Taken from another post on the England Forum: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/mar/16/what-happens-when-queen-elizabeth-dies-london-bridge This will be unique time to be in the Scotland and England.
From the above article: "The most elaborate plans are for what happens if she passes away at Balmoral, where she spends three months of the year. This will trigger an initial wave of Scottish ritual. First, the Queen’s body will lie at rest in her smallest palace, at Holyroodhouse, in Edinburgh, where she is traditionally guarded by the Royal Company of Archers, who wear eagle feathers in their bonnets. Then the coffin will be carried up the Royal Mile to St Giles’s cathedral, for a service of reception, before being put on board the Royal Train at Waverley station for a sad progress down the east coast mainline. Crowds are expected at level crossings and on station platforms the length of the country – from Musselburgh and Thirsk in the north, to Peterborough and Hatfield in the south – to throw flowers on the passing train. (Another locomotive will follow behind, to clear debris from the tracks.) “It’s actually very complicated,” one transport official told me."
Posted by
Land of La
8649 posts
The UK has prepared for The Queen’s death since the 60’s. Called London Bridge the plan assures a well organized succession to King Charles.
When her death was announced the code words were to have been London Bridge is Down.
Like so many who post on this Forum I’ve not known a world without her in it. She took to the throne when I was 1.
May she rest peace.
Posted by
Mansfield
4 posts
We are in the RS 8 day tour starting Sept 18. I am wondering what may affect the tour due to the Queen’s Scotland memorials. How many days is the itinerary you describe above? We want to be respectful and realize there may be closings, etc. any heads up is appreciated.
Wynona
Posted by
Indiana
7 posts
@Wynona - The funeral will be on Sept. 19, the first full day of our tour. Her body will have been transported to London before then. That day will be an unofficial bank holiday, so who knows what we will be able to do and see that day.
Laura
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
The date of the funeral hasn’t been confirmed. As and when it happens, assume everything will be closed.
Posted by
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
4081 posts
I've received an email from Historic Scotland that Edinburgh Castle will be closed until Sept 13th, and possibly the 14th.
Posted by
Lincolnshire, UK
1828 posts
There is information about road closures in Edinburgh Old Town, public transport , parking, condolence arrangements and other things here.
https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/queen-elizabeth
Posted by
Sacramento, California U.S.A.
10211 posts
I have tickets for Edinburgh Castle on the 15th. I’ll have to keep an eye on this. We are in Portree on Skye right now and I’ve not seen or heard anyone talk about the Queen’s passing. It’s very strange.
Posted by
Glasgow, Scotland
1639 posts
It is a strange feeling at the moment, as the late queen has been part of our lives for seventy years. You need to be older than The King to remember a monarch of the UK, and the other realms, other than Elizabeth II, although her father George VI was on some of our coins until 1993. It is an end of an era for the UK and the other realms. So a lot of people are mourning, a lot are numb, and a lot of people are 'meh'.
The succession is part of the feature of hereditary monarchy. The only European hereditary monarchy where it does not pass at the speed of light is that of Belgium where the king or queen becomes so on being sworn in. And if you want a reigning Queen Regnant, Margrethe II of Denmark is still here. Personally, I am not sure where my feelings are. I am a monarchist probably because that is our system, but I feel somehow I am watching the news from another country. I suspect it will become 'real' when the stamps start to be issued with The King's effigy on them, and remember the in memoriam stamps for the late queen will require that effigy to be valid.
There are some interesting historical sides to this. The late queen is the first monarch to die in Scotland since James V in 1542. The successors to both Queens Elizabeth succeeded whilst in Scotland, James VI/I and Charles III. There is a jokey debate as if we were Elizabethans what are we now? Carolinians? Carolingians?
It feels strange to be saying The King, but it has been expected. We had the same question in 1901, the Dutch had it in 2013. It is unlikely we will see such long reigns again in the UK because they rely on the previous monarch dying young or having had children later in life, and the heir succeeding very young. Both Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden who are around 50 years on their thrones were in their twenties when they succeeded. King Charles is only four years younger than King Carl.
It also feels a bit numb as there are some legal questions that have already happened, His Majesty's Ship, At His Majesty's Pleasure, certain lawyers now being King's Counsel. The KC just looks wrong, it should be QC, but KC is correct, plus so many more. As a historian these are things that fascinate me, as a political historian I watched with interest when the kings changed in Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands. I just cannot quite get round the idea that this has happened here, in my country with my monarch. Which is why if you scroll up on this rambling post you will see why I have used certain choices of language.
A system of government always has somewhere built in its continuity. The US has the Constitution describing when the president regenerates, similar for other republics. Ours is the instant transmission of sovereignty, 'LA REINE EST MORTE, VIVE LE ROI!', the Crown continues. And in a way, for the first time since 6th February 1952, it applies in the UK and that is why it feels nothing has changed and everything has changed. At least NZ no longer has accession day and their National Day on the same day.
I apologise if this has been a bit rambling, but these are strange times.
La Reine est morte, vive le Roi. The queen is dead, long live The King.
Posted by
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
4081 posts
Here in Canada we're watching with fascination as well, I was reading a news article today about some temporary confusion at a swearing-in ceremony for new Canadians. For 70 years you've needed to swear an oath of allegiance to the Queen, but today they had to figure out if it was to the Queen or King. Passports need to be made out on behalf of the King, images on coins need to change...So many small details to run through over the next few months.
Posted by
Mansfield
4 posts
Yes even singing God Save the King has to be surreal
Posted by
Duluth 🛶
6275 posts
MC-Glasgow, I didn't realize until the queen died that succession was immediate. I knew, of course, that Charles would be become king, but I didn't realize it automatically passed to him (although that makes sense).
It's especially interesting since I'm taking a history class at the local university here that covers the history of Britain up until the late 1400s, and I've learned how chaotic the succession was back in the 9th and 10th centuries (and even after). It's good that there is no uncertainty now about who will become the next reigning monarch.
Posted by
Glasgow, Scotland
1639 posts
Allan, those new Canadians will have a place in the history books as the first people to swear allegiance to Charles III, before any military, civil servant, politician. It is going to be odd when the first coins appear in people's pockets, when the first stamps appear, when the official portraits are changed over.
Mardee, yes it took centuries to work out the succession. Including in England and Scotland a couple of civil wars to decide there would be one heir and succession would be automatic. Even then England has a major civil war, the Wars of the Roses, over the succession.