King Charles, siblings walk with Queen's coffin in Edinburgh, observe vigil

* King Charles' tribute to Queen Elizabeth after being formally proclaimed sovereign
* King Charles III's first public speech as new monarch: 'my beloved mother was an inspiration'
* Royal reporter Gavin Gray breaks down 'Operation Unicorn' following Queen's passing with Jono and Ben
* King Charles told Prince William to reach out to his brother Prince Harry an hour before reunion
* Meghan Markle’s awkward moment with royal aide has left fans divided

King Charles III has led his siblings as they held a vigil to their late mother in Edinburgh, amid emotional scenes in which tens of thousands of mourners have lined the streets of the Scottish capital.

The monarch, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward bowed their heads with their backs to the late Queen's coffin in a process called the Vigil of the Princes at St Giles' Cathedral.

The process has only been performed once - at the funeral of the Queen Mother in 2002 - since it was first carried out in 1936 - when King Edward VIII and his three brothers, Princes Albert, Henry and George, stood by the coffin of their late father, King George V.

The Queen's children stood by the four sides of her coffin which rested on a raised platform - or catafalque. They ended their 10-minute vigil with the second of three foot taps.

Thousands of mourners have been lining up to walk around her coffin as she lies in state at the church.

Photo / AP

Earlier, the Queen's children walked behind the coffin of their mother through the streets of Edinburgh. Large crowds gathered along the Royal Mile and St Giles's Cathedral, where mourners will be allowed to file past the late Queen's coffin on Monday evening until 3pm on Tuesday (2am NZT Wednesday).

As Queen Elizabeth II's four children walked silently behind, a hearse carried her flag-draped coffin along a crowd-lined street in the Scottish capital to a cathedral, where a service of thanksgiving hailed the late monarch as a "constant in all of our lives for over 70 years."

Inside, the coffin was placed on a wooden stand and topped with the golden Crown of Scotland, encrusted with 22 gems and 20 precious stones along with freshwater pearls from Scotland's rivers.

Lord Lieutenant of Edinburgh, Robert Aldridge, said: “Scotland can take real pride that Her Majesty cherished her time here and now the eyes of the world will be upon the Capital as we unite in national mourning and herald our new King.

“This is a time for our communities to stand together and for people to reflect on our shared history.

“The outpouring of grief from citizens and visitors is touching and demonstrates the special relationship the city shared with the Queen.” The Queen’s coffin is set to be flown at 6pm tomorrow from Edinburgh airport to RAF Northolt, west London.

Photo / AP

Because the queen died at her summer home of Balmoral, Scotland has been the focus of the world's attention for the first part of Britain's 10 days of national mourning. Scenes of large crowds lining the route as her coffin journeyed south have underscored the deep bond between the queen and Scotland, which persisted even as relations between the Conservative UK government in London and the pro-independence administration in Edinburgh have soured.

In a homily, Church of Scotland Moderator Iain Greenshields said that "most of us cannot recall a time when she was not our monarch."

The coffin will remain at the cathedral until Tuesday so members of the public can pay their respects.

Thousands lined the one kilometre route between palace and cathedral, some arriving hours ahead of the service to catch a glimpse of the coffin.

Her casket will then be transported by hearse to Buckingham Palace so a procession can take it to Westminster Hall on Wednesday where the Queen will then lie in state 6.30am on Monday September 19, the day of her funeral, which has been declared a UK bank holiday.

New Zealand will observe a day of mourning for the Queen on September 26.

Mourners face waits of 12 hours each if they want to see the coffin, officials expect.

Wait times during the five-night vigil, which will see Westminster Hall stay open 24 hours a day, are set to be so long as queues are predicted to snake for up to three miles.

The visitor numbers are also expected to be close to the two million pilgrims who travelled to the Vatican to view Pope John Paul II when he lay in state in 2005.

Photo / AP

The 96-year-old monarch’s body will lie in state in Westminster Hall, where members of the public will be able to file past the coffin 24 hours a day until the morning of her funeral on 19 September, but they face having to wait up to 30 hours to do so.

Guidance issued by the government said: “Please note that there will be a queue, which is expected to be very long. You will need to stand for many hours, possibly overnight, with very little opportunity to sit down as the queue will be continuously moving.”

They also advised members of the public to consider the length of the queue - which is predicted to reach up to five miles long - “before you decide to attend or bring children” and warned there may be road closures and delays to public transport.

