The Queen Leaves Buckingham Palace for the Final Time

The Queen has left Buckingham Palace for the final time, with her coffin now moved to Westminster Hall, where she will lie in state until the morning of her funeral on September 19. 

The new King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward, along with Prince William and Prince Harry, walked behind Her Majesty’s coffin—which was adorned with the Imperial State Crown—as it made its way down The Mall, before reaching the Palace of Westminster. A short service, also attended by the new Queen Consort, Princess of Wales, Duchess of Sussex, and Countess of Wessex, was held after Her Majesty’s cortège arrived.

The Queen’s coffin arrived at Buckingham Palace for the last time on the evening of September 13, after being flown on an RAF C-17 aircraft from Edinburgh to London. Today’s procession marked the last part of a four-day journey that has seen Her Majesty’s coffin moved from her beloved Scottish retreat Balmoral, where she died aged 96 on September 8, to Westminster Hall, accompanied by Princess Anne. 

“I was fortunate to share the last 24 hours of my dearest mother’s life,” the Princess Royal said in a statement. “It has been an honor and a privilege to accompany her on her final journeys. Witnessing the love and respect shown by so many on these journeys has been both humbling and uplifting.”

On September 11, Her Majesty’s coffin was conveyed by road from Aberdeenshire to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where it rested in the Throne Room overnight. Mourners lined the streets from early on Sunday morning for the chance to pay their respects, as the Queen’s last journey got underway. The hearse drove through the gates of the Scottish estate shortly after 10 a.m., giving the public its first sighting of the monarch’s coffin. It was draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland and decorated with a simple wreath of white flowers. The wreath includes dahlias, sweet peas, phlox, white heather, and pine fir, all picked from the Balmoral Estate. 

The following day, her coffin was moved from her official Scottish residence to St Giles’s Cathedral, Edinburgh, where the Queen lay at rest until Tuesday afternoon. Her four children—the new King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward—walked behind in procession as the cortège made the short journey across the Scottish capital. The streets of Edinburgh were lined with members of the public wishing to pay their respects. 

The Crown of Scotland, which dates back to 1540, was placed on top of the Queen’s coffin in St Giles’s Cathedral, ahead of a service of thanksgiving for Her Majesty. An evening vigil, attended by the King and other senior members of the royal family, was also held at the church. 

On arriving at Buckingham Palace on the evening of September 12, the Queen’s cortège was met with applause from members of the public gathered outside. Her Majesty’s coffin rested in the Bow Room overnight, before being moved to Westminster Hall. Members of the public are expected to queue for up to 30 hours for the chance to file past the Queen’s coffin and pay their respects, ahead of Her Majesty’s state funeral on Monday. 

See the procession in pictures below.