The Queen’s oak coffin rested in the Balmoral ballroom, draped with the Royal Standard of Scotland and crowned with a flower wreath. Loyal estate workers were given a final chance to pay their respects before the solemn journey began.
Heartbreaking Farewell at Balmoral
At 10 a.m. on Sunday, six Balmoral gamekeepers carefully lifted the coffin into a hearse. It set off on a six-hour trip to Edinburgh, carrying the nation’s beloved monarch to the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called the journey “poignant,” a moment for the public to unite and “mark our country’s shared loss.”
Royal Family United in Grief
The day before, the royal family accepted condolences from well-wishers who gathered at Balmoral and Windsor Castle, leaving floral tributes in memory of the late Queen.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, alongside the Prince and Princess of Wales, went on a walkabout near Windsor Castle, solidarity clear as they shared their grief with the public.
Meanwhile, King Charles III was officially confirmed as the new monarch during the Accession Council meeting earlier that day.
Cortege to Pass Through Hometown Heartlands
Thousands are expected to line the route from Balmoral to Edinburgh, beginning with the nearby town of Ballater. The coffin will pass through the Aberdeenshire village where many locals had a close bond with Her Majesty.
Local minister Reverend David Barr described the scene: “I believe the royal part of her stays mostly outside” when she visits Balmoral, allowing her to just be a “loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.”
Aberdeen’s Duthie Park will also host tributes as the cortege passes an hour after Ballater, with “overwhelming emotion” expected from the community.
