slowly. Men were saluting to the Queen, bowing to the Queen and the women were curtseying. 

‘I did a little curtsy as I went past. I was so glad that I was able to honour her in that way. It was very quiet. There were two ministers on duty saying prayers as we walked through. It was very dignified. There were the archers standing there with their heads bowed and there were police guards as well.’ 

Describing the experience Eleanor said: ‘We wanted to come to the vigil to pay a personal tribute. ‘We were surprised when we arrived that we would be so far up the queue but it soon started to build up and became very busy. We queued from 8am to 1pm before we were given wristbands. 

‘They guided us up to barriers near the cathedral where we were able to hear the service.’ 

She added: ‘We grew up with the Queen. She has been a constant in our lives. She was our true north. She took an oath and she stood by it her whole life. As a young woman she promised to do her duty and she did that right to the end. She was a remarkable woman and nobody else will ever be like her. She has been a role model to us all.’ 

Peter Binder, 60, travelled down with wife Georgina from the north of Scotland arriving at 7am. He said: ‘There were literally half a dozen people but that changed very quickly. It’s been a very long day but it has certainly been worthwhile. 

‘There has been a very good spirit in the crowd. Everyone has got to know each other. We have been supporting each other and there has been a good camaraderie. I suppose we are proud British monarchists. It has been a very moving experience.’ 

Karen Whitehouse left her home in Loweswater, Cumbria, at 2am yesterday morning to start queuing to pay her respects to the late monarch in the Scottish capital.

Speaking about her moment with the royal coffin this evening, the 64-year-old said: ‘It was surreal. It was very quiet, everyone was very still. It was like they were all statues. I can’t believe I’ve done it and I was that close. I paid my respects, it was just beautiful.’

Ms Whitehouse said the Queen’s coffin was lying on a tall plinth inside the cathedral.

She added: ‘The wreath was on the top, and a cushion, and the crown on top of that. There’s a lot of officials in there, in their robes. Everyone is very still, it’s a beautiful experience. It was worth the 12 hours to get here.’

Amy Calvert, from Stoke-on-Trent, is on holiday in Edinburgh and was one of the first in line to pay her respects to the late Queen at a vigil in the Scottish capital.

She said: ‘It’s really surreal. I haven’t quite taken it in that we are here. But I can’t wait to pay my respects. It will be a time for reflection. The example she’s set within her faith is just incredible.’

Hundreds of thousands of Scots had earlier crammed into Edinburgh’s narrow streets to catch a glimpse of the Queen’s coffin yesterday as King Charles led senior royals in a solemn military procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse – where the late monarch’s body had been resting overnight after the 180-mile drive from Balmoral yesterday – to the cathedral.

The King walked solemnly in step with his younger brothers and sister behind the Queen on the march up the Scottish capital’s Royal Mile. The assembled well-wishers fell silent as the hearse appeared. The crowd then broke out in spontaneous applause as the cortège approached and many shouted God Save the King and God Save the Queen.

Around 30 minutes later the Queen arrived at St Giles’ Cathedral and Her Majesty’s coffin was lifted out of the hearse and brought into the place of worship – with the King, his wife the Queen Consort, the Princess Royal, her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke of York, and the Earl and the Countess of Wessex all walking behind. 

The Crown of Scotland – which was made in 1540 for King James V – was then placed upon the coffin, which was draped with the Royal Standard in Scotland and dressed with a wreath of flowers consisting of white Spray Roses, white Freesias, white button chrysanthemums, dried white heather from Balmoral, spray eryngium, foliage, rosemary, hebe, and pittosporum.

Before arriving at the cathedral, the procession was greeted by the Guard of Honour and Band in front of the fountain, with the High Constables and the Baillie’s Guard in position under the Colonnade. When the coffin arrived, the guard of honour gave a royal salute and the band played one verse of the national anthem.

The bearer party, found by the Royal Regiment of Scotland, then took up their flanking position. The escort party, found by the King’s Body Guard for Scotland, and royal cars, flanked by members of the royal family, walked at the rear of the procession, and took their positions close to the hearse.

The guard of honour was accompanied by a pipe band with drums, draped and muffled.

