A military transport plane carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II left her beloved Scotland on Tuesday for the final time to return to London, where she will lie in state.
Her son, King Charles III, also flew to London from Northern Ireland, where his visit drew a rare moment of unity from politicians in a region with a contested British and Irish identity that is deeply divided over the monarchy.
As a bagpiper played, the flag-draped oak coffin was carried from St. Giles’ Cathedral. Crowds lining the Royal Mile through the historic heart of Edinburgh broke into applause as the coffin, accompanied by the queen’s daughter, Princess Anne, was driven to Edinburgh Airport.
Over the past 24 hours, thousands of people filed silently past the coffin after it was brought to Edinburgh from Balmoral Estate, where she died Thursday at age 96, ending her 70-year reign.
Charles left Belfast
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