The coffin of Elizabeth II, who died Thursday in her Scottish residence of Balmoral, will be transported this Sunday across Scotland to reach Edinburgh, where the public will be able to pay a first tribute to the monarch.
Crowds are expected on the streets of several Scottish villages and towns that the royal hearse will pass through. It will notably pass through the cities of Aberdeen and Dundee.
Here are the details of the hearse’s journey, a journey of almost 300 kilometers through the Scottish countryside expected to last at least six hours.
Departs from Balmoral at 11 a.m.
The Queen’s coffin had been kept at Balmoral, draped in the Scottish royal standard and a crown, since her death on Thursday aged 96.
After being carried to the hearse by six gamekeepers from the Balmoral estate, the procession will head to the nearby village of Ballater where officials from the county of Aberdeenshire pay their respects.
Aberdeen at 12 p.m.
The remains of Elizabeth II will then be transported to Aberdeen, Scotland’s third largest city and an important center of the oil industry, famous for its gray granite buildings.
After another tribute by local authorities, a public display of the coffin will take place in the city’s historical park.
Dundee at 3:15 p.m.
The procession will then arrive in Dundee, Scotland’s fourth largest city on the east coast, around 3:15 p.m. City officials will then bid him farewell.
En route to Edinburgh, the hearse will cross a bridge parallel to the iconic Forth Bridge, which takes trains over the huge Firth of Forth estuary.
Edinburgh at 5 p.m.
After a six-hour journey, the Queen’s coffin is due to arrive at the Palace of Holyroodhouse at 5 p.m. This palace located in Edinburgh is the monarch’s official residence in Scotland.
People are expected to queue along the road leading from the north of the city towards the center.
First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon and party leaders will gather in Parliament to witness the passage of the coffin.
On Monday, a procession will take place along the Royal Mile, the main avenue in the old town, to Saint-Gilles Cathedral where he will rest for 24 hours following a religious service. On Tuesday evening, the Queen’s coffin will be flown to London.
