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Well-wishers line streets, as King Charles III and senior royals receive coffin
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The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II has arrived at Buckingham Palace, where it will be received by King Charles III and other senior royals.
The Queen’s coffin was brought from St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh on Tuesday, on a journey marked by huge lines of mourners filling the streets of the two capital cities.
The new monarch returned to Buckingham Palace from Northern Ireland on Tuesday evening, where he told Stormont leaders that his mother “never ceased to pray for the best of times for this place and for its people, whose stories she knew, whose sorrows our family had felt, and for whom she had a great affection and regard”.
His words came as the chief of anti-monarchy group Republic, Graham Smith, labelled the arrests of protesters a “scandal” and said to expect further demonstrations.
The accession of a new king is a “political act and one that goes to the heart of what is wrong with the monarchy”, he said. “It is absolutely everyone’s right to protest and speak out on any issue they please and the police must protect that right, not trample all over it.”
Prince Harry has asked that the focus continue to remain on the late Queen and her funeral, rather than on what he will wear, after reports that he would not be permitted to wear his military uniform while he mourns his grandmother.
The Duke of Sussex, who served two front line tours of duty in Afghanistan, addressed the rule barring him from wearing his military uniform in a statement released through his spokesperson on Tuesday.
My colleague Chelsea Ritschel reports:
The Duke of Sussex is prohibited from wearing his military uniform as a non-working member of royal family
The majority of the UK’s cinema chains will close on Monday in light of the Queen’s funeral, while others are offering to screen the event for free, my colleague Tom Murray reports.
The UK release of romantic comedy Ticket To Paradise, starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts, has also been pushed back from 16 September until the day after the funeral.
The UK release of the George Clooney-starring film Ticket To Paradise has also been pushed back.
Several anti-monarchy protesters have been arrested or spoken to by police in the UK, sparking questions about the laws around freedom of speech.
Our home affairs editor Lizzie Dearden has this comprehensive explainer on what rights people have to protest the monarchy:
Police have been using different laws against republican protesters in England and Scotland
Center Parcs has reversed a decision to close its accommodation for the Queen’s funeral on Monday after a backlash from guests.
Customers had been told they would be turfed out at 10am on Monday September 19 for 24 hours, forcing them to find alternative accommodation.
After receiving complaints, Center Parcs has offered to allow guests on “longer duration breaks” to remain on site on Monday.
Guests had been told they would be turfed out at 10am on September 19 for 24 hours.
My colleague Holly Bancroft reports on the day’s events from Edinburgh:
The Princess Royal said it was an “honour and a privilege” to accompany the Queen’s coffin as it left Scotland on Tuesday on its journey to Buckingham Palace.
The late monarch’s only daughter, said the love and respect shown to the Queen on her journey from Balmoral to Edinburgh and onto London had been “both humbling and uplifting”.
Crowds broke into applause as the coffin was taken from St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, where some 26,000 well-wishers had queued for many hours around the clock to pay their respects.
You can read the full report here:
26,000 queue for hours to see Queen lie in state in Edinburgh before final journey to London
Dozens of Clarence House staff were reportedly given notice of the threat of redundancy while they worked around the clock in the wake of the King’s accession.
Private secretaries, the finance office, the communications team and other loyal household employees were among those who received the letter as the thanksgiving service for the Queen was taking place in St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh on Monday, according to The Guardian.
The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) condemned the decision to announce redundancies during the period of mourning as “nothing short of heartless”.
Charles’s office will move from Clarence House to Buckingham Palace following the death of his mother.
Center Parcs has announced it will order holidaymakers to leave its UK sites on the day of the Queen’s funeral.
The company is being inundated with complaints after it revealed that its five parks will close for 24 hours from 10am on Monday.
Guests midway through seven-day holidays – which generally cost more than £1,000 for a family-of-four at this time of year – will be forced to spend the night elsewhere or go home early.
Read the full story:
The company will order holidaymakers to leave its UK sites for 24 hours from 10am on Monday.
The King and Queen Consort have left Buckingham Palace shortly after receiving the Queen’s hearse.
The Queen was transported in a bespoke new state hearse, designed in consultation with the late monarch, to allow the public a clear view of her coffin.
The Queen was long involved in the plans for the aftermath of her death, known as London Bridge, and had a hand in approving the plans for the ceremonial car.
The gleaming vehicle was used for the first time as the Queen‘s coffin was taken from RAF Northolt back home to Buckingham Palace this evening.
The hearse features wide windows along the side and back, a see-through glass roof and three bright spotlights inside along one roof edge, illuminating the raised coffin.
It is finished in Royal Claret, the colour used for the official royal and state vehicles kept in the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace and used by members of the royal family on official duties.
The hearse was designed by the Royal Household and Jaguar Land Rover – the firm who made the Duke of Edinburgh’s Land Rover hearse – and features the Queen‘s Personal Royal Cypher.
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