Photo / AP

People should bring their own food and drink as there will be only “limited refreshments” but once they arrive at parliament, they will go through airport-style security, with only small bags with a single opening allowed and no food or liquid "of any kind". They are also told flowers and other tribute items including photos, candles, and soft toys, cannot be taken inside the Palace of Westminster.

The advice stresses people should "dress appropriately" and avoid clothing with political or offensive slogans and  “respect the dignity of the event and behave appropriately".

Cameras and mobile phones cannot be used within the Palace of Westminster.

The plans assume around 750,000 people will want to pay their respects, but officials have acknowledged there could be significantly more and so the Cabinet Office is preparing for a "very real possibility" that London will become "full" for the first time, with contingency plans in place for rail operators to advise passengers not to attempt to travel to the capital.

As many as 10,000 police officers will be deployed in London, with cops on alert for signs of terrorism and single-issue protesters including environmental activists.

Up to 1,500 soldiers will be available to control the queues, helping thousands of stewards who will line the route. The queue will be closed if there are too many people.

Earlier, King Charles vowed to "faithfully" follow the late Queen Elizabeth's "example of selfless duty". 

The 73-year-old monarch was accompanied by his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, when he visited Westminster Hall to hear Addresses of Condolence from the House of Lords and the House of Commons in response to the death of his beloved mother on September 8.

In his speech, Charles quoted Shakespeare and reflected on the "weight of history" around them, including the "tangible connections" to his late mother.

He said: "My Lords and Members of the House of Commons.

"I am deeply grateful for the Addresses of Condolence by the House of Lords and the House of Commons, which so touchingly encompass what our late Sovereign, my beloved mother The Queen, meant to us all.  As Shakespeare says of the earlier Queen Elizabeth, she was “a pattern to all Princes living”.   

"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.

"Parliament is the living and breathing instrument of our democracy.  That your traditions are ancient we see in the construction of this great Hall and the reminders of Mediaeval predecessors of the Office to which I have been called.  And 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.

"The great bell of Big Ben – one of the most powerful symbols of our nation throughout the world and housed within the Elizabeth Tower also named for my mother’s Diamond Jubilee – will mark the passage of The late Queen’s progress from Buckingham Palace to this Parliament on Wednesday."

Charles then went on to pay tribute to the queen's "unsurpassed devotion".

He said: "My Lords and Members of the House of Commons:

"We gather today in remembrance of the remarkable span of The Queen’s dedicated service to her nations and peoples.  While very young, Her late Majesty pledged herself to serve her country and her people and to maintain the precious principles of constitutional government which lie at the heart of our nation.  This vow she kept with unsurpassed devotion.

"She set an example of selfless duty which, with God’s help and your counsels, I am resolved faithfully to follow."

The king gave his address following remarks from Lord McFall and Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speakers of the House of Lords and House of Commons respectively.

Lord McFall opened the proceedings with a tribute to the queen, who he described as "joyous", as well as a "beloved and deeply missed mother of the king".

He added: "Our late Majesty’s joyous unstinting and reassuring presence across the years made it difficult to contemplate that type of long and inspiring reign of deep and unparalleled devotion would ever end.

"We, and the nation, closed our eyes to this inevitability. But it has ended."

He said everyone feels "a sense of loss beyond measure” and will remember “her commitment, her kindness, her humour, her courage, and her fortitude, as well as the deep faith, which was the anchor of in her life.

"We and future generations will draw strength from her shining example."

He then pledged the support of the House of Lords to the new king and his queen consort.

He said: "Your Majesty, on behalf of all the members of the House of Lords I pledge my loyalty to you, and wish you and Her Majesty the Queen Consort well.

"We are proud and indeed humbled to welcome you as our King."

Sir Lindsay then touched on the "deep grief" of the king and his family.

He said: "This is a loss that is felt around the world.

"It is a loss to all of us, but we know most of all it is a loss to you, your Majesty and the Royal family.

"Newspapers have been filled with photographs of the late Queen, the most touching have been the glimpses into family life usually sheltered from public life.

"Deep as we know our grief is, we know yours is deeper."

The speaker believes the king will bear his new responsibilities with the same "fortitude and dignity" shown by his late mother.

He added "To be a king and wear a crown is more to them that see it, than them who bear it."

- Bang! Showbiz, additional reporting by the NZ Herald