The crowd outside the cathedral joined in with the congregation during the national anthem – some singing God Save the King while others sang God Save the Queen. There was then spontaneous applause from many of those gathered at the end of the hour long service. There was more applause as King Charles left the cathedral in a waiting car. 

Her Majesty’s coffin was lifted out of the hearse and brought into the place of worship, with the King, the Queen Consort, the Princess Royal, her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke of York, and the Earl and the Countess of Wessex walking behind.

As the coffin made its way through the cathedral the choir sang Thou Wilt Keep Him In Perfect Peace, Whose Mind Is Stayed On Thee.

The Queen’s coffin was placed on a wooden catafalque as the congregation continued to stand.

The King, Queen Consort, and other members of the royal family, then walked to their seats alongside the coffin.

The King had his wife to his left and the Duke of York to his right.

At the beginning of the service, Reverend Calum MacLeod welcomed the royal family, ‘representatives of our nation’s life’ and ‘people whose lives were touched by the Queen in so many unforgettable ways’.

He said: ‘And so we gather to bid Scotland’s farewell to our late monarch, whose life of service to the nation and the world we celebrate.

‘And whose love for Scotland was legendary.’

The Queen’s coffin arrived at St Giles’ Cathedral followed by her four children on a sorrowful journey through the Scottish capital lined by hundreds of thousands of mourners who stood in silent revelry punctuated by the sound of gun salutes from the city’s castle.

Led by a lone piper from Balmoral playing a lament, Her Majesty was carried from the Palace of Holyroodhouse where she was lying in rest since a six-hour journey from her Aberdeenshire home on Sunday. 

As the national anthem played the coffin was gently lowered into the hearse, watched by a visibly emotional King Charles and his siblings, Anne, the Princess Royal, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, who then marched dolefully for 1,200 yards behind their beloved mother. 

The Duke of York was not in military uniform like his siblings after Her Majesty stripped him of his titles because of the Epstein scandal. He was briefly heckled during the procession. Police Scotland said a 22-year-old man had been arrested.

Hundreds of thousands lined the streets and applauded as the Queen was taken to the cathedral where her family, and a congregation drawn from all areas of Scottish society, attended a service of thanksgiving for her life. 

Bagpipes played the National Anthem from Holyrood Palace as the Queen’s coffin cortege began the walk up the Royal Mile. The hearse was flanked by a Bearer Party found by The Royal Regiment of Scotland and The King’s Body Guard for Scotland. Mounted police in ceremonial dress rode ahead of the parade. 

Earlier the King met with well-wishers who lined the streets of Edinburgh to see him yesterday in an unplanned walkabout as Scotland’s capital welcomed the new monarch and mourned the Queen – with so many people turning up that police were forced to turn many away. 

Senior church officials stood patiently at the entrance to the church as the procession made its way up the Royal Mile from the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Crowds packed in 10 deep along the narrow pavements of the historic old town while others took up positions in windows along the route during the solemn procession.

Military personnel saluted as two police officers on horseback signalled the arrival of the Queen’s body.

All four of the Queen’s children led by the new King Charles followed close by as the hearse arrived at the iconic place of worship.

Princess Anne’s husband was also among the party.

Camilla, the Queen Consort and Prince Edward’s wife Sophie arrived in a following car.

The silence was perfectly preserved during a pause as military guards removed the flag draped casket from the vehicle before carrying it into the cathedral with the Royal party following close by.

Sophia Bruce, from Edinburgh, said: ‘It was very moving to be here and watch the Queen followed by her children enter St Giles for the last time.

‘There was an dignified silence from the whole crowd. You could have heard a pin drop.

‘It was very respectful with everyone wanting to say their last goodbye. I’ve been here for three hours and there had been a tremendous camaraderie amongst the whole crowd.’

Enormous queues of royal fans were seen lining up with Union Flags and colourful homemade signs outside St Giles’ Cathedral as the sun’s first light began to break through the morning clouds yesterday.

But by midday, Police Scotland officers were preventing any newcomers from joining the swelling crowds that had lined the narrow streets around the 12th-century stone cathedral as city officials warned of significant disruption ahead of the proceedings.

The coffin was lifted out of the hearse and brought into the place of worship, with the King, the Queen Consort, the Princess Royal, her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke of York, and the Earl and the Countess of Wessex walking behind.

