September 20, 2024

Queen’s coffin to move to St. Giles’ Cathedral, King Charles and Camilla appear at Westminster Hall

Westminster Hall #WestminsterHall

5m ago / 11:52 AM UTC

King and queen consort land in Edinburgh before royal procession

A plane carrying Britain’s new king and Camilla, Queen Consort, has landed at Edinburgh Airport.

Charles will lead a royal procession behind his mother’s coffin as it is transported from Holyroodhouse, the queen’s official palace in the Scottish capital, to St. Giles’ Cathedral.

The coffin will lie at rest there until Tuesday, before being moved to London.

6m ago / 11:51 AM UTC

U.K. to observe nationwide moment of reflection for the queen on Sunday

There will be a nationwide moment of silence to remember the queen at 8pm (3 p.m. ET) on Sunday ahead of her funeral next Monday, Prime Minister Liz Truss’ spokesperson has announced.

Around 1,500 military personnel will be on hand to assist in the queueing arrangements for the queen’s lying in state, the spokesperson said in the same briefing. The lying in state is set to begin on Wednesday and last until next Monday.

40m ago / 11:17 AM UTC

Indian flag flies at half-mast at the Central Park in Connaught Place, New Delhi Image: The Indian flag flies at half-mast at the Central Park in Connaught Place following Thursday's death of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in New Delhi on Sept.11, 2022. The Indian flag flies at half-mast at the Central Park in Connaught Place following the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II in New Delhi on Sunday.Manish Swarup / AP

55m ago / 11:02 AM UTC

Australian PM defends 15-day Parliament break after queen’s death

Chantal Da Silva and Associated Press

Australia’s prime minister on Monday defended a longstanding protocol blocking the nation’s Parliament from sitting for 15 days following the death of a British monarch.

Lawmakers are expected to reconvene on Sept. 23 to debate a condolence motion for Queen Elizabeth, which is the earliest date allowed under the obscure protocol, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

With the last British monarch dying in 1952, the Australian protocol is not well-known. Asked who was behind the protocol, Albanese told reporters it had “been in place for a long period of time.”

“I think there is something to be said for a prime minister who follows tradition, who follows protocols and who follows order,” he said. “That is something that I hope to define my prime ministership is respect for those traditions.”

1h ago / 10:51 AM UTC

King Charles returns to Scotland for Edinburgh procession

The king and queen consort have left London for Holyrood in Edinburgh, where they will accompany the queen’s coffin in a procession to St Giles Cathedral. Their plane took off around 11.30 a.m. (6.30 a.m.).

The couple will join other members of the royal family, including Elizabeth’s children and grandchildren, walking behind the queen’s coffin on its route to the cathedral, with the guns of Edinburgh Castle firing every minute throughout. Thousands of people are expected to line the Royal Mile to watch.

Charles’ visit to Edinburgh officially marks the start of his tour of all the four nations of the kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

A service will be held at that cathedral, where the queen’s coffin will rest for 24 hours, allowing members of the public to file past and pay their respects from 5 p.m. (12 p.m. ET). The Scottish government has warned that people could be stood waiting for many hours in “potentially challenging weather conditions.”

2h ago / 10:13 AM UTC

Prince Louis said queen is ‘now with great-grandpa,’ Princess of Wales tells public

Prince Louis said the queen was “now with great-grandpa” after learning of her death, his mother Princess Kate told mourners who had gathered in Windsor on Saturday.

“My little Louis, he’s so sweet, he said, ‘mummy don’t worry, she’s now with great-grandpa’… That just shows you how special she was to everybody, of all generations,” the Princess of Wales said, according to TikTok footage verified by NBC News.

“Kate was so lovely, kind and concentrated. She was willing to talk to all the public,” Nicole Gumienny, a 16-year-old from Farnborough, England, who was present at the meeting, told NBC News.

“My eyes started watering when she mentioned Prince Louis talking about the queen being with great grandpa now.”

