Death of Queen Elizabeth II: King Charles and Camilla leave Balmoral to return to London – latest updates

Steven Morris

Guns and military personnel have arrived at Cardiff castle ahead of a 96-round salute taking place at 1pm. Police outriders stopped the traffic in the city centre to allow the convoy to swing through the gates.

Meanwhile, Welsh pop royalty has paid tribute to the Queen. Sir Tom Jones said:

Queen Elizabeth II was a constant presence and inspiration throughout my life. She was a reassuring force in difficult times.

Dame Shirley Bassey:

There is a reason why Her Majesty was admired not just at home but across the world. Through triumph and adversity, her devotion to our country has spanned eras of unprecedented change. In all that time she remained steadfast, dignified, inspirational. Her courage was mighty, her example iconic.

The King and Queen Consort have left Balmoral Castle and are en route to Aberdeen airport, where they are expected to fly back to London.

Severin Carrell

Fiona Robertson feels she grew up with the royal family. As a child growing up in Tarland, a village 19 miles from Balmoral, the Queen was a fixture of their summers on Deeside.

“When you live around her, you have a very different relationship with the royal family than people in other parts of the world,” she said.

When we were in primary school, we used to go alongside the road, and have a picnic when they arrived. They would always come and open things. It’s just part of your life. We just knew they were up here in the summer.

Robertson, 54, who runs the Sounds contemporary music festival in Aberdeen, was one of the hundreds of people, some driving for several hours, who arrived at Balmoral’s gates on Friday morning to lay flowers as the rain fell, heavily at times. Some came with friends, others with grandchildren, some with their children before school started, and others on their own. Some were Buddhist monks.

The first well-wishers had arrived to lay flowers at Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s granite bridge leading over the Dee river, swollen with rain, as dusk fell on Thursday evening, ignoring the dire weather and darkness.

By Friday morning, the police had closed off verges on the A93 trunk road which runs past the estate and imposed a 20mph speed limit.

Graham Cameron, 60, had driven for two hours from the port town of Buckie on the north sea coast with one of his sons, to lay flowers, wearing his jubilee medal. A former City of London police officer who had been on duty at Threadneedle Street on the night of the IRA’s bomb attack on the Baltic Exchange in 1992, Cameron said:

She was my Queen.

Rebecca Ratcliffe

In Bangkok, the Thai flag has been lowered to half-mast in tribute to the death of Queen Elizabeth II. It will remain at half mast for three days.

In a statement to British prime minister Liz Truss, Thailand’s acting prime minister Prawit Wongsuwan offered his deepest condolences:

Her Majesty’s tireless compassion and dedication to the United Kingdom and the global community throughout 70 years of Her Majesty’s reign has been praised and admired all over and will always be remembered. Her Majesty’s trips to Thailand in 1972 and 1996 will be cherished and remain in our hearts. During this moment of bereavement, our thoughts and prayers are with you, the Government of the United Kingdom and the British people.”

Prawit visited the British Embassy in Bangkok to sign a book of condolences on Friday afternoon.

The Queen last visited Thailand in 1996, during the year of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s golden jubilee, when she watched a procession of royal barges on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok and visited Chulalongkorn University, also in the capital.

During the visit, the Queen paid tribute to King Bhumibol for preserving Thailand’s culture and traditions. “Over the last quarter of a century your country has become a sophisticated modern state with an increasingly confident democracy,″ she said at the time. “But your unique cultural heritage remains intact and your people’s capacity to extend the friendliest of welcomes to visitors is undiminished.″

King Bhumibol was the second longest reigning monarch in the world at the time of his death in 2016 – though he was later surpassed by Queen Elizabeth II.

Unlike the British monarchy, which faces media scrutiny, the Thai royals are protected by one of the world’s harshest lese majesty laws, under which anyone who “defames, insults or threatens the king, queen, heir apparent or regent” can face between three and 15 years on each charge. In 2020, youth-led protests called for the law to be scrapped, and for wider democratic reforms. Since then, at least 200 protesters have been charged with lese majesty.

On social media, many Thais paid tribute to the Queen, including those who are critical of Thailand’s monarchy for its use of lese majesty. Some noted that the newly appointed prime minister Liz Truss once called for the abolition of the monarchy – but faced no risk of charges for this, as would be the case in Thailand.

The government has released guidance saying there is no need for businesses to close or sporting events to be cancelled during the national mourning period, reports my colleague Rowena Mason.

The guidance says some business owners and event organisers may wish to consider closing or postponing events, especially on the day of the state funeral, depending on the nature and tone, but there is no obligation to do so.

On sporting, cultural and other entertainment events, the guidance is that any cancellations are at the discretion of organisers. It adds: “As a mark of respect,
organisations might wish to consider cancelling or postponing events or closing venues on the day of the State Funeral. They are under no obligation to do so and this is entirely at the discretion of individual organisations.”

If events do go ahead on the day of the funeral, the government suggests that organisations may want to adjust the event timings so they do not clash with the timings of the funeral service and associated processions. It adds: “As a mark of respect,
and in keeping with the tone of national mourning, organisers may wish to hold a period of silence and/or play the National Anthem at the start of events or sporting fixtures, and players may wish to wear black armbands.”

Dan Sabbagh

My colleague Dan Sabbagh has written a blow-by-blow account of how the news broke of the Queen’s ill-health yesterday.

