Summary

  • The Queen's coffin has arrived at Buckingham Palace and was greeted by members of the Royal Family

  • It will move on Wednesday to Westminster Hall, where the Queen will lie in state for four days

  • The Queen's daughter, the Princess Royal has issued a statement saying she was "fortunate to share the last 24 hours of my dearest mother’s life"

  • Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to file past the coffin to pay their respects, with a huge policing operation expected

  • King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, who are now in London, earlier visited Northern Ireland as part of a tour of the UK

  • They greeted crowds at Hillsborough Castle, met political leaders and attended a service at St Anne's Cathedral

  1. God Save the King is played at Palace of Holyroodhousepublished at 13:20 British Summer Time 12 September 2022

    The King looks on as God Save the King is played outside the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

    Earlier, he and Camilla the Queen Consort were introduced to senior military and police figures outside the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

    Among them was Iain Livingstone, the chief constable of Police Scotland.

    Media caption,

    WATCH: God Save the King played at the Palace of Holyroodhouse

  2. King and Queen Consort greet crowds at Holyrood Palacepublished at 13:13 British Summer Time 12 September 2022

    The most recent leg of King Charles III's journey is complete, with the monarch and Camilla the Queen Consort now at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

    The Royal couple are greeting crowds outside the palace.

    King Charles meeting crowdsImage source, POOL
    King Charles
  3. A busy morning for the Kingpublished at 13:05 British Summer Time 12 September 2022

    It's been a busy morning for King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort.

    The two started their day travelling to Westminster Hall, where both the House of Commons and the House of Lords met to express their condolences.

    They travelled onto RAF Northolt in west London, where they flew to Edinburgh.

    The King will now attend the Ceremony of the Keys at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

    King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, leave Clarence House in London for Westminster HallImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, left Clarence House in London for Westminster Hall in the morning

    People gathered outside Buckingham Palace trying to get a picture of King Charles III on his way to Westminster HallImage source, EPA
    Image caption,

    People gathered outside Buckingham Palace trying to get a picture of the King on his way to Westminster Hall

    King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, receive condolences from both the House of Commons and House of Lords in Westminster Hall, LondonImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, received condolences from both the House of Commons and House of Lords in Westminster Hall

    The plane carrying King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, takes off from RAF Northolt in west LondonImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    The King and Queen Consort's plane took off from RAF Northolt for Edinburgh

    King Charles III arrives at Edinburgh airport
    Image caption,

    The King arrived in Edinburgh airport where he will take part in the Ceremony of the Keys at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh

  4. The King and Queen Consort head to Holyroodhousepublished at 12:58 British Summer Time 12 September 2022

    Car carrying King Charles and CamillaImage source, PA Media

    Now that his flight has landed, the King is heading for the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where the Ceremony of the Keys will take place.

    The occasion sees a British monarch handed the keys of the city of Edinburgh. It has traditionally marked the start of Holyrood Week - a yearly occasion which would see the Queen visiting various Scottish regions.

    Today’s ceremony is the first time the symbolic keys will be handed to Charles.

  5. Edinburgh crowds wait to pay respectspublished at 12:48 British Summer Time 12 September 2022

    Connor Gillies
    Reporting from Edinburgh

    Crowds outside St Giles

    There are crowds as far as the eye can see here on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh - a sense of comfort in gathering together.

    People of all ages have been queuing along the metal barriers outside St Giles’ Cathedral since before 06:00 as they wait to pay their respects to the Queen.

    They include thousands of people who have travelled far and wide to witness this moment in history.

    Viola Henkenhaf, 18, booked her trains and accommodation as soon as Her Majesty’s death was announced on Thursday. The teenager has travelled from south-west Germany. She didn’t want to miss this opportunity to convey her feelings.

    She tells me how important the Queen was to her generation - and the emotional toll her passing has taken on her and her friends.

    Viola Henkenhaf
    Image caption,

    Viola Henkenhaf has travelled to Edinburgh from south-west Germany

  6. King lands at Edinburgh Airportpublished at 12:34 British Summer Time 12 September 2022

    Plane arriving in Edinburgh

    An update on King Charles III’s journey to Edinburgh - the monarch and Camilla, the Queen Consort, have just touched down at Edinburgh Airport.

