WEB DESK
Queen Elizabeth II’s final journey has begun. Her oak coffin left Balmoral this morning bound for Edinburgh after it was lifted onto a hearse by six of the estate’s gamekeepers.
Thousands of mourners are expected to line the route to pay tribute to her. The cortège will travel 100-mile through villages like Ballater and through cities like Aberdeen, before reaching the Scottish capital.
There, her body will next lie at rest at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Scotland’s first Minister Nicola Sturgeon said, the poignant journey will give the public a chance to mark their country’s shared loss.
Since her death on Thursday, the Queen’s coffin, which is draped with the Royal Standard of Scotland and topped by a wreath of flowers, has remained at rest in Balmoral to say their last goodbyes.
Hundreds of miles from the Queen’s funeral procession, a sea of people has gathered at Windsor Castle this morning. Former soldiers were among those seen paying their respects.