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A kilted King Charles III, his brothers, Princes Andrew and Edward, and his sister, Princess Anne, bowed their heads in silence as they stood vigil by the casket of their late mother Queen Elizabeth II at St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh on Monday.
The queen, who died Thursday after a record 70-plus years on the throne, will lie at rest until 3 p.m. Tuesday, when the casket begins its final journey to London. The cathedral will remain open through the night as the crowds pass as the United Kingdom settled in for the traditional 10-day mourning period.
Charles, Anne, and Edward each wore uniforms reflecting their military affiliations as leading members of the Royal Family. Andrew was stripped of his military titles in January after he settled a sexual abuse lawsuit and wore a simple morning coat with a brace of medals on his chest.
After standing by the remains of the 96-year-old queen, the siblings departed while thousands of Scots continued to pass by to pay their respects. Initial visitors walked past the royals during the 10 minutes the quartet stood with their backs towards the casket, a ritual inaugurated by King Edward VII at the death of King George V.
The coffin itself rested atop a wooden stand with the golden Crown of Scotland perched atop a crown encrusted with 22 gems and 20 precious stones along with freshwater pearls from Scotland’s rivers, the Associated Press reported.