As the coffin made its way through the cathedral the choir sang Thou Wilt Keep Him In Perfect Peace, Whose Mind Is Stayed On Thee.

The Queen’s coffin was placed on a wooden catafalque as the congregation continued to stand.

The King, Queen Consort, and other members of the royal family, then walked to their seats alongside the coffin.

The King has his wife to his left and the Duke of York to his right.

At the beginning of the service, Reverend Calum MacLeod welcomed the royal family, ‘representatives of our nation’s life’ and ‘people whose lives were touched by the Queen in so many unforgettable ways’.

He said: ‘And so we gather to bid Scotland’s farewell to our late monarch, whose life of service to the nation and the world we celebrate.

‘And whose love for Scotland was legendary.’

The Rt Rev Dr Iain Greenshields told the congregation: ‘It is clearly evident and without doubt that the Queen’s Christian faith was genuine, and often gave clear and sincere expression when there were those remarkable Christmas broadcasts.

‘She spoke unashamedly of her trust in God and of the example and teaching of Jesus Christ whom she sought to follow as best she could – indeed of that faith, she said she had no regret.

‘Her focus on family, on community, on reaching across divisions and differences were evident to us throughout these short yet meaningful festive messages.

‘For 70 years, she reigned as our Queen. She has been present among us as a follower of Christ and a member of his church. And for that and much else beside we give thanks to God together here this day.

‘Today we mourn her passing. But we also celebrate the long and happy reign that we experience with her.

‘And we pray God’s blessing upon King Charles who will surely draw strength from his mother’s example and the many affectionate tributes of these days and from our assurance to him as a church of our steadfast prayers at all times and of our unstinting support to him, as was offered to his mother, the Queen.’

During the St Giles’ Cathedral service, Morag Mylne, Elder of the Church of the Scotland, said: ‘Most gracious God, with all our hearts we thank you for the long life, the shining example, the steadfast commitment to duty, the strong faith, and the good humour of our wise and great Queen.

‘We thank you for the deep love she has inspired from all her subjects, for the myriad ways in which she met and welcomed people from all walks of life, for the diplomacy with which she resolved conflict, and for the stability she brought to her realms and to the Commonwealth.’

The national anthem, God Save The King, was sang near the end of the service.

The Queen Consort, Duke of York, Earl of Wessex, Princess Royal and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence could be seen singing as they stood alongside the King in front of the late Queen’s coffin.

Members of the public will be able to view the coffin to pay their respects for 24 hours before it is taken to London to lie in state.

At 7.20pm the King and his brothers will perform the Vigil of The Princes. The coffin is expected to be flown to London this evening, again with Princess Anne accompanying her mother.

On arrival at RAF Northolt in west London at 6.55pm, the coffin will be transferred to the State Hearse. At Buckingham Palace, a guard of honour will receive the coffin. 

A bearer party of the Queen’s Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, will carry it to the Bow Room where it will be placed on trestles, witnessed by King Charles and the Queen Consort. Chaplains to the King will keep watch over the coffin.

King Charles III looked close to tears today as Parliament sang ‘God Save the King’ after he addressed MPs and peers for the first time telling them he could ‘feel the weight of history’ on his shoulders following their own tributes to his beloved mother the Queen.

His Majesty also looked moved as the Lord Speaker and the Commons Speaker expressed their condolences and said: ‘Deep as our grief is, we know yours is deeper.’

The King stood at a gilded lectern to speak to the crowd assembled in Westminster Hall and thanked the hundreds of politicians and peers, including Liz Truss, Sir Keir Starmer and Boris Johnson, for their tributes his mother.

In his short, poignant speech, Charles quoted Shakespeare in his tribute to his ‘beloved mother’ as he addressed Parliament for the first time since becoming monarch, saying of the Queen: ‘As Shakespeare said of the earlier Queen Elizabeth, she was a pattern to all princes living.’

He said: ‘As I stand before you today, I cannot help but feel the weight of history which surrounds us and which reminds us of the vital parliamentary traditions to which members of both Houses dedicate yourselves with such personal commitment, for the betterment of us all.’

Charles said the late Queen had ‘set an example of selfless duty which, with God’s help and your counsels, I am resolved faithfully to follow.’

