St Giles' vigil: 'She asked if the Queen was with mummy'
- Published
Thousands queue through the night to see the Queen's coffin in Edinburgh
The ancient buildings of the Royal Mile glowed in golden light as Edinburgh enjoyed a beautiful sunrise on the Queen's final day in the Scottish capital.
As the rest of the country started a new day, the city had been awake all night, the constant stream of mourners silently and respectfully moving through the historic winding streets to St Giles' Cathedral.
The vigil drew to a close at 15:00 to allow the next phase of the coffin's journey - to London - to begin.
Those who joined the queue just before it closed at 13:15 were told they may not be able to enter the church, but it is thought more than 26,000 people did get the chance to take part in history.
Pauline Murray and her daughter Alison were among the last to see the Queen's coffin at rest in St Giles' Cathedral
Pauline Murray and her daughter Alison Bauer from Edinburgh were among the last members of the public admitted.
Pauline said: "The atmosphere was very sombre, very respectful and people were just very pleased to have got in because we have been queueing for quite a while.
"I was seven when the Queen was crowned and I was too young to remember any of it.
"This is the first time we've seen the proclamation at the Mercat Cross and the services in St Giles'.
"It has been very poignant that she died in Scotland and Scotland has done her proud - I feel very proud of Edinburgh. When we joined the queue we were told we might not get in so we feel very fortunate that we did."
Jovina and Bobo flew in from Canada on Tuesday morning
Former Hong Kong residents Jovina and Bobo also made it just in time after flying in from Canada on Tuesday morning. They live in Glasgow.
Bobo said she had admired the Queen since she was a young girl.
"My emotions are coming. The Hong Kong people, we always say she is our lady boss - she is very kind.
"We are here to say goodbye to our lady boss. We miss her."
Throughout the morning, people shared their personal reasons for travelling to Edinburgh.
'Is the Queen with mummy in heaven?'
Hafsana Begum made the journey from Newcastle with her six-year-old niece Ana Ahmed.
She told BBC Scotland: "We have been watching the coverage and she loves the monarchy and wants to be a princess.
"Her mother passed away last year from Covid-19 in her sleep and she found her with her brother.
"Today she woke up at 07:00 and said, is the Queen with mummy in heaven and I said do you want to go and see her?"
Ana said yes and within an hour and a half they were on their way to Edinburgh.
Hafsana said: "She pulled on my heartstrings this morning. I miss my sister too and if it gives her some sort of relief and makes her feel happy... I hope she takes some comfort.
"She is a bit tired but we've been in the queue for an hour but it is worth the wait."
Hafsana Begum brought her niece Ana Ahmed to view the Queen's coffin after she asked if she was with her mummy in heaven
Further along the queue, friendships were being formed.
George Leadbetter, 90, patiently waited in full military uniform of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles).
"I felt that I wanted to show the respect of our battalion which was disbanded in 1968," he said.
"When the Queen opened the first Forth Road Bridge, her guard of honour was the Cameronians and when she opened the Queensferry Crossing a few years ago, I got an invite to go to. I felt I should give her a little respect for that."
George's battalion meets once a month in Glasgow, but he said their numbers are dwindling.
"We are all getting older and there are not so many of us any more," he said. "That's why I am here - to represent my battalion."
Alongside him, Diane and John Hyslop from Edinburgh were entertained by their new friend.
John and Diane Hyslop met veteran Cameronian George in the queue
Diane said: "I just stopped to help George with his shoelace and we got chatting. It has been lovely to meet him today.
"We served the Queen by working for HM Revenue and Customs for many years. I am retired now but did receive a medal from St James' Palace from the Queen for my service.
"I thought I would come along and pay my respects."
John said: "The wait has not been that long but we have had great company here, listening to George's wonderful stories."
Shona, from the city's Corstorphine, brought her 19-month-old son Blair and was surprised at the emotion she felt once she got inside the cathedral.
Emotions were visible from mourners leaving St Giles
"It's very moving. I think I was more moved than I thought I would be," she said.
"Everyone showing their respects and taking a little moment to reflect. It was really lovely."
"I think it's a moment in history and it was so important to bring him and let him see," she added.
Additional reporting from Aileen Clarke
'Still silence, then an intake of breath'
The start of the queue on Monday evening
By Jack Ewing, BBC Scotland
We joined the queue at 17:15. When the cathedral opened, the crowd moved slowly at a stop-and-start pace.
In classic British fashion, a lot of the talk was about how long everyone thought we would be in the queue for. As someone who is 6ft 4in, I was asked often to look above the crowd and let people know how long I thought it would be to the cathedral.
A man came around on his bike selling Kit Kats and soft drinks. Even as we entered our third hour in the queue, the mood remained positive. Volunteers came round to reassure those that looked like they might consider turning back that they would shortly be a part of history.
There are Portaloos in the park, but they are far away once you are close to the point of getting your wristband. It's definitely advised to go to the toilet before you go.
The pace of the walk quickened once we got our wristbands at the park. As we approached the cathedral, we went through airport-style security. We got our first view of St Giles' shortly before 22:00.
Five hours later... the Cathedral in sight
As people queued in full view of the cathedral the crowd hushed, and all conversation turned to reflecting on Her Majesty's life. The reality of the experience we were all about to share became apparent.
We were informed by police not to take pictures in St Giles' as we stood at the front door. As we moved through, the hushed reflection became still silence.
As the coffin of her majesty came into view for the first time, people took a visible deep breath, aware of the significance of what they were about to be a part of.
The cathedral was quiet and sombre. As people approached the exit, many spontaneously curtsied and bowed as they looked back on the Queen's coffin.
The silence that had descended inside continued for several minutes after exiting. It was clear to everyone that they had witnessed a moment of history.
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