It was immediately obvious that something grave was occurring. Shortly after noon, Nadhim Zahawi, the chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, headed urgently into the Commons chamber to pass Liz Truss a note. He lingered to conduct a whispered briefing with the new prime minister while Keir Starmer addressed the chamber.

Moments later, Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, was also handed a sheet of paper. She digested its contents, before looking up in a moment of doubt and concern. The debate on the energy price cap continued, but suddenly the government’s £150bn bailout was no longer the story of the day.

The King has declared that a period of official royal mourning will be observed from today and lasting until seven days after the Queen’s state funeral, reports Caroline Davies.

Royal mourning is observed by members of the royal family, as well as staff in the royal households, and troops on ceremonial duties.

It has also been announced that gun salutes, one round of fired for each of the Queen’s 96 years, will be fired from Hyde Park and the Tower of London at 1pm as the nation enters a period of national mourning, the details of which will be announced by the government.

In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: “Following the death of Her Majesty the Queen, it is His Majesty the King’s wish that a period of royal mourning be observed from now until seven days after the Queen’s funeral. The date of the funeral will be confirmed in due course.

“Royal mourning will be observed by members of the royal family, royal household staff and representatives of the royal household on official duties, together with troops committed to ceremonial duties.

“Flags at royal residences were half masted yesterday, Thursday 8^th September, and will remain half-masted until 0800hrs on the morning after the final day of royal mourning.”

The half-masting of flags at royal residences does not apply to the royal standard and the royal standard in Scotland when the King is in residence, as they are always flown at full mast.

Guidance on flags at other public buildings has been issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Royal gun salutes will be fired in London at 1pm, in Hyde Park by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, and at the Tower of London by the Honourable Artillery, with one round fired for each year of the Queen’s life.

There will be no physical books of condolence at royal residences, but an online book of condolence for those who wish to leave messages is available on the Royal website.

Dedicated sites for floral tributes from the public have been set up, in Green Park and Hyde Park near Buckingham Palace in London. In Windsor a dedicated site has been set up at Cambridge Gate on the Long Walk, with flowers brought inside the castle every evening, and placed on the Castle Chapter grass on the south side of St George’s Chapel and Cambridge Drive.

At the Sandringham Estate, members of the public are encouraged to leave floral tributes at the Norwich Gates. At Balmoral Castle, floral tributes can be left at the Main Gate. At the Palace of Holyroodhouse, members of the public are encouraged to give floral tributes to the Wardens at the entrance to the Queen’s Gallery, which will be laid on the forecourt grass in front of the North Turret of the Palace. At Hillsborough Castle, floral tributes may be laid on the Castle forecourt, in front of the main gates.

All royal residences will remain closed to the public until after the Queen’s state funeral, which is expected to be on Monday 19 September, although that has not yet been officially confirmed.

This includes the Queen’s Gallery, and Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace, the Queen’s Gallery in Edinburgh. The Queen’s private estates at Balmoral Castle and Sandringham House, will also close for this period, as will Hillsborough Castle, the Queen’s official residence in Northern Ireland.

Josh Halliday

A service for the Queen will be held at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh this weekend, attended by the royal family, reports my colleague Josh Halliday in Edinburgh. The Queen’s coffin will then stay at St Giles for 24 hours for a period of lying at rest.

Harriet Sherwood

A service of prayer and reflection on the Queen’s death will be held in St Paul’s cathedral at 6pm today, reports my colleague Harriet Sherwood.

Two thousand seats will be allocated to the public on a first come first served basis.

People wishing to attend the service must visit in person to the City of London tourism office to collect a wristband from 11:00. The service will be broadcast live on BBC1.

St Paul’s will be closed today to allow preparations for the service.

Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, left Balmoral alone at about 8.15am this morning, with the convoy passing flowers that had been laid as tributes to his late grandmother. Guardian photographer Murdo MacLeod captured the poignant moment.

The Prince was also pictured at Aberdeen airport before boarding a flight:

Today will be packed with official, semi-official, and impromptu events marking the Queen’s death. Here’s an outline of the timetable we can expect:

• King Charles and Camilla, now the Queen Consort, stayed at Balmoral on Thursday night but will travel to London on Friday where the new king will have an audience with the new prime minister, Liz Truss.

• Confirming funeral plans – The King is likely to meet the Earl Marshal (the Duke of Norfolk) who is in charge of the accession and the Queen’s funeral, to approve the carefully choreographed schedule for the coming days.

• National mourning – The government will confirm the length of national mourning, which is likely to be about 12 days, PA Media reports, from now up to the day after the Queen’s funeral. The public has already begun to gather in large crowds and leave flowers outside Buckingham Palace and other royal buildings. Ministers will also announce that the funeral day will be a public holiday.

• Court mourning – The King will decide on the length of court or royal mourning for members of the royal family and royal households. It is expected to last a month.

• Union jacks on royal buildings are flying at half-mast.

• Bells will toll at Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral and Windsor Castle. Churches are being urged to toll their bells across England at noon.

• A gun salute of 96 rounds – one round for every year of the Queen’s life – will be fired in Hyde Park and at other stations.

• The King’s televised address – The King will make a televised address to the nation, which he is due to pre-record, in the early evening. He will pay tribute to the Queen and pledge his duty to his service as the new sovereign.

• Service at St Paul’s Cathedral – The prime minister and senior ministers are expected to attend a public service of remembrance at St Paul’s in central London.