Large crowds were gathering this morning outside the gates of Holyrood Palace following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The mood was somber as around 400 milled around the monarch’s Edinburgh residence on the Royal Mile with the numbers growing each minute.
A long queue of people waited patiently in line to read the message posted to the gates yesterday confirming the Queen’s passing. Some simply read the short announcement in quiet reflection while others posed next to the historic document for a photo.
Hundreds of bouquets of flowers were already assembled round the palace’s gates and walls, many carrying handwritten messages. People passed by the floral tributes, bending to read the attached notes of condolence.
One note read: “Thank you for your lifelong service dear Queen Elizabeth.”
Another said: “You were an inspiration to millions. A brilliant service for 70 years.”
The crowd was mostly made up of Edinburgh residents along with tourists visiting the city who came to pay their respects. Several TV crews were stationed at various points outside the palace while photographers captured the scene.
Workmen were busy assembling a ten-feet high stand to accommodate television cameras to cover the long period of mourning. Police shut off streets around the Palace with people walking down the middle of the usually busy Royal Mile to reach the royal residence.
Large numbers of police officers and security staff in high-vis vests were positioned around the palace where the volume of gatherers is expected to increase.
