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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Kyle O'Sullivan

Why Princess Anne is walking behind Queen's coffin - but other female royals are in car

The Queen's children are leading a procession behind the her coffin as it is taken from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to the nearby St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh - but some royals are in a car. King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward walked in a line behind their mother's coffin.

The Princess Royal's husband, Sir Tim Laurence, was a a few steps behind the royal siblings, but other female members of the royal family were not alongside them. Queen consort Camilla and Sophie, Countess of Wessex followed behind the rest of their loved ones in a car.

King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward followed behind the coffin (Sky News)

For the latest updates as the world mourns the Queen and King Charles III's reign begins, follow our live blog.

Princess Anne walked behind the coffin with her siblings because she is daughter of the Queen.

The coffin was draped with the Royal Standard in Scotland and dressed with a wreath of flowers consisting of white Spray Roses, white Freesias, white button chrysanthemums, dried white heather from Balmoral, spray eryngium, foliage, rosemary, hebe, and pittosporum.

The hearse was flanked by a Bearer Party found by The Royal Regiment of Scotland and The King’s Body Guard for Scotland.

People lining the route clapped as the procession made its way along the route to the cathedral - with one women shouting "God bless the Queen" as the hearse made its way past.

Dogs could be heard barking as the hearse continued its procession on a bright sunny day in Edinburgh, while members of the public held their phones high to capture images of the historic event.

Members of the public gather to watch the procession of Queen Elizabeth II's coffin (AFP via Getty Images)

The King and Queen Consort arrived at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh earlier this afternoon ahead of a series of engagements in the city.

After getting out of a car, the monarch spent time meeting members of the public behind a barricade and shaking their hands.

He also received gifts of flowers from well-wishers ahead of attending a Ceremony of the Keys and inspecting the guard of honour.

This comes after Charles received the motion of condolence at Westminster Hall today - and sat on his throne for the first time as the monarch along with Queen Camilla.

The new King and his wife took their seats while the Speaker of the House of Lords pledged his loyalty and shared the "deep sympathy" that Parliament felt over the royal family's grief.

King Charles III, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex walk behind Queen Elizabeth II's coffin (PA)

Their thrones are almost identical but the one used by the Queen consort is an inch shorter to indicate their respective roles.

The King quoted Shakespeare in a tribute to the Queen as he addressed Parliament for the first time since becoming monarch.

"As Shakespeare said of the earlier Queen Elizabeth, she was a pattern to all princes living," he said.

Addressing members of both Houses of Parliament, the King said the late Queen "set an example of selfless duty which, with God’s help and your counsels, I am resolved faithfully to follow".

He said: "As I stand before you today I cannot help but feel the weight of history which surrounds us and which reminds us of the vital Parliamentary traditions to which members of both Houses dedicate yourselves with such personal commitment for the betterment of us all.

"The tangible connections to my darling late mother we see all around us, from the fountain in New Palace Yard which commemorates the late Queen’s silver jubilee, to the sundial in Old Palace Yard for the golden jubilee.

"The magnificent stained glass window before me for the diamond jubilee and so poignantly, and yet to be formally unveiled, your most generous gift to her late Majesty to mark the unprecedented Platinum Jubilee which we celebrated only three months ago with such joyful hearts."

King Charles III and the Queen Consort at Westminster Hall, London (PA)

It was the first time we've seen Charles actually on a throne, as he didn't sit on the empty one behind him when he was formally proclaimed King at the Accession Council at St. James' Palace on Saturday morning.

More than 200 privy councillors, made up of mostly senior politicians past and present including former prime ministers, were present to hear the Clerk of the Council read the proclamation.

The reason why King Charles wasn't on the throne is that Privy Council affairs are always done standing up - and there is no exception for the monarch.

A second motive was to speed the process up and make sure that the proceedings don't run on for too long.

A Debrett's spokesperson explained to The Mirror: "All Privy Council business is conducted standing up and even the King stands. Apparently it's to keep things short."

* This weekend, the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror celebrate the life of Her Majesty the Queen with a commemorative special filled with all the key moments from Britain’s longest reigning monarch. Be sure to pick up your copy of the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror to get poth pullouts.

You can leave your tributes to Queen Elizabeth II here

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