A Royal Air Force C-17 transport aircraft has carried Her Majesty The Queen from Edinburgh to London.

The aircraft departed Edinburgh Airport just before 6pm and landed at RAF Northolt just before 7pm. The flight passed over Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham and numerous smaller towns.

According to the BBC, Large queues are forming along the banks of the river Thames, as people wait for the Queen’s lying-in-state to begin. The Queen’s coffin remains at Buckingham Palace ahead of a procession to Westminster Hall later.

Princes William and Harry, along with King Charles III, will walk behind the coffin as it is carried on a gun carriage. During the procession, guns will be fired at Hyde Park and Big Ben will toll. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to file past the coffin to pay their respects, with a huge policing operation in place. The Queen’s funeral will be held on Monday 19 September – a bank holiday.

Gallery of the flight

Preview image for assetPallbearers from the Royal Air Force Regiment carry the coffin of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The coffin passed the Royal Regiment of Scotland as they displayed a Royal Salute. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin has travelled from the heart of Edinburgh at St. Giles Cathedral to Edinburgh International Airport.

Image of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s coffin, being returned to Buckingham Palace in London.

Preview image for asset

 

George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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28 COMMENTS

  1. God Bless her, I’m still getting emotional at times.

    I’m RVing with a mate Thursday night at Waterloo and going to join the queue, wherever it is by then! Taken Friday off as some are predicting a 30 hour wait.

    Anyone want to join us!

    • Hi Daniele, I’m a bit far away down here in 🇦🇺 but I’ll join you and all the other Brits in the queue in spirit! God bless the Queen and the people of 🇬🇧 from us down here in 🇦🇺 🇳🇿

    • Would love to but am out the country again…

      Like you, having mixed emotions, very sad at the lose, but happy that we have a succession…
      Will pray the rain stays off your shoulders…

    • Would relish the chance for a f2f chat about all things defence but can’t do till Friday Eve. Nice offer to people though. I hear you can’t bring chairs etc.

      • No, though I was thinking an artists folding chair that I would just discard someway into the queue and pass down to those a bit older who may need it.
        I’ve read, unsure of the truth of it, that MPs are fast tracked “with guest” while us peasants have to stand in line. There are no doubt millions of older people for whom the meaning of the Monarchy and HM The Queen especially runs deep and they cannot see her, which I find sad.

        Yes, that is what I thought! Will be there long enough for a good chat and nice to actually meet some fellow UKDJers. 👍

        • Taking a small chair and passing it on is a jolly good idea. Wouldn’t be surprised if some have special passes. I heard that there is some special provision for the less abled, which is considerate. Should be a very memorable and poignant experience

    • Would be joining you, but started a holiday in California the day it all happened… Am getting being given lots of condolences and wherever I go the Stars and Stripes are at half-mast.

    • Good luck to you pal. Me and the wife would love to come down to London, but it’s just not practical for us this weekend. Hope the wait isn’t to long. Take plenty of sarnies 😀

    • DM what a wonderful idea. Unfortunately, no can do☹️. Learned to queue in RN for pay in hand off the pusser🤑👍Hope all goes well.

  2. I’m very lucky she went past my house twice plus got to see the procession on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, hope the queue not too long. I was quite surprised to see a C17 waiting for her. When they talked about flying her down I half imagined it would be in the hold of one of the Royal squadron Dassaults but a C17 was a much better way to send her off from Scotland. Would have been nice to have it on the Royal train but I understand why they did not. The security would have been a night mare.

  3. I was a bit surprised when I saw last night the Queens body was transported back by C-17A.

    I know plans change, but I remember initial reports suggested transport was to be by a Royal train back to London.

    Am I missing anything?

    PS, it’s 10.40pm Wednesday night, Sydney time here, I’m now watching the procession as it’s starting.

    Cheers,

    • THe long-made plans called for the Roayl Train, which has a dedicated carriage that’s been fitted out for carrying a coffin.

      However, the Police felt that there was too much risk associated with a long, and relativly slow, train journey (think threats from bridges, cuttings and roads running parallel) and so the RAF were called in.

      They have a lot of experience, the C-17s were used to repatriate soldiers who had been killed in Afganistan.

      • Hi Andy,

        Yes I thought it must have been security concerns that forced the change, I would have also thought the Police concerns would have been well known earlier too.

        And yes sadly the RAF C-17 fleet would have had experience in this role before too.

        The RAAF C-17 fleet sadly have had the same experience too.

        Also, if you remember when MH17 was shot down over Ukraine, three RAAF C-17 operated a shuttle run from Ukraine to the Netherlands transporting many of the victims.

        Cheers,

      • Whilst I understand the concerns I feel it truly is a sad indicment of the pious,self centred nature of a large monority in the UK that such an change in what would have been an emotional journey was deemed necessary . A train journey would have provisoned an opportunity for large swathes of the population to pay their respects en route.Use helipcopters , stick a couple of trains either side with sufficent numbers of ”guards’ and away you go. I’m sure enough people would be have been on hand to deliver a certain kind of justice & take no prisoners. I understand its not that simple but as a nation we have allowed our fears of certain groups to overcome our own national pride…very sad indeed.

  5. It’s a funny old thing. Although I am a bit indifferent to the whole thing, or perhaps just a bit overloaded by the continued media coverage (let people digest it under their own steam you know?). I was still planning on paying my respects in person in some form or another. With the train option taken out, that’s left me with London, but the queues sound rather intense (up to 30 hours waiting, still no guarantee).
    Anyone have any novel ideas around this?
    Not relishing the prospect of travelling up to London Friday night to ensure a send off some point Saturday/ Sunday

    • I believe if they let one join the queue there’s a good chance you’d get into the hall. I’ve read they might close it early depending on numbers as obviously if millions arrive most are not going to have the time to get there if only so many thousands an hour at best pace can go through, so I doubt you’d have wasted your time. I’m worried at joining Thursday late as it is, by Friday and into the weekend I’d fear you’d not get there.

      Other options I guess are to see her go past Monday en route to Windsor, or just visit Green Park where the flowers are. Or just go to Windsor.

      It’s the queue or nothing for me as I’m working most of the next week sadly.

      • That’s good to know. I think the Windsor route is also a very good recommendation, which I wasn’t aware of, cheers for that. I saw that there is talk of making that route longer so more people can be accommodated. I feel that who ever organised this may have somewhat underestimated the numbers who want to pay their respects.

        • Well after the funeral she will be interred in Windsor with the rest of the Royals so…no idea of the route.

          I’m sure they did underestimate but I also appreciate the complexity of all this. Is there some sort of protocol regards just how long HM can be taken around before she is laid to rest?

  6. Aye all I can say is it was a privilege to see HM and her convoy leave Balmoral and pass through Cults on route to Edinburgh streets lined with people never to be seen again anything like it 👏🏻🇬🇧

    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇬🇧

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