The Queen's Final Resting Journey... From Balmoral Castle to Edinburgh

London Funeral on the 13th
Westminster Abbey State Funeral on the 19th

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The late Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom departed Balmoral Castle in northeast Scotland on the 11th (local time), where she stayed until the end, embarking on her final journey to eternal rest.

The oak coffin containing Queen Elizabeth II's body left Balmoral Castle at 10 a.m. that day and was transported about 280 km to Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh. The journey by road is expected to take approximately 6 to 7 hours.

As the funeral procession of seven vehicles, led by the hearse, passed through the first village, Ballater, thousands of citizens stood along both sides of the road, throwing flowers and handwritten letters to bid farewell to the Queen.

Princess Anne, the Queen's daughter, accompanied the final journey that began that day. The Queen's coffin on the hearse was decorated with wreaths sourced from the Balmoral estate.

Nicola Sturgeon, head of the Scottish Government, said, "It is a sad and heartbreaking moment as the Queen leaves Balmoral, which she loved, for the last time," adding, "Today, the Queen embarks on her final journey to Edinburgh, and Scotland expresses its condolences."

To allow as many people as possible to say goodbye to the Queen, the funeral procession chose national roads instead of highways that day.

The Queen's body, arriving at Holyrood Palace around 4 p.m., will be moved the next day to St Giles' Cathedral.

There, a funeral service will be held attended by the royal family, and after the service, the Queen's body will be open to the public for 24 hours.

On the 13th, the Queen's body will be flown by air force plane to Buckingham Palace in London, then moved to Westminster Hall on the 14th, where it will be open to the public for four days until the day before the funeral. Subsequently, on the 19th, designated as a public holiday, the Queen's state funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey.

The new King Charles III will meet the Commonwealth Secretary-General at Buckingham Palace in London that day. Afterwards, he is scheduled to meet the governors of 14 Commonwealth countries, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Jamaica, for which he is the head of state, at Buckingham Palace.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.