Balmoral Castle

Queen Elizabeth II's coffin left her Scottish estate as the monarch who died after 70 years on the throne begins her last journey to London.

The coffin will be moved from Buckingham Palace on Wednesday to the Houses of Parliament to lie in state until a state funeral at Westminster Abbey on Sept. “When she comes up here, and she goes through those gates, I believe the royal part of her stays mostly outside,” he said. Hundreds of people watched in silence and some threw flowers in front of the hearse as it passed. Many in those nations are grappling with affection for the queen and lingering Earlier, proclamations were read in other parts of the Commonwealth, including Australia and New Zealand. It came a day after a pomp-filled accession ceremony in England for that king that was steeped in ancient tradition and political symbolism. In each Scottish town and village the entourage drove through, they were met with muted scenes of respect. In a slow, somber and regal procession, Queen Elizabeth II’s flag-draped coffin was driven through the Scottish countryside Sunday from her beloved Balmoral Castle to the Scottish capital of Edinburgh. By afternoon, crowds were 10 people deep in places, eager to be part of the occasion. “I think it is going to take a lot of adjusting that she is not here. Hours before the coffin’s arrival in Edinburgh, the Scottish capital, people turned out early to grab a space by police barricades. [queen died Thursday](https://apnews.com/article/queen-elizabeth-ii-remembrance-8013aa054b8d3dc0dbda80ebda2cea41) at age 96, for a six-hour trip through Scottish towns to Holyroodhouse palace in Edinburgh.

The late Queen Elizabeth II's coffin arrived in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh on Sunday after traveling six hours by car from Balmoral Castle, ...

A viral piece published in [The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/mar/16/what-happens-when-queen-elizabeth-dies-london-bridge) in 2017 last year shed light on the specific plans to be put into motion if the queen were to die at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, the royal family’s Highlands holiday home where the queen would spend [several weeks each summer](https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a12001419/balmoral-castle-scotland/), a situation that [became reality](https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2022/09/08/queen-elizabeth-uks-longest-reigning-monarch-dead-at-96/?sh=52134ec129f3) last week. Sturgeon has argued that the U.K.’s decision to leave the European Union—which the majority of Scottish people voted against—could justify another independence referendum, following a 2014 vote in which 55% of Scottish voters cast a ballot against independence. [internally introduced](https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2022/09/08/operation-london-bridge-inside-plans-for-queen-elizabeths-death-and-funeral/?sh=365f8bcd713f) in the royal household in the 1960’s, laying out a tentative guide for how to proceed. A series of contingency plans for the queen’s death were reportedly first George’s Chapel in a crypt alongside her late father, King George VI, the Queen Mother and her sister, Princess Margaret (the queen’s late husband, Prince Philip, will reportedly Giles’ Cathedral followed by a viewing for the public to pay their respects that will last into the following afternoon. In May, a poll found one in three people in Scotland said the queen’s death would be a good time to [abolish the monarchy](https://www.britishfuture.org/jubilee-britain-after-a-decade-of-upheaval-where-are-we-going-now/), compared to only one-fourth of British people overall. [‘Operation London Bridge’: Inside Plans For Queen Elizabeth’s Death And Funeral](https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2022/09/08/operation-london-bridge-inside-plans-for-queen-elizabeths-death-and-funeral/?sh=365f8bcd713f) (Forbes) [Britain’s plan for when Queen Elizabeth II dies](https://www.politico.eu/article/queen-elizabeth-death-plan-britain-operation-london-bridge/) (Politico) ['London Bridge is down': the secret plan for the days after the Queen’s death](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/mar/16/what-happens-when-queen-elizabeth-dies-london-bridge) (The Guardian) There has been speculation that the death of the queen could serve as an impetus for independence. The new Prime Minister Liz Truss previously said she will “never ever let [our family be split up](https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/scottish-independence-liz-truss-says-she-will-never-ever-allow-uk-family-to-be-split-up-3808429),” when asked about Scotland leaving the U.K. Documents obtained by Politico last year showed that a plan titled “ [Operation Unicorn](https://www.politico.eu/article/queen-elizabeth-death-plan-britain-operation-london-bridge/)” would have gone into effect if the queen’s casket were to be taken from Scotland back to England by train, while the plan that appears to have been taken was known as “Operation Overstudy,” which dictates the coffin will be [flown to London](https://www.politico.eu/article/queen-elizabeth-death-plan-britain-operation-london-bridge/). [be moved](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2021/04/18/where-prince-philip-buried-queen-dies-george-vi-memorial-chapel/) from another vault in the church to join her).

People gather in tribute as the cortege carrying the coffin of the late Queen Elizabeth II passes by in Banchory, United Kingdom.

On Monday, she'll be conveyed from the palace to nearby St. Gamekeepers from the summer retreat Balmoral, where the queen died on Thursday after 70 years on the throne, carried the late sovereign's oak coffin from the castle's ballroom to a hearse. The route takes her through villages and towns which are expected to be lined by her subjects.

Queen Elizabeth II's coffin is leaving her beloved Scottish estate Balmoral Castle on Sunday as the monarch who died after 70 years on the throne begins her ...

The coffin heads more than 100 miles to the royal Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

Paul Campbell /PA Images via Getty Images toggle caption 19](https://www.npr.org/2022/09/10/1122217268/queen-elizabeth-funeral-september-19). Owen Humphreys /PA Images via Getty Images hide caption Owen Humphreys /PA Images via Getty Images toggle caption Peter Byrne /PA Images via Getty Images hide caption Peter Byrne /PA Images via Getty Images toggle caption "We don't really need them. Paul Campbell /PA Images via Getty Images hide caption The hearse drove out of the gates of Balmoral past piles of flowers left by the public. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images hide caption The route takes her through villages and towns which are expected to be lined by her subjects. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images toggle caption