He added: ‘I am deeply grateful for addresses of condolence, which so touchingly encompass what late sovereign beloved mother meant to us all’.

The hundreds of dignitaries then stood for the national anthem, which moved the new King to tears on a day where he was seen in public with the Queen’s coffin for the first time in Scotland yesterday afternoon.

The King told MPs and peers assembled in Westminster Hall that he was ‘resolved faithfully to follow’ the example of his mother, the Queen.

He concluded his first formal address to Parliament as King by saying: ‘We gather today in remembrance of the remarkable span of the Queen’s dedicated service to her nations and peoples.

‘While very young, Her late Majesty pledged herself to serve her country and her people and to maintain the precious principles of constitutional government which lie at the heart of our nation.

‘This vow she kept with unsurpassed devotion. She set an example of selfless duty which, with God’s help and your counsels, I am resolved faithfully to follow.’

There were wild cheers and cries of ‘God Save the King’ as the monarch drove from Clarence House down The Mall for the historic moment before MPs and peers bowed and curtseyed as he walked slowly to his throne with Queen Consort, Camilla.

Liz Truss and her predecessor Boris Johnson were also in Westminster Hall this morning along with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and hundreds of politicians.

His Majesty heard tributes for the Queen in the near-1,000-year-old Westminster Hall – the ancient heart of the Palace of Westminster where his mother will lie in state from tomorrow evening for four days until her funeral on Monday. At times Charles looked deeply moved.

The Lord Speaker and the Commons Speaker expressed their condolences to His Majesty in a ceremony in Westminster Hall. Charles received a motion of confidence from both houses of Parliament – in another constitutional event that has never been seen on TV before.

The Lord Speaker Lord McFall of Alcluith said people will continue to draw strength from the Queen’s ‘shining example’.

Speaking in Westminster Hall, he said: ‘In 2012, Her late Majesty came to Westminster Hall to mark her Diamond Jubilee and we saw the unveiling of the splendid memorial window, commissioned by both members of Parliament’s Houses, which now graces the north wall of this historic space.

‘Like the light that shines through this memorial window, Her late Majesty’s magnificent achievements will live on by permanently illuminating and enriching our lives and our national discourse.

‘Your Majesty, even as we mourn the loss of our dear Queen, we and future generations will draw strength from her shining example.

‘Your Majesty, on behalf of all the members of the House of Lords, I pledge my loyalty to you. I wish you and Her Majesty the Queen Consort well in the life of service to which you have dedicated yourself.

‘We are proud and indeed humbled to welcome you as our King. And we look forward to welcoming you on many more occasions to Parliament, and to this hall in the years ahead.’

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle told Westminster Hall that in his first address King Charles ‘pledged to uphold constitutional principles at the heart of our nation’.

Sir Lindsay said: ‘In your first address to the nation you recognised your life would change as a result of the new responsibilities.

‘You pledged yourself to uphold constitutional principles at the heart of our nation.

‘These are weighty responsibilities, as the early Queen Elizabeth said in her final speech to parliamentarians ‘to be a king and wear a crown is a thing more glorious to them that see it than it is pleasant to them that bear it’.’

He added: ‘We know you hold the greatest respect, the precious traditions, the freedoms, and responsibilities of our unique history and our system of parliamentary government.

‘We know that you will bear those responsibilities which fall to you with the fortitude, dignity, demonstrated by Her late Majesty.’

It is perhaps ‘very British’ to celebrate revolutions by presenting an address to Her Majesty, Sir Lindsay said.

Presenting an address to the King on behalf of the lower house, the Commons Speaker told Westminster Hall: ‘Let me repeat a welcome to you and to Her Majesty, the Queen Consort, on this solemn occasion.

‘Members of both Houses of Parliament gather here to express our deep sympathy for the loss we have all sustained in the death of our sovereign lady, Queen Elizabeth. We have seen that this is a loss that is felt around the world.’

He went on: ‘Our late Queen was here to mark the historic moments, such as the 50th anniversary of the Second World War, a war in which she herself served in the armed forces.

‘And in 1988, we celebrated the 300th anniversary of the revolutions of 1688 to 1689.

