UK: Queen Elizabeth's coffin arrives in Edinburgh

• Queen Elizabeth II's coffin to rest in Edinburgh until Tuesday
• Prime Minster Liz Truss to accompany King Charles on a mourning tour of Britain
• German president will reportedly attend queen's funeral

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German president to attend queen's funeral: report

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will attend the state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II in London, German news agency dpa reported. 

Hundreds of present and former heads of state and government as well as members of royal families from across Europe will attend the funeral too.

US President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are among leaders set to attend the funeral, which will be held on September 19.

Queen's coffin arrives in Edinburgh

A hearse carrying Queen Elizabeth II's coffin has arrived at the Holyroodhouse Palace, the British monarch's residence in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, after a six-hour trip from Balmoral Castle.

Hundreds of people gathered along the streets of Edinburgh for a glimpse of the funeral procession.

People applauded and tossed flowers to pay their respects.

The queen's coffin was greeted by a military guard of honor at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Scotland moved it into the throne room of the palace.

The coffin will rest in the throne room overnight, and then taken to St Giles' Cathedral to allow Scottish people to pay their respects.

The journey from Balmoral was the first of a series of events leading up to the state funeral at Westminster Abbey in London on September 19.

Prince William honored to be new Prince of Wales: statement

Prince William said he was honored to be made the new Prince of Wales when he spoke with Mark Drakeford, Wales' first minister, Kensington Palace said in a statement on Sunday.

William was given the title, previously held by his father for more than 50 years, following the death of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth. 

"The Prince acknowledge his and the Princess's deep affection for Wales, having made their first family home in Anglesey including during the earlier months of Prince George's life," the statement said.

"They want to do their part to support the aspirations of the Welsh people and to shine a spotlight on both the challenges and opportunities in front of them," the statement added.

Queen's coffin arrives in Aberdeen

The hearse carrying the flag-draped coffin of Queen Elizabeth II arrived in the city of Aberdeen, where thousands of mourners lined the streets.

Earlier, on its way from Balmoral Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, the hearse passed through Ballater, Aboyne, and Banchory.

The First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, tweeted that "as she [Queen Elizabeth II] makes her journey to Edinburgh, Scotland will pay tribute to an extraordinary woman.

Proclamation ceremonies held across the UK

Charles III was formally proclaimed king in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland after a similar ceremony in London a day earlier.

Earlier, proclamations were held in other parts of the Commonwealth (the group of former British Empire colonies) including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Gibraltar.

Charles III is king and head of state not only of the United Kingdom but of 14 other realms including Australia, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea."

Queen's final journey begins

Queen Elizabeth II's coffin has started the six.hour journey from Balmoral Castle to Holyroodhouse palace in Edinburgh.

Six gamekeepers from the royal summer retreat carried her coffin to a hearse, which will now drive 280 kilometers (175 miles) through Scotland to Edinburgh.

Crowds are lining the route to farewell the deceased monarch.

The oak casket will spend two days in Holyroodhouse palace so people can pay tribute, before her body is flown to flown to the capital on Tuesday.

Papers speculate about 'Fab Four' reunion

Newspapers across Britain have been theorizing that the death of Queen Elizabeth II would lead to a reconciliation between her grandsons, the estranged princes William and Harry, along with their wives Kate and Meghan.

The quartet — once dubbed "the fab four" — inspected flowers and tributes left for the queen together, sparking speculation of a mending of the rift that drove Harry to quit royal life in early 2020 and move to the US with his wife Meghan Markle.

Earlier, King Charles III in his first speech spoke of his love for his son Harry and daughter-in-law, which was largely interpreted as an olive branch of reconciliation.

Newspapers splashed photos of the royals. The Telegraph ran with the headline "Reunited in sorrow", while the Daily Mirror's read, "Reunited for granny," and the Sun's headline was "All 4 One".

At the same time, The Sunday Telegraph reminded people that "while the joint appearance will undoubtedly begin a healing process for the once-inseparable siblings, there is no denying that the road to peace is not without its potential potholes."

The queen's journey to her final resting place

Late Queen Elizabeth's oak coffin, which was placed in the Ballroom of Balmoral Castle in Scotland following her death, will be transported to Edinburgh on Sunday.

There it will rest in the palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of the British monarch in the Scottish capital.

On Monday, the coffin will be taken in procession along the Royal Mile to St Giles' Cathedral, where a service will be held. King Charles and Camilla will attend the service.

Mourners will be given an opportunity to pay their respects to the queen, where the late monarch will lie in state.

The queen's body will then be flown to London and taken to Buckingham Palace and then on to parliament, where the queen will lie in state in historic Westminster Hall.

On Saturday, royal officials announced the queen's state funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey on Monday, September 19.

Officials expect more than one million people to attend to pay their respects before the televised funeral service at Westminster Abbey opposite.

British Prime Minister to tour country with the king

British Prime Minister Liz Truss will accompany King Charles as he attends events in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales next week to mark Queen Elizabeth's death, her spokesman said.

"It's not a requirement," Truss's spokesman told reporters on Saturday. "But the prime minister believes it's important to be present for what will be a significant moment of national mourning around the United Kingdom."

She was also present when Charles, 73, was officially proclaimed Britain's new king in a colorful ceremony.

The first stop on their tour will be Edinburgh, where the new king will attend a service and join a vigil for the late queen.

Then they're off to Northern Ireland where he will meet Northern Ireland's party leaders and receive a message of condolence led by the speaker of the devolved assembly.

The king will meet leaders from all the major faiths in Northern Ireland before attending a prayer service at St Anne's Cathedral, and then return to London.

Charles and his wife Camilla will also visit Wales to receive a motion of condolence at the Welsh parliament and attend a service at Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff.

What happens to the money?

Queen Elizabeth was the first monarch to appear on British banknotes.

Her portrait on the money will likely be replaced by a likeness of King Charles, but not immediately.

"Current banknotes featuring the image of Her Majesty The Queen will continue to be legal tender," the Bank of England said.

It added an announcement, "regarding existing Bank of England banknotes will be made once the period of mourning has been observed."

The Royal Mint, the official maker of British coins, said all coins with her portrait "remain legal tender and in circulation,'' with more information to come later.

With 4.7 billion UK banknotes worth 82 billion pounds ($95 billion, €94 billion) in circulation and about 29 billion coins, British money bearing the queen's image will likely be in circulation for years.

"Rather than all of the current coins and notes being handed in, the process will be a gradual one and many of the coins featuring portraits of Queen Elizabeth II will remain in circulation for many years to come,'' according to Coin Expert, a British coin research website.

You can revisit our updates from September 10 here.

rm, lo/aw (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)