2h ago / 10:05 AM UTC

King Charles at Westminster Hall, where he addressed lawmakers Image: Presentation Of Addresses By Both Houses of Parliament To His Majesty King Charles III King Charles III arrives in Westminster Hall at Houses of Parliament on Monday.John Sibley / WPA Pool via Getty Images

2h ago / 9:59 AM UTC

Order of Service for Thanksgiving service at St Giles’ Cathedral

The thanksgiving service to be held for the life of the queen at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh on Monday will be preceded by hymns including “Thou knowest Lord the secrets of our hearts” and “Salvator mundi.”

Singer Karen Matheson will sing a psalm in Gaelic and readings will be made by the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, Most Rev. Leo Cushley and Most Rev Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross & Caithness, Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church.

Prayers will be also read by Morag Mylne, an Elder of the Church of Scotland, and Samuel Nwokoro, a Commonwealth student from Nigeria.

The service will be sung by the cathedral’s choir conducted by the Master of the Music Michael Harris, and the organ will be played by Jordan English. The service will conclude with the national anthem “God Save the King.”

2h ago / 9:49 AM UTC

King Charles says he is ‘resolved’ to follow queen’s ‘example of selfless duty’

King Charles addressed parliament on Monday, saying he was “resolved” to follow his mother’s “example of selfless duty.”

Britain’s new monarch said he was “deeply grateful” for condolences received by lawmakers following his mother’s death. He said the messages of sympathy “so touchingly encompass what our late sovereign, my beloved mother, the queen, meant to us all.”

Of his mother, Charles said: “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,” he said. “She set an example of selfless duty, which … I am resolved faithfully to follow.”

2h ago / 9:34 AM UTC

King and Queen Consort arrive at Westminster Hall

King Charles and the Queen Consort have arrived at Westminster Hall, where the monarch is expected to address parliament.

They will hear messages of condolences from Britain’s prime minister and other politicians.

Image: Presentation Of Addresses By Both Houses of Parliament To His Majesty King Charles III King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort take part in an address in Westminster Hall on Monday in London.Dan Kitwood / Getty Images

3h ago / 9:18 AM UTC

Yeomen of the Guard arrive at Houses of Parliament Image: Presentation Of Addresses By Both Houses of Parliament To His Majesty King Charles III Yeomen of the Guard arrive at Houses of Parliament on Monday in London, England. Dan Kitwood / Getty Images

3h ago / 9:06 AM UTC

Westminster Hall lends historic significance to Charles’ speech

In one of the main events for today, Charles and Camilla will visit Westminster Hall at 10 a.m. local time (5 a.m. ET) to receive condolences from Prime Minister Liz Truss, as well as members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Charles will then deliver a speech to Parliament.

Westminster Hall is home to both Houses of Parliament and was built in 1097, making it the oldest existing building on what’s known as the Parliamentary Estate. The building was originally part of the Palace of Westminster, which served as the main residence for the English monarch until the reign of King Henry VIII.

The majority of the palace was lost to a fire in 1834, but the hall was spared thanks to the work of firefighters and the changing of the direction of the wind that night. The palace was also hit by bombs twice during World War II, but the hall survived.

The queen’s coffin will move on Wednesday from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, where she will lie in state until her funeral on Monday. The hall will remain open for 24 hours during that time so that the public can pay their respects.

King Edward VII was the first monarch to lie in state there. After her death in 2002, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, was the most recent royal to do so. Prince Philip requested to not be given a state funeral.

3h ago / 9:01 AM UTC

Royal Parks ban mourners from bringing gifts, teddy bears

Mourners hoping to pay tribute to the queen will not be able to do so with gifts such as teddy bears and balloons, according to the Royal Parks, the charity that manages royal parklands in London.

Tributes to the queen that are not flowers will not be allowed at Green Park next to Buckingham Palace, the authority announced on its website. Cards and labels, meanwhile, will be permitted but will be periodically cleared away.

The lighting of candles for the queen will also not be permitted.

3h ago / 8:59 AM UTC

Burj Khalifa lit up with portrait of queen

The Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, was lit up Sunday night with a portrait of the queen superimposed onto the British Union Jack national flag.