‘It is perhaps very British to celebrate revolutions by presenting an address to Her Majesty; but those revolutions led to our constitutional freedoms, set out the foundation for a stable monarchy, which protects liberty.’

The medieval hall was full to bursting with peers and MPs crammed in to see the King and Queen Consort.

As well as the party leaders those present included Labour left wingers likeJeremy Corbyn, John McDonnel and Zara Sultana, who would not be counted among the most royalist of MPs.

Apart from music from the Band of the Household Cavalry the crowd was completely silent.

The only noises that could be heard before the royal arrival was the thud of circling news helicopters outside and the sharp clack of staffs carried by the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, who provided a symbolic bodyguard.

As the King left the hall he appeared to speak to those he was passing and was repaid with bows and curtsies from those lining the passage.

The Countess of Wessex was pictured comforting Princess Anne on Sunday as members of the royal family watched Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin arrive in Edinburgh to lie in rest at the Palace of Holyroodhouse overnight.

Sophie, 57, the wife of the Queen’s youngest son Prince Edward, 58, was seen placing her hand on the Princess Royal’s back in a supportive gesture after the coffin made the journey from Balmoral to the Scottish city.

The Queen’s children and their spouses – Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Duke of York and the Earl and Countess of Wessex – watched as soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Scotland carried the coffin into the Palace. 

In a touching moment, deference to the monarch was still observed, with the royal women curtseying and the men bowing their heads. 

Her Majesty did not travel alone during her 180-mile journey, Anne and her husband were in a limousine as part of a procession directly behind her. 

The Queen stayed at the palace overnight before being moved to St Giles’ Cathedral yesterday afternoon – where earlier a large crowd had gathered to witness the midday proclamation of King Charles as head of state.

On Sunday, both Princess Anne and Sophie appeared teary-eyed as they looked at floral tributes to the Queen left at Balmoral, alongside other members of the royal family.

Meanwhile, Scottish mourners paid tribute to Her Majesty by lining the route of her coffin procession in their thousands as she left Balmoral for the last time.

Silent, sombre and respectful, well-wishers gathered beside country roads, bridges and in village and city centres to say goodbye to the woman who was never more at home than when in Scotland. 

By the time the procession reached its destination of Edinburgh’s Palace of Holyroodhouse, after more than six hours, the crowds were 10 deep in places on the famous Royal Mile, a famous thoroughfare the Queen knew well.

As the procession neared its end, flowers were thrown in front of the hearse – from William Purvis, a family run funeral directors based in Scotland – and spontaneous applause broke out from sections of the crowds in the Royal Mile.

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.

Earlier on Sunday, a single motorbike police outrider led the way as the hearse 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 monarch with tractors lined up in a field.

Hundreds lined the main street of Ballater, the picturesque Victorian village closest to the Balmoral estate, where locals considered her a neighbour, as the Queen’s coffin was driven slowly through. Her Majesty and her family were often seen in the village in Royal Deeside, which she had visited since childhood and where the Royal Family have space to be themselves.

The hearse passed Glenmuick Church, where the Rev David Barr rang the church bells 70 times after the Queen’s death was announced.

Flowers were thrown into the hearse’s path by well-wishers on both sides of the road in Ballater, which was sombre and silent. The hearse slowed to a fast walking pace and mourners could clearly see the royal standard-draped coffin and the wreath featuring flowers from the Balmoral estate, including sweet peas – one of the Queen’s favourite flowers – dahlias, phlox, white heather and pine fir.

The First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, paid tribute to the Queen when her final journey through the Scottish Highlands began just after 10am.

Ms Sturgeon said in a tweet: ‘A sad and poignant moment as Her Majesty, The Queen leaves her beloved Balmoral for the final time. Yesterday, as she made her journey to Edinburgh, Scotland will pay tribute to an extraordinary woman.’

The Queen’s oak coffin, draped with the Royal Standard of Scotland with a wreath of Balmoral flowers on top, began its journey from the Queen’s summer sanctuary in the Highlands and the first settlement it reached was Ballater.

Locals from Ballater considered the Queen a neighbour with the monarch and her family often seen in the village in Royal Deeside, which she had visited since childhood and where the monarchy have space to be themselves.

The death of the Queen became a stark reality for tens of thousands who took to the streets to witness the first stage of her final journey yesterday. 

