THE LONG GOODBYE: Princess Anne looks solemn as she travels with Queen's body from Balmoral to Edinburgh
On Sunday, September 11, Princess Anne accompanied her mother, the Queen, on her last journey from Balmoral to Edinburgh. She seemed overwhelmed with emotion throughout the journey. While the Queen was taken to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Anne, 72, and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, remained in one of the vehicles behind Her Majesty's coffin. During the six-hour journey, mourners gathered in towns and villages to pay their last respects. The Queen passed away peacefully at Balmoral on Thursday, September 8, at the age of 96.
The Princess reunited with the rest of her family, including Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice, Prince Edward, Sophie Wessex, Lady Louise Windsor, Zara Tindall, Peter Phillips, and Prince Andrew, for the first time since the Queen's death on Saturday, September 10. The royal family was filmed on their way to a prayer meeting at Crathie Kirk, a church near Balmoral Castle that Her Majesty often visited when in Scotland. After the short service, the family got out of their vehicles just before the bridge over the River Dee that leads to the castle.
READ MORE
Queen Elizabeth II is dead, longest-reigning monarch was 96 years old
The first and ONLY time Queen Elizabeth II broke royal protocol
An ecstatic audience greeted them and burst into loud cheers as the group waved to them and approached bystanders eager to offer their sympathies. The delegation moved through throngs outside Balmoral under the leadership of the Duke of York and Earl of Wessex to view the exquisite flower tributes left in remembrance of the Queen. Additionally, the Countess acknowledged the well-wishers while holding hands with their daughter, Lady Louise. Before going back inside Balmoral Castle, the family spent less than ten minutes thoroughly reading the tributes and examining the flowers.
According to Daily Mail, the Scottish capital will serve as the starting point for the country's period of grief, and the Queen will stay there on Monday night, September 12. King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla will fly into Edinburgh to accompany the coffin on its journey from Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral. At 7.20 pm, they will hold a vigil inside the cathedral alongside other members of the Royal Family. For a full day, the Queen will lie in state, allowing Scots to pay their respects. On Tuesday evening, September 13, Princess Anne will travel with her late mother from Edinburgh Airport to RAF Northolt.
When the coffin arrives at Buckingham Palace, a Guard of Honor from the King's Guard will greet it. The Queen will be in the state for four whole days, and one million mourners are expected to pay their respects at her funeral. Her Majesty will then be laid to rest on September 19 at 11 am. The Queen's final resting place will be the King George VI memorial chapel where her mother and father were buried along with the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret. Prince Philip's coffin will move from the Royal Vault to the memorial chapel to join his beloved wife of 73 years.