In Edinburgh’s St. Giles Cathedral, the bodies of King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward were placed next to their mother’s casket.
The four children of Queen Elizabeth continued a solemn custom.
King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward gathered on Monday night to lead the Vigil of the Princes at St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland, where their mother’s body was lying in state. The siblings emerged next to their mother’s coffin, which was adorned with a floral wreath, the Scottish Crown, and the Royal Standard of Scotland.
For roughly ten minutes, the royals stood guard alongside the Royal Company of Archers, who will look after the Queen’s coffin round-the-clock while it is in St. Giles, as mourners paid their respects. King Charles assumed a position of significance at the head of the casket while wearing a Scottish kilt.
During the vigil, Queen Camilla, the wife of Charles, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, the wife of Edward, sat close by.
According to The Independent, the rare ritual has only been carried out twice before in British history: once during the funeral processions for the Queen’s grandfather, King George V, in 1936, and once more during the events surrounding the Queen Mother’s funeral in 2002.
