Long live the king

Queen Elizabeth II dies at 96

https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/08...-gbr-intl/index.html

RIP

Who succeeds Queen Elizabeth II? Here’s who is next in line to the throne.

By Jennifer Hassan --- Updated September 8, 2022 at 1:37 p.m. EDT|Published September 8, 2022 at 11:35 a.m. EDT --- Source -- https://www.washingtonpost.com...ritain-royal-family/

Members of the British royal family gather on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping The Colour on June 9, 2018, in London. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Who will inherit the throne now that Queen Elizabeth has died?Return to me

‘Her passing marks the end of an era’ – Pres. Ali expresses sorrow over Queen’s death

The Queen.Photographer: Chris Jackson/Chris Jackson Collection

Queen Elizabeth II, the longest- serving British monarch, passed away on Thursday. Moments after her death was announced, Guyana’s President Dr. Irfaan Ali expressed his sorrow and sympathies, reflecting on her life.

See below full statement from President Ali:

I join all Guyanese in expressing our profound and deepest sorrow at the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. Her passing marks the end of an era in the history of the British Monarchy, the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Nations.

Queen Elizabeth’s place in history is assured and her legacy is intact. Her long and impactful reign has helped to shape the post-World War II world. Her Majesty has been a source of stability for her country. She will be long remembered for her sterling leadership of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Her visits to Guyana are recalled with great fondness.

At this time, the thoughts of all Guyana are with the members of the Royal Family and the people of the United Kingdom. We join in heralding the life of the longest-serving British Monarch and mourn her passing.

@Former Member posted:

‘Her passing marks the end of an era’ – Pres. Ali expresses sorrow over Queen’s death

By Editor On Sep 8, 2022 --- Source -- https://newsroom.gy/2022/09/08...w-over-queens-death/

The Queen.Photographer: Chris Jackson/Chris Jackson Collection

Queen Elizabeth II, the longest- serving British monarch, passed away on Thursday. Moments after her death was announced, Guyana’s President Dr. Irfaan Ali expressed his sorrow and sympathies, reflecting on her life.

Indeed an end of an era.

Uncertain and interesting times ahead.

RIP Queen Elizabeth. Long live King Charles111.

Diana is waiting with Lucifer to toss her into hell!  This should have been Diana's time to be Queen.  Horse face Camilla plotted and schemed and now is Queen.  I wonder what will become of India's Kohinoor diamond that's in the Queen's crown, will be great if they return the stolen loot.

Charles as King: What kind of monarch will he be?

As heir to the throne, Prince Charles showed an activism in areas such as architecture and climate change that left some wondering how he will act as monarch. (Joe Giddens/Getty Images)

It was a question that haunted the new King for decades: Just what kind of monarch would Charles be?

It's a tricky question, getting to the fundamental role of the one who wears the crown. To what extent could — or should — that individual share opinions? What about involvement in affairs of state? Or politics?

That has been a perpetual worry with Charles, whose activism as Prince of Wales in areas as diverse as architecture, organic farming and global warming has been seen by some as ahead of its time, but also left many wondering how he would reign.

And it differed sharply from the way his mother, Queen Elizabeth, fulfilled the role, with a deep devotion to duty but little public indication of her views or involvement in political affairs of state.

Such worries were not lost on the new King.

As he turned 70 in 2018, Charles addressed the issue head on, telling the BBC he understood he would have to act differently once he became King.

"I'm not that stupid," he said when asked if his public campaigning would continue after he succeeds his mother. "I do realize that it is a separate exercise being sovereign, so of course I understand entirely how that should operate."

Longest-serving heir

The 1701 Act of Settlement established the succession for the throne. Charles became King the moment his mother died Thursday at the age of 96. His coronation is likely to be months down the road.

Given his mother's longevity, Charles was the longest-waiting heir to the throne in British history.

"Not once, however, has Prince Charles ever complained about the wait — nor even hinted at the frustrations of being perpetually second in line," author John Fraser wrote in The Secret of the Crown: Canada's Affair with Royalty.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles attend the state opening of Parliament in London, England, on Dec. 19, 2019. (Paul Edwards/Getty Images)

But it was in that role that he always considered he would have his greatest influence. He's been heir to the throne for more than 70 years. His time as King won't be nearly as long.

