The Crown of Scotland will be placed on the Queen’s coffin while it lies in rest in Edinburgh. Historically, the crown has been used in ceremonies to represent the sovereign’s presence and it will be placed on Elizabeth II’s coffin by Alexander Douglas-Hamilton, the 16th Duke of Hamilton.
Historic Environment Scotland confirmed it will remain with the Queen while she lies in rest at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh. Thousands of people are expected to go there to pay their final respects.
Large crowds are expected to be present at the cathedral, where mourners will be allowed to file past the Queen’s coffin from about 5.30pm on Monday until 3pm on Tuesday. After that, the Crown of Scotland will be returned to Edinburgh Castle – where it is usually on display – and will be present for visitors to see when the castle reopens on Wednesday.
The Crown of Scotland is on loan to Historic Environment Scotland, which cares for it on behalf of the Commissioners for the Keeping of the Regalia. Made from gold, silver and precious gems, the crown is the centrepiece of the Honours of Scotland – which are the oldest Crown jewels in Britain and among the oldest in Europe.
Special wristbands will be issued to those wanting to see the Queen’s coffin while it is in St Giles’. A queue is due to start at George Square Lane/North Meadow Walk in The Meadows, where one wristband per person will be issued.
Only people with wristbands will be allowed to enter and flowers are not be permitted to be brought in. Anyone planning on attending is warned to expect long waits and airport-style security checks.
Mourners are also being asked to pass the coffin without pausing in order to ensure as many people as possible can pay their respects. A series of local and major road closures remain in place due to the ceremonies continuing to take place in the city centre, with those planning on paying their respects at St Giles’ being requested to access George Square by public transport or on foot.
