Queen Elizabeth’s Coffin Arrives In Edinburgh, Scotland

The coffin carrying Queen Elizabeth II has arrived on Sunda in the Scottish capital Edinburgh after a six-hour procession from Balmoral Castle, the country estate where she died.

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.

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The coffin was draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland with a wreath on top made of flowers taken from the Balmoral estate including sweet peas, one of Elizabeth’s favorites.

Princess Anne dropped a curtsy to her mother as Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin was carried into the Palace of Holyroodhouse after a crowd-lined final journey from Balmoral.

Soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Scotland then carried the coffin to the throne room of the palace where it will remain overnight.

“There was no way I could miss this. I would regret it for the rest of my life,” said Eilidh Mackintosh, 62, who left her home at 6 a.m. to be sure of a good view of Edinburgh’s famous Royal Mile where large crowds were gathering.

“She never let us down and I didn’t want to let her down either. Now she has gone there is a big hole in the heart of the nation.”

Charles became king immediately after his mother’s death and was officially proclaimed the new monarch at a ceremony on Saturday, full of pageantry and centuries-old traditions.

Similar proclamations are following across the United Kingdom and the other 14 realms of which Charles is now head of state, including Australia, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea.

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said parliament would be recalled on Thursday to allow members to pay tribute.

The queen came to the throne following the death of her father King George VI on Feb. 6, 1952, when she was just 25. Her coronation took place a year later. While Elizabeth’s death was not unexpected given her age and deteriorating health, there was still a sense of shock at the news.

“We all thought she was invincible,” her grandson Prince William, now the heir to the throne, told a well-wisher on Saturday as he met crowds at Windsor castle.

The day of Elizabeth’s funeral will be a public holiday in Britain, officials have announced.

Before that, her coffin will be flown to London and there will be a somber procession when it is later moved from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall where it will lie in state for four days.