Image: CORRECTION-ISRAEL-BRITAIN-ROYALS-QUEEN-DEATH A portrait of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom superimposed with the British Union Jack national flag is projected upon the Burj Khalifa in the Gulf emirate of Dubai on Sunday, in remembrance of the late monarch who died days earlier.RYAN LIM / AFP – Getty Images

3h ago / 8:47 AM UTC

Brazil’s Bolsonaro to attend queen’s funeral

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has accepted his invitation to attend the queen’s funeral next week.

Bolsonaro will join other world leaders in London for the proceedings on September 19.

3h ago / 8:42 AM UTC

Prince Harry releases statement in memory of his ‘Granny’

Prince Harry released a statement Monday celebrating the life of his grandmother and honoring her “unwavering grace and dignity.”

“In celebrating the life of my grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen — and in mourning her loss — we are all reminded of the guiding compass she was to so many in her commitment to service and duty,” he said.

“Granny, while this final parting brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings — from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my Commander-in-Chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved great grandchildren,” the statement later continued. “I cherish these times shared with you, and the many other special moments in between.”

“You are already sorely missed, not just by us, but by the world over. And as it comes to first meetings, we now honour my father in his new role as King Charles III.”

“Thank you for your commitment to service.

Thank you for your sound advice.

Thank you for your infectious smile.

We, too, smile knowing that you and grandpa are reunited now, and both together in peace.”

3h ago / 8:27 AM UTC

Clarence House social media accounts retired

The Clarence House social media accounts for King Charles and the queen consort have been retired.

Social media pages for Clarence House, the London residence of the now-former Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, were updated with the message: “This account is no longer being updated.

“Please follow @theroyalfamily for updates on His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty The Queen Consort.”

The Clarence House Twitter account had around 1.1 million followers as of early Monday morning, while the Instagram page had around 1.7 million followers.

4h ago / 8:16 AM UTC

New Zealand PM say country has no immediate plans to become a republic

Rhoda Kwan and Associated Press

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said her government will not discuss plans to remove the British monarch as her country’s head of state following the death of the queen.

“This is a large, significant debate. I don’t think it’s one that would or should occur quickly,” Ardern said on Monday.

The prime minister, however, said she believed New Zealand would eventually become a republic, perhaps in her lifetime, but said there are other more pressing issues to be considered for the time being.

Ardern will join other world leaders this week to attend the queen’s funeral.

4h ago / 8:02 AM UTC

Queen’s subjects will get final chance to pay respects at Palace of Westminster

The general public will have their chance to pay respects to Queen Elizabeth, with a round-the-clock operation that will allow mourners to file past the queen’s closed coffin.

The queen’s subjects and well-wishers will be able to walk past the raised platform to glimpse her casket inside Westminster Hall in the Palace of Westminster from 5 p.m. BST Wednesday until 6:30 a.m. a week from Monday, the government announced Sunday.

However, officials have warned that the process could be physically taxing on mourners.

“You will need to stand for many hours, possibly overnight, with very little opportunity to sit down as the queue will be continuously moving,” a government statement said.

Larger bags, food and food containers will be strictly prohibited once mourners reach the Palace of Westminster, where they will be subjected to “airport-style” security screening, officials said.

4h ago / 8:02 AM UTC

On Monday, Scotland celebrates the life of the queen

Monday is an opportunity for the people of Scotland to celebrate the life of Queen Elizabeth II before her coffin heads back to London for national viewing ahead of her funeral Monday, Sept. 19.

Her coffin will travel in a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh. At 3 p.m. local time (10 a.m. ET) the cathedral will host a service service of prayer and reflection.

The queen will lie in rest at St Giles’ Cathedral through Tuesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the king and the queen consort will appear at London’s Westminster Hall, where both houses of Parliament will meet to express condolences.

The pair will then travel by air to Edinburgh and Holyroodhouse, then on to the cathedral service.

Later, the king was expected to meet the Scottish government officials before receiving a motion of condolence from lawmakers.

Monday evening, the king will participate in a vigil at St. Giles. Other members of the royal family were expected to attend.

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