Many had travelled through the night to secure their place along the route after Her Majesty left her beloved Balmoral for the last time. 

There was a solemn mood as the Queen’s oak coffin draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland reached the climax of the journey to the Scottish capital of Edinburgh. 

Hundreds lined the village’s main street as the Queen’s coffin was driven slowly past, and behind the well-wishers many shops displayed photographs of the monarch as a mark of respect.

The hearse passed Glenmuick Church, where the Rev David Barr rang the church bells 70 times after the Queen’s death was announced.

The vehicle slowed to a fast walking pace and mourners could clearly see the royal standard-draped coffin and the wreath featuring flowers from the Balmoral estate, including sweet peas – one of the Queen’s favourite flowers – dahlias, phlox, white heather and pine fir.

Elizabeth Taylor, from Aberdeen, had tears in her eyes as she considered what she had just seen.

She said: ‘It was very emotional. It was respectful and showed what they think of the Queen. She certainly gave service to this country, even up until a few days before her death.’

Royal fan Andrew Brown, 63, who watched the hearse as it travelled slowly down the Royal Mile said: ‘Up until now everything seemed so surreal but this has brought it all home. I think I had been in a bit of a state of shock and numbness but seeing the coffin and the cortege with my own eyes makes it more of a reality.’

Mr Scott, from Glasgow, added: ‘It’s a sad day but I’m glad I got an opportunity to say goodbye. The Queen loved Scotland and I think it is fitting that her last journey began at Balmoral.’

Hairdresser Ashley Coventry, who lives in Edinburgh, said: ‘It just feels weird. I think we all knew it was going to come. But it is the realisation of being here – it is a mark of history as well. I’m amazed by the number of people here. People have travelled from far, from all over the place.’

Ashley, who was with daughter Hannah, nine, and husband Scott, 39, added: ‘It’s just a constant stream of people. I’ve never seen anything like it.’ Scott said: ‘The Queen was much loved in our household and it’s a very sad day.’

Lynda Amos, 69, and her husband Richard, 67, told how they broke off from their holiday in the Scottish highlands to travel to Edinburgh to pay their respects. The couple live 50 miles south of the capital in Duns in the Scottish Borders.

Lynda said: ‘We came straight here. We’re devastated. It came as such a shock after we had seen pictures of her only a couple of days before when she met Liz Truss. It is so sad but it is the start of a new beginning as well. The Queen has always been part of their lives. My father was in the RAF and he was in Kenya where the Queen was on holiday when her father died. They all went to the airport and stood to attention when she flew back to Britain to become Queen.

‘We have been to garden parties here a couple of times. The Queen would come to host them on her way up to Balmoral each year. Everyone dressed up and she would really make an effort. She was delightful.’ 

Chartered surveyor Richard said: ‘Being here makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up.’

It comes after King Charles was greeted by thousands of well-wishers as he arrived at Buckingham Palace where he met with representatives from the Commonwealth.

Crowds lining the length of The Mall – including excited young children sat on top of the shoulders of parents trying to take photos with their phones – cheered and waved at Britain’s new monarch as he was driven in his state Rolls-Royce from Clarence House through the Palace gates at around 1pm, accompanied by a motorcade of four cars and four police motorbikes.

The King was followed shortly after arriving at Buckingham Palace by his wife Camilla, Queen Consort, who was also cheered by mourners.

Charles met Commonwealth general secretary Patricia Scotland in the 1844 Room at 2pm on Sunday, before attending a reception with High Commissioners and their spouses from countries where he is head of state at the royal residence’s Bow Room. Then at 3.30pm, the King – who was formally proclaimed at St James’s Palace yesterday – received the Dean of Windsor. 

Guests included Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and the Commissioner for Antigua and Barbuda – whose republican Prime Minister is threatening a referendum on ditching the Crown – as well as representatives for Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, New Zealand, St Christopher and Nevis, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines, and the Honorary Consul of Tuvalu and the Acting High Commissioner for Australia.

Next week, the King and Queen will embark on a tour of the four home nations in the run-up to his late mother’s state funeral at Westminster Abbey and burial at St George’s Chapel in Windsor, following her death at Balmoral on Thursday aged 96.