"He's always known that his impact on Canadian society, on British society, on Australian society is not going to be as King. It's going to be as Prince of Wales," Matthew Rowe, manager of operations and partnership for his charitable efforts in Canada, said ahead of Charles's visit to the country in 2014.

"So it's through this charitable work that he's really building his legacy to bequeath to his citizens."

Charles's charitable works had their beginnings in 1976, when he used his severance pay of 7,400 pounds from the Royal Navy to establish the Prince's Trust.

Queen Elizabeth holds the hands of her 20-year-old son Charles during his investiture as Prince of Wales on July 1, 1969, in Cardiff. (AFP/Getty Images)

A broad swath of charitable efforts

It's considered that the trust has helped more than 800,000 young people find work and learn skills. Actor Idris Elba, for one, got his start with a $2,000 grant to go to acting school.

Charles's charitable efforts have cut a broad swath. In Canada alone, those receiving support have ranged from disadvantaged young people and sheep farmers to soldiers trying to find a way forward after their military service is concluded.

Once he's King, there won't be such a focus on those charitable efforts, and there were suggestions in recent years that Charles was scaling back involvement in the area as he gradually assumed more and more duties on behalf of his mother.

While her death represents the stark transition between reigns, there has been a gradual shift for the past several years.

Charles travelled on her behalf after she gave up long-haul travel, and took her place on more and more high-profile occasions, including when he read the Queen's speech to open the British Parliament in May 2022.

In 2018, leaders of Commonwealth countries had also approved him to succeed Elizabeth as head of the organization.

A decade before, he'd sent another signal about how he might like to fulfil the role as King, suggesting he would become "Defender of Faith" at his coronation, rather than "Defender of the Faith," recognizing the multicultural nature of the country and Commonwealth that he will reign over.

Other worries from some quarters in recent years revolved around whether Charles will meddle in the affairs of state or get more deeply involved in politics than his mother ever did.

"We've had this situation with the Queen being the longest-reigning monarch in history, being very careful about never speaking about politics," Camilla Tominey, a royal commentator for the Daily Telegraph newspaper, said in an interview.

"But then we've had her son and successor, Prince Charles, being a little more politically motivated. We've seen him talk about architecture, climate change, sustainable development and other issues."

Wading into political affairs?

Charles was the focus of numerous headlines a few years ago when it emerged that he had reportedly likened Russian President Vladimir Putin to Adolf Hitler during a private conversation in Halifax.

At the time, one headline suggested the remarks risked "triggering international scandal."

But is a monarch forbidden from wading into political affairs or offering up such views?

"The Queen's predecessors were more open about their views, and at times Charles seems to follow in that tradition rather than the Queen's approach," Carolyn Harris, a Toronto-based royal historian and author, said at the time.

Given the passage of time, the Queen's approach had come to be thought of as the way a monarch deals with government.

But it wasn't always the case.

• Do you have a question about King Charles or what comes next for the new monarch? Send an email to ask@cbc.ca.

"Queen Victoria in her correspondence was quite open about her political views," Harris has said. "There were certain prime ministers she liked and certain prime ministers she disliked."

Charles found himself the focus of more controversy a few years ago after writing letters — the "black spider memos," so named for his distinct handwriting — to government ministers on issues ranging from military readiness and badger-culling to fish protection and preservation of historic buildings.

Prince Charles hopes Canadian business has a role to play in protecting the environment.

Defending his actions

Some viewed that as him learning how government works and something that might make sense for a future monarch, Harris said, while others thought it suggested he might try to interfere politically as King.

But Charles himself has defended his actions. In that interview with the BBC at the time of his 70th birthday, he said he had always tried to steer clear of party politics, wondering if in fact his interventions could really be considered "meddling."

"If it's meddling to worry about the inner cities as I did 40 years ago … if that's meddling, I'm very proud of it," he said.

Britain's Prince Charles, left, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall speak during the Braemar Royal Highland Gathering at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park in Braemar, Scotland, Saturday. (Jane Barlow/The Associated Press)

In the same BBC documentary, his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, said Charles is driven by a need to help others.

"He's pretty impatient. He wants things done by yesterday, as I think everybody who works for him will tell you. But that's how he gets things done. He's driven by this, this passion inside him to really help," she said.