    The pair will now head to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in the city, where - together with a band of drums - a guard of honour from the Royal Regiment of Scotland will greet them.

    After that, it’ll be time for the Ceremony of the Keys - where Charles is ceremonially handed the keys to Edinburgh.

  7. What sort of King will Charles III be?published at 12:29 British Summer Time 12 September 2022

    King Charles III

    At 73, King Charles was the longest-serving heir to the throne.

    In his address to the nation and Commonwealth on Friday following the death of his "darling Mama" Queen Elizabeth II, he spoke of a desire for continuity.

    "Our values have remained, and must remain, constant," he said.

    But what will that mean for the former Prince of Wales, who has dedicated so much of his time and energy to his beloved charities and to issues such as climate change?

    Now King, Charles has pledged to uphold the "relationship and responsibility towards the Church of England - the Church in which my own faith is so deeply rooted".

    His duty to "hold in the greatest respect the precious traditions, freedoms and responsibilities of our unique history and our system of parliamentary government" was also mentioned in his speech.

    Charles has become head of the Commonwealth, an association of 56 independent countries and some 2.4 billion people. For 14 of these countries, as well as the UK, the King is head of state.

    He is set to continue his mother's commitment to this group of nations, meeting Commonwealth leaders at Buckingham Palace shortly after his accession to the throne.

    Read more here.

  8. National minute's silence announced by No 10published at 12:18 British Summer Time 12 September 2022
    Breaking

    A minute's silence will be held on Sunday to "mourn and reflect on the life and legacy of Queen Elizabeth II", Downing Street says.

    A one-minute silence will take place at 20:00 BST on Sunday 18 September - the night before the Queen's funeral.

    The prime minister's official spokesman says the silence can be marked "privately at home on your own or with friends and neighbours, out on your doorstep or street with neighbours, or at any locally arranged community events and vigils".

    "We encourage local community groups, clubs and other organisations to mark this moment of reflection. And if you are overseas, people are encouraged to mark the silence at their local time."

    The spokesman says the silence will be a "shared national moment of reflection".

  9. A who's who of the Queen's corgispublished at 12:13 British Summer Time 12 September 2022

    The Queen's favourite corgi - Susan - was given to her as an 18th birthday present.

    She loved her so much she decided to create a Susan dynasty. Here you have an overview of the royal corgis' family tree, though not all of the Queen's dogs were registered.

    The Queen's corgi family tree
  10. Green Park: A centre of mourningpublished at 11:58 British Summer Time 12 September 2022

    Jamie Moreland
    Reporting from Green Park

    Flowers laid for the Queen in Green Park

    The smell of fresh flowers fills the air in Green Park.

    This corner of central London beside Buckingham Palace has become a centre of mourning, with thousands upon thousands of floral tributes laid around trees and on the grass.

    It is quiet, with people trickling between the rows of flowers and messages - some respectfully whispering what she meant to them and others taking a moment alone, looking close to tears.

    There are images of the Queen dangling from tree branches and helium balloons swaying in the breeze.

    Some of the handwritten notes read: "Our hearts are shattered," "thank you for everything" and "a world without you is unimaginable".

  11. Traditions give us enormous continuity - Archbishop of Canterburypublished at 11:38 British Summer Time 12 September 2022

    Brian Wheeler
    Reporting from Westminster

    Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was among the 1,200 people in Westminster Hall to witness King Charles III’s first address to both houses of Parliament.

    Speaking in Parliament’s central lobby, after the ceremony, he told me that he had been struck by "the sheer continuity that these institutions provide".

    "Traditions give us enormous continuity. They hold us at moments like this. There is no uncertainty. Everything moves as it should move and that is a good thing at a time like this."

  12. King and Queen Consort's plane takes offpublished at 11:35 British Summer Time 12 September 2022

    The plane taking King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, to Edinburgh has taken off.

    They are flying to the city, where the Queen's coffin has been lying in rest since yesterday.

