A hearse carrying the late Queen Elizabeth II’s oak coffin has left her beloved Balmoral Castle.
The coffin of the late monarch is beginning a six-hour road journey to Edinburgh on Sunday. She died Thursday at Balmoral after a 70-year reign and is starting her last journey back to London for a state funeral Sept. 19.
Crowds are lining parts of the route as the nation mourns its longest-reigning monarch. Early Sunday, flowers and other tributes — a small Paddington Bear toy, a hand-drawn picture of the queen — were piled up outside the gates of Balmoral.
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KEY DEVELOPMENTS:
— Former British colonies conflicted over Queen Elizabeth II
— Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin begins journey through Scotland
— What’s next for the UK as Queen Elizabeth II laid to rest
— King Charles III is officially proclaimed monarch in London
— What will happen to all the currencies that feature the queen?
— Explainer: The formal rules around Charles’ accession
— Mourners in the street: Sincere grief flows out across Britain
— Will Charles be loved by his subjects, like his mother was?
— Find more AP coverage here: https://apnews.com/hub/queen-elizabeth-ii
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OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:
BALMORAL CASTLE, Scotland — Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin is leaving her beloved Scottish estate Balmoral Castle as the late monarch begins her last journey back to London for a state funeral.
Six gamekeepers from the summer retreat where the queen died Thursday will carry the late sovereign’s oak coffin from the castle’s ballroom to a hearse Sunday. It will begin a six-hour, 280-kilometer (175-mile) journey through Scottish towns to Holyroodhouse palace in Edinburgh.
Crowds are expected to line the route as the nation mourns its longest-reigning monarch. Early Sunday, flowers and other tributes — a small Paddington Bear toy, a hand-drawn picture of the queen — were piled up outside the gates of Balmoral.
Also Sunday, King Charles III will be formally proclaimed king in the other nations of the United Kingdom — Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — after a similar ceremony in Britain a day earlier.
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CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA — Britain’s King Charles III has been officially proclaimed Australia’s monarch during a ceremony in Canberra.
Australian Governor General David Hurley made the proclamation Sunday at Parliament House. At the end of the service there was a 21-gun salute.
Charles automatically became king when the queen died on Thursday.
But like the accession ceremony in London on Saturday, the proclamation in Australia was a constitutional and ceremonial step in introducing the new monarch to the country.
Charles is now is the head of state in Australia, which is a member of the British Commonwealth of former colonies.
Similar ceremonies will be held in each Australian state and territory.
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WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Britain’s King Charles III was officially proclaimed New Zealand’s monarch in a ceremony in Wellington.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern paid tribute to the legacy of Queen Elizabeth II on Sunday and spoke of the strong bond her son and successor had with New Zealand.
Charles automatically became king when the queen died on Thursday.
Like the accession ceremony in London on Saturday, the proclamation in New Zealand was a constitutional and ceremonial step in introducing the new monarch to the country.
To mark the occasion, the army’s 16 Field Regiment fired a 21-gun salute from Point Jerningham in Wellington.
Charles is now is the head of state in New Zealand, which is a member of the British Commonwealth of former colonies.
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NEW DELHI — India is observing a day of state mourning on Sunday as a mark of respect to Queen Elizabeth II.
The national flag has been lowered to half-staff on all government buildings throughout the country. India was a British colony before gaining independence in 1947.
Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and a rock of stability across much of a turbulent century, died Thursday after 70 years on the throne.
King Charles III was officially proclaimed Britain’s monarch on Saturday. He automatically became king when his mother died Thursday.
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