"He would like to save the world."

Janet Davison is a CBC senior writer and editor based in Toronto.

With files from The Associated Press and CBC News

From the Queen's death to her funeral, here's the sequence of royal events to come

Funeral for Queen Elizabeth at Westminster Abbey will follow 11-day mourning period

Friday marks the first official day of mourning in Britain for Queen Elizabeth's death. King Charles is expected to return to London from Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

Queen Elizabeth's funeral, expected 11 days from now, will be the culmination of an official mourning period that began with her death Thursday at Balmoral.

But planning to honour the 96-year-old's life began decades ago, in the strictest of secrecy, under its own code name — London Bridge.

As little as possible will be left to chance over the next week and a half, leading up to a funeral at Westminster Abbey in London, followed by the committal and burial at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, west of London.

• For what happens next in Canada, click here

As much as the next several days are about remembering the Queen, they are also about the beginning of the next reign, as Prince Charles became King Charles III immediately upon his mother's death and assumes the role he has been preparing for throughout his life.

In the royal plan, the days of mourning are identified as D (day of death) plus a number. However, D has been designated as Friday instead.

Charles is expected to address the nation in a speech at 1 p.m. ET.

CBC will broadcast that speech. Watch and listen to live coverage on CBC News Network, CBC Radio and the CBC News and Listen apps.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Liz Truss and other senior ministers are scheduled to attend a remembrance service at St. Paul's Cathedral in London on Friday evening.

While other events may change, here's what's expected each day over the next week and a half.

D+1

Charles became King the moment his mother died, but on D+1, he is expected to formally take on the role as the Accession Council meets at St. James's Palace.

Members of the Privy Council are summoned to the historic spot just down the road from Buckingham Palace. London's Lord Mayor and aldermen are invited, along with high commissioners from realms within the Commonwealth.

After the official declaration of the Queen's death and the proclamation of Charles as King, he will read a declaration and take an oath to preserve the Church of Scotland.

In Canada, the Governor General receives the proclamation for Canada, with Rideau Hall determining how that is done.

People gather outside Buckingham Palace in London after Queen Elizabeth, Britain's longest-reigning monarch and Canada's head of state, died at age 96 on Thursday. (Henry Nicholls/Reuters)

D+2

Proclamations are read around the United Kingdom.

Canada's delegation to travel to London is announced.

D+3

Charles begins travelling around the U.K. to meet and mourn with members of the public, starting with a trip to Edinburgh. His wife, Camilla, who is now Queen Consort, is expected to join him.

In Canada, condolence books will begin to be available for members of the public to sign.

Police officers stand amongst floral tributes left outside Buckingham Palace after the announcement of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, in London, Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022. (Victoria Jones/PA via AP)

D+4

Charles will continue travelling around the U.K., visiting Belfast.

Condolence books will continue to be available in Canada.

D+5

The Queen's coffin is moved from the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace to the Bow Room, where prayers will be said. The Imperial State Crown will be placed on the coffin, along with a wreath of flowers. Charles and other members of the Royal Family are expected to be present.

The coffin will then be moved in a ceremonial procession via gun carriage to Westminster Hall, a Gothic building that has an extensive political and royal history and is the oldest building in the U.K. Parliament.

Charles, other members of the family and members of the royal household are expected to follow on foot. Bells will toll throughout the procession.

When King Charles III travels the U.K. to mourn with members of the public, his wife, Camilla, now known as the Queen Consort, is expected to join him. Here, the couple watch Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa in 2017. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

At 4 p.m., lying in state will begin, and will continue for five days, 24 hours per day, except for 30-minute periods for cleaning.

There will be a queuing system, with people lining up outside Parliament and across the Thames river, and for some distance after that.

In Canada, the condolence books will continue to be available.

D+6

Lying in state continues, as do the condolence books in Canada.

D+7

Charles continues his U.K. tour with a visit to Wales, as the lying in state also continues.

The Queen's four children will take part in a vigil at Westminster Hall in the evening, when Charles returns.

On Sept. 9, 2015, Queen Elizabeth became the longest-reigning monarch in British history, a record previously held by Queen Victoria. Elizabeth ascended to the throne at age 25, after the death of her father. Her official coronation ceremony happened 16 months later. (David Bailey/The Associated Press, AFP/Getty Images)

D+8

Preparations for the funeral continue and rehearsals are carried out.