    Plane carrying King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, takes off from RAF Northolt in west London, before travelling to EdinburghImage source, PA Media
  13. What happens next?published at 11:27 British Summer Time 12 September 2022

    King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, have left Westminster after receiving condolences from MPs and peers during a ceremonial event.

    The monarch is now heading for Edinburgh, where the Queen's coffin arrived yesterday ahead of a series of events this afternoon:

    • 13:00: The King takes part in the Ceremony of the Keys at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, where he will be handed the keys to the city
    • 14:25: He and other Royal Family members will walk behind the Queen's coffin as it is taken along the Royal Mile to St Giles' Cathedral
    • 15:00: A service will take place at St Giles' Cathedral celebrating the life of the Queen and her connection to Scotland
    • 16:00: The Queen will lie at rest at St Giles' Cathedral for 24 hours, with members of the public able to pay their respects
    • 17:30: A motion of condolence, attended by the King, will be heard in the chamber of the Scottish Parliament. The King will respond
    • 19:20: The King and the Queen's other children will post a vigil around the coffin at St Giles' Cathedral

    Read more about the day's proceedings here.

  14. WATCH: King Charles III addresses Parliament for first timepublished at 11:21 British Summer Time 12 September 2022

  15. A sea of thoughtful faces in Westminster's home of historypublished at 10:55 British Summer Time 12 September 2022

    Chris Mason
    Political editor

    MPs and peers look on as King Charles and the Queen Consort arrive in Westminster HallImage source, Reuters

    I am in Westminster Hall. What an extraordinary ceremony to witness.

    A home of history, it hosted Henry VIII’s Coronation Banquet in 1509.

    The trial of Guy Fawkes in 1606.

    Today, in front of me, row upon row of blue chairs, upon them an audience of around 900 in black.

    During the addresses, a sea of thoughtful, contemplative faces.

    The King looked occasionally towards the two Speakers, occasionally towards the audience, occasionally the floor.

    The Queen Consort looked straight ahead.

    Afterwards, the King managed a few smiles as he acknowledged various familiar faces in the congregation.

  16. The King heads for Edinburghpublished at 10:46 British Summer Time 12 September 2022

    King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, have left Westminster Hall.

    Charles and Camilla will fly to Edinburgh, where the King will walk behind the Queen's coffin from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles' Cathedral.

    The King will later meet Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon before he attends Scottish Parliament to receive a motion of condolence.

    King Charles leaving Westminster HallImage source, PA Media
    Palace of Westminster with King Charles leaving in Royal carImage source, Reuters
  17. National anthem playedpublished at 10:41 British Summer Time 12 September 2022

    The King has ended his address and the national anthem is now played in Westminster Hall.

    National anthem being played by band in Westminster Hall
  18. King Charles: 'Parliament living and breathing instrument of our democracy'published at 10:40 British Summer Time 12 September 2022

    King Charles giving his speechImage source, PA Media

    The King says he is deeply grateful for the addresses of condolences from MPs and peers which "so touchingly encompass" what the Queen "meant to us all".

    He makes reference to Shakespeare's Henry VIII, where Elizabeth I is described as "a pattern to all princes living".

    He says he cannot help but feel the weight of history which surrounds those in Westminster Hall and "reminds us of vital Parliamentary traditions, to which MPs and peers dedicate themselves".

    "Parliament is the living and breathing instrument of our democracy," he says.

    He says connections to "my darling late mother" are seen all around, from the Silver Jubilee fountain in New Palace Yard to the sundial in Old Palace Yard marking her Golden Jubilee.

    He says the Great Bell of Big Ben - "one of the most powerful symbols of our nation" - will mark the late Queen's progress from Buckingham Palace to Parliament later this week.

  19. Postpublished at 10:36 British Summer Time 12 September 2022

    King Charles III is now responding to messages of condolences he has received from Lord Speaker and the Speaker of the House of Commons on behalf of MPs and peers.

    King Charles IIIImage source, Reuters
  20. More from Commons Speakerpublished at 10:36 British Summer Time 12 September 2022

    The Commons Speaker also makes the "humble address" and extends the House's deep sympathy to the new king.