The Duke and Duchess of Clarence

Chapter Four: Home for the Final Time

13th of September 2022 - Buckingham Palace

The Queen's coffin had been laying in state at St. Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh since yesterday afternoon, with the public allowed to come and pay their respects to the late monarch before she made her final journey home. 

The coffin had been carried up the Royal Mile in procession that included King Charles, Princess Anne and Sir Timothy Laurence, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, the Bearer Party from the Royal Regiment of Scotland, and the Royal Company of Archers to St Giles' Cathedral. 

Queen Camilla and the Countess of Wessex and Forfar followed closely in their car.

Guns were fired every minute from Edinburgh Castle during the procession and on arrival the coffin was carried into the cathedral, and the Crown of Scotland was placed on it. 

A service of thanksgiving was then held to celebrate the Queen's life and to highlight her association with Scotland. 

The service was led by the minister of St Giles' Cathedral, the Reverend Calum Macleod, and the homily given by the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Reverend Dr Iain Greenshields. 

Psalm 118 was sung in Gaelic by Karen Matheson. It was attended by the royal party; politicians, including Liz Truss and Nicola Sturgeon; and representatives from the Queen's Scottish charities and organisations. 

The Queen's coffin lay at rest at the cathedral for 24 hours, guarded by the Royal Company of Archers, which allowed around 33,000 people to file past the coffin. 

In the evening King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward held a vigil at the cathedral, a custom known as the Vigil of the Princes; Princess Anne was the first woman to participate in such an event. 

At 16:30, her coffin was transported from the cathedral to Edinburgh Airport. Members of the public lined up across some of the route to pay respect to the Queen. 

According to numbers shared by the Scottish government, more than 26,000 people lined up to say goodbye to their beloved monarch. 

Upon the arrival of the Queen's coffin in London, it was transported to Buckingham Palace, before being moved to Westminster Hall the following day for her lying-in-state before the state funeral. 

Making their way into Buckingham Palace, Adeline tried to keep her face neutral as they made their way past people that lined the route in preparation for the arrival of the Queen. 

The weather was miserable yet it hadn't deterred people from lining the route from RAF Northolt, this would be the final journey the Queen made back from Scotland. 

The streets leading to Buckingham Palace were filled with people, no one seeming to mind the weather as they waited for their chance to pay their respects to the Queen. 

When the Queen arrived at RAF Northolt the Queen's Colour Squadron would assume the role of the Bearer Party and formed the Guard of Honour. 

The coffin would then be placed in the state hearse and transported through London to Buckingham Palace, with people lining the street to watch. 

Simon reached across and took Adeline's hand, he gave it a squeeze and he knew that tonight would be a private affair; the final farewell from the family in the days to come. 

The coffin was to be placed in the Bow Room at Buckingham Palace in the presence of the royal family; it would allow them to say their final farewells and allow the Queen's London staff to do the same. 

Tomorrow the Queen would leave Buckingham Palace for the final time, she would be taken to Westminster to lay-in-state so that her people could pay their respects for the next six days.