Overseas leaders are expected to begin arriving in London.

Charles may also go to a control centre overseeing the events and see the operational side of things and thank those who are involved.

D+9

Heads of state and other dignitaries arrive in London, with heads of state likely to attend the lying in state at Westminster Hall.

The Queen's grandchildren might also hold a vigil at Westminster Hall.

Charles is expected to meet with the British prime minister and greet members of the public who have gathered.

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, drives Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Edward, Earl of Wessex to see Queen Elizabeth at Balmoral Castle on Thursday, before her death was announced. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

D+10 or later – The funeral and burial

The lying in state ends at 8:30 a.m.

Two hours later, members of the Royal Family arrive at Westminster Hall and the coffin is placed on a gun carriage.

At 10:44 a.m., the procession to Westminster Abbey begins, with members of the Royal Family following on foot.

The hour-long funeral, which will be the first funeral for a monarch held at Westminster Abbey since King George II's in 1760,  will begin at 11 a.m.

Charles, 73, began taking over more duties from Queen Elizabeth in recent years, including reading the government's legislative program to the House of Lords in May 2022. (Hannah McKay/AFP/Getty Images)

At 12:15 p.m., Elizabeth's coffin emerges from Great West Door and Westminster Abbey for a procession to Wellington Arch.

At 1 p.m., the coffin will be loaded into the state hearse for the drive to Windsor.

At 2:55 p.m., the coffin arrives in Windsor for a second ceremonial procession through the town to St. George's Chapel.

At 3:30 p.m., members of the Royal Family will arrive for a committal service that begins at 4 p.m. After the 45-minute service, Elizabeth's coffin will be lowered into the royal vault. The Lord Chamberlain will break his white staff of office, symbolizing the end of his service as the coffin is lowered.

At 7:30 p.m., the Royal Family will return for a private burial. Elizabeth will be buried along with Prince Philip in the King George VI memorial chapel. Her father and mother are interred there, along with the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret.

Much of what will happen is unprecedented for many who will be watching. Only those old enough to remember the last funeral for a British monarch — on Feb. 15, 1952 — may have memories of what a reigning king or queen's funeral looks like.

But even that funeral — for the Queen's father, King George VI — can only be a guide to a certain point, since it took place at St. George's Chapel rather than the much larger Westminster Abbey, the place of great historic, royal and spiritual significance in central London where world leaders will join the Queen's family to honour her.

The coronation of Queen Elizabeth happened on June 2, 1953, in Westminster Abbey, more than a year after her father's death. Her funeral will also take place in the centuries-old church. (STP/AFP/Getty Images )

There have been other royal funerals at Westminster Abbey in moderately recent memory — Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 2002; and Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997. Diana's funeral was based on the plan for the Queen Mother's. The funeral for Prince Philip, the Queen's husband, was held at St. George's Chapel in 2021, but was significantly scaled back from plans that had been made. It occurred during the pandemic, at a time when regulations permitted only 30 guests.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Janet Davison is a CBC senior writer and editor based in Toronto.

@Former Member posted:

Charles as King: What kind of monarch will he be?

As Prince of Wales, Charles's activism has led to questions about how he’ll behave as King

Janet Davison · CBC News · Posted: Sep 09, 2022 3:00 AM ET | Last Updated: 3 hours ago --- Source -- https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/...es-as-king-1.6576697

Britain's Prince Charles, left, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall speak during the Braemar Royal Highland Gathering at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park in Braemar, Scotland, Saturday. (Jane Barlow/The Associated Press)

He probably saying with the greatest pride --- "You see, I always wear the longer skirt."

She probably saying to him with the greatest pride --- "Of course, and always ensure to do so."

@Former Member posted:

Charles as King: What kind of monarch will he be?

As Prince of Wales, Charles's activism has led to questions about how he’ll behave as King

Janet Davison · CBC News · Posted: Sep 09, 2022 3:00 AM ET | Last Updated: 3 hours ago --- Source -- https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/...es-as-king-1.6576697

Prince Charles: A King in Waiting

2 months ago

Duration 8:43

As he turned 70 in 2018, Charles addressed the issue head on, telling the BBC he understood he would have to act differently once he became King.

