LONDON | King Charles III addressed Britain’s Parliament for the first time on Monday, where he said he “feels the weight of history” and wants to follow his mother Elizabeth II’s “lead example” at the start of a week of farewell to the sovereign.
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Four days after the death of Elizabeth II at her Balmoral residence in Scotland, her coffin is on display in Edinburgh at the end of a procession led by Charles III’s funeral on 19/9.
Ahead of his move to the Scottish capital, the new king received letters of condolence from the Speakers of the Houses of Lords and Commons in the British Parliament in London.
“As I stand before you today, I cannot help but feel the weight of the history that surrounds us and reminds us of the vital parliamentary traditions to which members of both houses are subscribed,” the sovereign said in a brief speech.
He claimed his mother was “an example of devotion which, with God’s help and your guidance, I intend to follow faithfully”.
Elizabeth II remained a head of state with impeccable neutrality throughout her 70-year reign, fulfilling her constitutional functions without ever publicly voicing her opinion, opening Parliament, promulgating laws, confirming appointments and enthroned two days before her death at the age of 96 years , his 15th head of government.
Karl “is ready”
While waiting for the funeral, Charles III. as monarch with the difficult task of succeeding his beloved mother in a context of serious social crises and divisions in the United Kingdom, but also in light of the colonialist past in his 14 other kingdoms.
He is 73 years old, older than any British sovereign at the time of their accession.
In Edinburgh, Brits can finally get close to their beloved Queen. Many will no doubt flock to Saint-Gilles Cathedral to try to pay homage to him as closely as possible.
“I’ll make sure to see the coffin just to pay my respects. It’s something I’ll never see again. I had to do something, I wanted to be here today,” Steve Crofts, 47, who lives near the Scottish capital, told AFP.
“I’m torn, it’s the end of an era but after listening to Charles for the past few days I think he’s ready,” said Sue Stevens, a 79-year-old Englishwoman.
Charles III and his wife are expected in Edinburgh at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official royal residence in Scotland, in the early afternoon.
Here the remains of the Queen spent the night, guarded by the Royal Company of Archers, a ceremonial unit that serves as the sovereign’s bodyguard.
Charles and Camilla behind the coffin
The coffin leaves the stone palace in the early afternoon at 2:35 p.m. to reach Saint-Gilles Cathedral.
Crowds are expected to see the king and queen consort as the latter will both walk behind the hearse, while the other royals will follow in the car during the half-hour procession of just over a mile.
During the religious ceremony that follows, the solid gold Crown of Scotland is placed on the coffin.
The Queen’s remains, a symbol of stability during decades of upheaval, a planetary icon that brought comfort to Britons in times of crisis, will remain on display for 24 hours in the cathedral, where many visitors are expected.
Charles III, who like his mother has vowed to serve his people all his life, will receive Scottish Independence Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon and join the Queen consort for a condolence session at the local Parliament.
Then, at 7:20 p.m., a private wake for the royal family begins.
“Long Goodbye”
On Sunday, the curious waited for hours to be sure to be in the front row so as not to see, even for a few seconds, the oaken coffin passing aboard the hearse.
The Queen’s “last great voyage” made the front pages of every British newspaper, from the Telegraph to the Sun, including the Guardian and the Times, on Monday. “After the saddest journey of all… making way for the long goodbye,” the tabloid Chron wrote on its front page.
After being presented to the public for 24 hours, the body will be taken to London on Tuesday evening at Edinburgh Airport aboard a royal plane.
It will again be on public display 24 hours a day from Wednesday evening, locked, draped in the royal standard, on a podium in the Palace of Westminster.
Queues of up to five miles are expected, according to The Times newspaper, while 750,000 people could try to see the coffin.
“The queue will probably be very long. They have to wait long hours, sometimes at night and with few opportunities to sit down,” the UK government has warned.
Elizabeth II’s body will remain in Parliament for five days before the state funeral, which is expected to be attended by dignitaries from around the world – a significant security challenge for police – including US President Joe Biden, his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as well as many crowned heads.