"I'm not that stupid," he said when asked if his public campaigning would continue after he succeeds his mother. "I do realize that it is a separate exercise being sovereign, so of course I understand entirely how that should operate."

Perhaps meaning very, very, v-e-r-y v-e-r-y stupid. 

King Charles officially proclaimed as Canada's new monarch

Governor General officially announced the death of the Queen and the accession of the new monarch

Gov. Gen. Mary Simon and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signed an order in council and a proclamation of accession that officially proclaimed King Charles III as Canada's new monarch. It then was read by Canada's Chief Herald Samy Khalid.

Gov. Gen. Mary Simon met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet to sign an order in council and a proclamation of accession that officially announced the Queen's death and proclaimed King Charles III as Canada's new monarch.

Charles automatically became King of Canada upon the death of Queen Elizabeth. But the accession proclamation is issued by the Governor General on the advice of the federal Privy Council Office, according to the book Canada's Deep Crown, co-authored by David E. Smith, Christopher McCreery and Jonathan Shanks.

Trudeau and Simon signed the documents at Rideau Hall on Saturday surrounded by cabinet. It then was read by Canada's Chief Herald Samy Khalid, followed by a 21-gun salute.

"We … proclaim that His Royal Highness Prince Charles Phillip Arthur George is now, by the death of our late sovereign, Charles III, by the grace of God with the United Kingdom, Canada and his other realms and territories, King" Khalid read in front of Rideau Hall.

WATCH | King Charles makes first public address as monarch:

Speaking to reporters outside Rideau Hall after the proclamation, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Canadians should feel confident in King Charles's ability to take on the role his mother held for 70 years.

"Canadians should be very proud that King Charles III will continue to exercise the constitutional responsibilities … in a way that will provide stability to Canadian institutions," he said.

"We have every confidence that His Majesty will be very much present and involved in the life of our country, as was his mother."

In a written statement, Simon expressed her condolences to the King on the passing of his mother.

"Our collective grief is a reflection of the deep and abiding affection we had for our Queen and the very real connection she had with Canada. On behalf of all Canadians, I offer my sincerest condolences to His Majesty The King," she said.

The proclamation is simply "recognizing what's already occurred in law," Carleton University Professor Philippe Lagassé told CBC Radio's The House.

Lagassé said the government should then publish the proclamation in the Canada Gazette followed by a statement from the prime minister in parliament in the coming weeks.

"These are all sequences that are laid out in terms of how we typically go about doing these things, but because it's been so long since we've done it we can also see some variation," Lagassé told host Catherine Cullen.

Simon looks on as Trudeau signs documents during the accession ceremony on Saturday. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

Lagassé said typically the ceremony is attended by all members of the King's Privy Council, which includes former prime ministers, cabinet ministers and speakers of the house.

But only Trudeau's cabinet were at Rideau Hall to witness the signing of the proclamation, in order to have "a more intimate event," according to the federal government's Privy Council Office.

"Over time, Canada has developed its own traditions," a PCO spokesperson said in a statement to CBC. "There will be several opportunities in the coming days for more public mourning and commemoration."

Dozens in attendance

Dozens of Canadians, including 11-year-old Megan Lamont, gathered outside Rideau Hall to witness the proclamation.

"I thought that it was a big part of history and I wanted to be here," she told CBC News afterward.

Lamont attended the ceremony with her parents. Her father Todd is also a civics teacher and said he expects the ceremony will be a topic of conversation in his next class.

"Those traditions are still important for what the represent, but also as part of people's identities are evolving and as our country's identity evolved, I think it's important to... have conversations about that," he said.

Dozens of Canadians gathered outside Rideau Hall to listen to the accession proclamation which officially declared King Charles III as Canada's new monarch. (Marin von Stackelberg/CBC)

Calgary's Aldrin Gonsalves and his children, Camryn and Ethan, were flying to Ottawa when the Queen passed and decided to attend the proclamation and sign the book of condolences as part of their trip.

All three noted it was solemn moment but were glad to witness the historic event in person.

"It's bittersweet. It's a really nice experience to see this in person instead of on the news, but the circumstances under which its happening isn't the greatest of course," Camryn said.

The Royal Family announced Saturday that the Queen's state funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey on Sept. 19.

King Charles III speaks during his proclamation as King during the accession council on Saturday in London. (Victoria Jones/WPA/Getty Images)

Earlier Saturday Charles was proclaimed as Britain's monarch during a ceremony at St. James's Palace, a royal residence in London, attended by the Accession Council, made up of senior politicians and officials who advise the monarch.

In the United Kingdom, the Queen's death triggers an official 12-day period of national mourning, while Canada has a 10-day period. Much of how Canada marks the Queen's passing will be up to the current government.

At some point, according to the Manual of Official Procedure of the Government of Canada, the government will issue a declaration regarding the period of official mourning.

Leblanc said the government is considering the most appropriate for parliament to reflect the Queen's passing.

"We're very confident that in short order we'll have the appropriate moment and appropriate mechanism by which parliamentarians can gather and can reflect on and express their sympathies with respect to this historic moment," he said.

The House of Commons is adjourned for the summer and it is not scheduled to reconvene until Sept. 19. But protocol states the prime minister should reconvene Parliament and move a joint address of loyalty and sympathy and any messages of condolence. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will also arrange for the motions to be seconded by the Leader of the Opposition.

A woman lays flowers among the tributes at The Norwich Gates at Sandringham House, one of the royal residences, on Friday in Norfolk, England. (Stephen Pond/Getty Images)

Late Friday, Trudeau spent several minutes writing a note in a book of condolences for the Queen at Rideau Hall, after returning to Ottawa from a three-day cabinet retreat in Vancouver.

Trudeau, who sat to sign the book that was placed on a table draped with a black cloth. Behind him was a photo of the Queen with a black ribbon placed on it.

Trudeau wrote that, "Canada came of age during Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's time as Sovereign."

He also wrote that "generations of us have benefited, profoundly, from her steady, graceful leadership and service."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darren Major can be reached via email darren.major@cbc.ca or by tweeting him @DMajJourno.

With files from Marina von Stackelberg and the Associated Press

Why some people are refusing to mourn Queen Elizabeth

https://www.aol.com/news/why-p...queen-174633600.html

See last few paragraphs about Caribbean leaders still mourning her.  My twin the Prezzie is mourning her. 

Some people have no respect for the dead.

Queen Elizabeth's coffin arrives in Edinburgh as thousands pay tribute

Cortege made 6-hour, 280-kilometre journey through Scottish towns

The Associated Press · Posted: Sep 11, 2022 5:12 AM ET | Last Updated: 1 hour ago --- Source -- https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/...-elizabeth-1.6579163

Crowds gather as the cortege carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II passes over the King George VI Bridge in Aberdeen, Scotland, on its way from her Balmoral estate to Edinburgh on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022. (Steve Welsh/Getty Images)

In a slow, sombre and regal procession, Queen Elizabeth II's flag-draped coffin was driven through the Scottish countryside Sunday from her beloved Balmoral Castle to the Scottish capital of Edinburgh.

Mourners packed city streets and highway bridges or lined rural roads with cars and tractors to take part in a historic goodbye to the monarch who reigned for 70 years.

The hearse drove past piles of bouquets and other tributes as it led a seven-car cortege from Balmoral, where the Queen died Thursday at age 96, for a six-hour trip through Scottish towns to Holyroodhouse palace in Edinburgh. The late Queen's coffin was draped in the Royal Standard for Scotland and topped with a wreath made of flowers from the estate, including sweet peas, one of the Queen's favourites.

Pallbearers carry the Queen's coffin at Holyroodhouse, the sovereign’s official residence in Scotland. (Alkis Konstantinidis/AFP/Getty Images)

The procession was a huge event for Scotland as the U.K. takes days to mourn its longest-reigning monarch, the only one most Britons have ever known. Hours before the coffin's arrival in Edinburgh, the Scottish capital, people turned out early to grab a space by police barricades. By afternoon, crowds were 10 people deep in places, eager to be part of the occasion.

• Are you planning on watching Queen Elizabeth's funeral on Sept. 19th? Tell us where you'll be watching from and how in an email to ask@cbc.ca.

Crowds watch the cortege carrying the coffin of the late Queen Elizabeth II arrives in Edinburgh on Sunday. (Ian Forsyth/WPA/Getty Images)

"I think she has been an ever-constant in my life. She was the Queen I was born under, and she has always been there," said Angus Ruthven, a 54-year-old civil servant from Edinburgh as he awaited the arrival of the coffin.

"I think it is going to take a lot of adjusting that she is not here. It is quite a sudden thing. We knew she was getting frailer, but it will be a good reign for King Charles."

The first village the cortege passed through was Ballater, where residents regard the royal family as neighbours. Hundreds of people watched in silence and some threw flowers in front of the hearse as it passed.

Thousands gathered for the arrival of the Queen's coffin in Edinburgh. It will remain in the Scottish capital until Tuesday, when it will be flown to London. (Ian Forsyth/WPA/Getty Images)

"She meant such a lot to people in this area. People were crying. It was amazing to see," said Victoria Pacheco, a guest house manager.

In each Scottish town and village the entourage drove through, they were met with muted scenes of respect. People stood mostly in silence; some clapped politely, others pointed their phone cameras at the passing cars. In Aberdeenshire, farmers lined the route with an honour guard of dozens of tractors.

People react as the hearse carrying the Queen's coffin passes through the village of Ballater, near Balmoral, Scotland, on Sunday. (Hannah McKay/Reuters

Before reaching the Scottish capital, the cortege travelled down what is effectively a royal memory lane — passing through locations laden with House of Windsor history. Those included Dyce, where in 1975 the Queen formally opened the U.K.'s first North Sea oil pipeline, and Fife, near St. Andrews University, where her grandson Prince William, now the Prince of Wales, studied and met his future wife, Catherine.

U.K. nations read out proclamations

Sunday's solemn drive came as the Queen's eldest son was formally proclaimed the new monarch — King Charles III — in the rest of the nations of the United Kingdom: Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The proclamations were read out a day after a pomp-filled accession ceremony in London for the King, steeped in ancient tradition and political symbolism.

"I am deeply aware of this great inheritance and of the duties and heavy responsibilities of sovereignty, which have now passed to me," Charles said Saturday after he was publicly proclaimed Britain's new monarch at an event held at St. James's Palace.

People pay tribute to the late Queen as her coffin passes through the town of Banchory, Scotland, on Sunday. (Peter Summers/Getty Images)

Even as he mourned his late mother, Charles was getting down to work. He was meeting at Buckingham Palace with the secretary general of the Commonwealth, the group of former colonies of the British Empire that grapple with affection for the Queen and lingering bitterness over their own colonial legacies. That ranges from slavery to corporal punishment in African schools to looted artifacts held in British institutions.

Prince William said he was honoured to be made the new Prince of Wales when he spoke with Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford on Sunday, Kensington Palace said in a statement.

William was given the title, previously held by his father for more than 50 years, following the death of his grandmother.

"The Prince and Princess will spend the months and years ahead deepening their relationship with communities across Wales," the statement said.

Funeral a week from Monday

On Monday, the Queen's coffin will be taken from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to nearby St Giles' Cathedral, where it will remain until Tuesday, when it will be flown to London. The coffin will be moved from Buckingham Palace on Wednesday to the Houses of Parliament to lie in state until the funeral at Westminster Abbey on Sept. 19.

Floral tributes are seen together with a Paddington Bear toy outside Balmoral Castle in Ballater, Scotland, on Sunday, two days after Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96. (Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images)

In the village of Ballater, near Balmoral, the Rev. David Barr said locals consider the royals as "neighbours" and try to treat them as locals when they spend summers in the Scottish Highlands.

"When she comes up here, and she goes through those gates, I believe the royal part of her stays mostly outside," he said. "And as she goes in, she was able to be a wife, a loving wife, a loving mum, a loving gran and then later on a loving great-gran — and aunty — and be normal."

WATCH | Queen Elizabeth dead at 96: 

Queen Elizabeth, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, has died. The CBC's Margaret Evans has a look at her life and legacy.

Photos: Queen Elizabeth II's visits to Canada over the years

Queen Elizabeth II Visits Canada in 2010

Queen Elizabeth II Visits Canada in 2010

Queen Elizabeth II Visits Canada in 2010

My mom and other family members were at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.  I didn't know the Queen was there.