>
Mourners flocking to central London to lay flowers at Green Park have been mucking in to tear off the plastic wrapping on thousands of bouquets laid down for the Queen to help royal gardeners in their mammoth job to clear it all up.
Incredible scenes of community spirit can be seen at the park by Buckingham Palace as it shows the endless lines of flowers, tributes, cuddly toys, candles and cards covering the green grass and walkways, with Royal Park staff seen heading to and from their trucks to continue laying down bouquets.
Now members of the public who have gone down to Green Park to both soak up the atmosphere and pay their respects for the late Queen Elizabeth II have started helping out the gardeners by removing the plastic wrap of bunches of flowers so the later job of turning them into compost is made much easier.
Today, which marks the second official day of mourning for Queen Elizabeth II, the late monarch’s coffin is being taken by road to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, on a six-hour journey by hearse, covering 175 miles. She is accompanied by her daughter, Anne, Princess Royal.
Those in Green Park paying tribute may have also got a glimpse of the new King as he was driven into Buckingham Palace early this afternoon as he waved to crowds before his audiences today.
A tearful King Charles III was greeted by thousands of well-wishers as he arrived at Buckingham Palace this afternoon where he will meet with Commonwealth general secretary Patricia Scotland – while his mother the Queen embarks on her six-hour journey from Balmoral to Edinburgh.
Crowds lining the length of The Mall – including children sat on top of parents’ shoulders – cheered and waved at the monarch as he was driven through the Palace gates, accompanied by a motorcade of four cars and four police motorbikes.
After her doctor’s health concerns were shared to the public on 8 September, members of the public have headed towards the royal palace to send their well-wishes – and the numbers have only skyrocketed since the Queen’s death was announced at 6.30pm on Thursday.
Tens of thousands of flowers have been left for Her Majesty in the days since her passing, with many people seen in tears at the sight of what’s before them.
Palace gardeners have been removing bunches of flowers off the gates and moved them to Green Park to help make space for the public to continue to get as close as they can to the King’s new home as the nation comes to terms with the Queen’s death at age 96.
Members if the public have been pictured helping arrange and prepare flowers for display in Green Park due to the large volumes being laid for the Queen following her death.
Lots of young families have made their way to Buckingham Palace this weekend, with parents taking the opportunity to show such a huge moment in history to their children.
Members if the public help arrange and prepare flowers for display in Green Park due to the large volumes being laid for the Queen following her death
Flower tributes are continuing to be brought into Green Park as masses of the public head to central London to visit the royal park
The number of flowers has continued to grow massively as more and more people head towards the central London park, Green Park, next to Buckingham Palace
Piles upon piles of flowers and bouquets have been laid all across Green Park in central London on day two of national mourning following the death of Her Majesty The Queen
A truck full of flowers at Green Park is met by members of public who help with the placement and removal of plastic wrappers on bouquets
Loads of flowers are coming into Green Park by the truck load as royal parks staff continue to bring in bouquets from Buckingham Palace
Staff have been handing bouquets to members of the public who have been helping remove the plastic wrappers of flowers to be put down on the displays
Before placing the flowers down on the grass at Green Park for the late Queen, members of the public have been removing the plastic wrappers as asked by royal staff who have been trapesing back and forth from Buckingham Palace
Two women walk a dog in Green Park where masses of floral tributes have been laid for the Queen after her passing this week
Members of the public view floral tributes in Green Park, near Buckingham Palace on Sunday afternoon where thousands have joined in on mourning the Queen
Huge areas have been covered in flowers in Green Park as people are encouraged to bring their tributes to the royal park beside Buckingham Palace instead of placing them near the gates
Members of the public gather as they lay floral tributes in Green Park, near Buckingham Palace, on Sunday – the second official day of Britain in mourning
A woman looks at the tributes lining the railings within Green Park where people have come in their thousands to look at the the floral display
There are endless bunches of flowers in Green Park – with many members of the public mucking in and helping park staff remove plastic wrappers of bouquets (pictured)
People take a moment to reflect as they are met with masses of bouquets in Green Park as tributes continue to flood in for Her Majesty after her death
Thousands of flowers have been laid in Green Park (pictured) where members of the public have been heading towards on Sunday
A man lays a floral tribute to the Queen in the nation’s second day of mourning – The Queen’s coffin is today being transported from Balmoral to Edinburgh
Staff from the Royal household distribute flowers to the public in Green Park, to keep room in front of Buckingham Palace
One message in Queen Park read: ‘To our Queen, your soul shall live in with all the hearts you have touched. Thank you for what you have done for your country and even the world. May you rest in peace your Majesty’
People have laid thousands of bouquets down outside the Royal Sandringham Estate, one of the Queen’s residences in Norfolk
At the Sandringham Estate, flowers are seen with their plastic wrappers, which royal gardeners will later remove to recycle the flowers to turn into compost later
People have started putting their flowers in the holes of the Norwich Gates at the Royal Sandringham Estate in Norfolk on Sunday afternoon
Lots of flowers have been put in separated areas to allow people to walk amongst the displays in Green Park as thousands of bouquets are brought to the park beside Buckingham Palace
A young boy has his picture taken in Green Park on Sunday as he poses amongst the floral displays for Her Majesty The Queen
People have come into central London in their masses, with some holding bouquets and personal messages for the Queen and the royal family, to lay down in Green Park (pictured)
People continue to flood into Green Park beside Buckingham Palace to pay their respects to The Queen this morning
The Long Walk up to Windsor Castle has huge numbers of well-wishers to make their way up to the gates of the Estate to lay flowers or look at the tributes
People have been laying flowers by Windsor Castle as huge numbers of people are seen down the Long Walk by the Estate
Crowds of public gather on the Long Walk to lay flowers at Windsor Castle on Sunday as many people head towards the royal residences across the UK to pay their respects
A line of floral tributes continues to build up outside the gates, with a similar picture seen at the Queen’s other royal residences in Balmoral Estate, where she passed, Sandringham Estate and Windsor Castle.
Yesterday King Charles attended St James’s Palace at 10am for a historic ceremony where he met with the Accession Council. Privy Counsellors gathered without Charles and proclaim him King before he takes an oath.
Trumpeters played at 11am as the public proclamation of a new sovereign was read from Friar Court balcony by the Garter King of Arms. Union flags went back up to full mast at 1pm and remain there until 1pm this afternoon.
Wellwishers are expected to gather along the route and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon alongside other party leaders in Scotland are expected to watch the coffin as it goes past the Scottish Parliament.
A child waves the Union Flag in front of Buckingham Palace as they pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II on Sunday morning
A pearly king and queen walk past Buckingham Palace on Sunday morning following the Queen’s death on Thursday evening
After her doctor’s health concerns were shared to the public on 8 September, members of the public have headed towards the royal palace to send their well-wishes – and the numbers have only skyrocketed since the Queen’s death was announced at 6.30pm on Thursday
Tens of thousands of flowers, written tributes, balloons, cuddly toys, candles and cards have been left for Her Majesty in the days since her passing, with many people seen in tears at the sight of what’s before them
Lots of young families have made their way to Buckingham Palace this weekend, with parents taking the opportunity to show such a huge moment in history to their children – and their dogs, who some have dressed up
Devoted daughter Princess Anne will accompany the late monarch’s body to London ahead of the funeral, Buckingham Palace confirmed.
On Monday the coffin will be taken to St Giles’ Cathedral where it will lie in rest until Tuesday.
After lying in state for 24 hours, the coffin will be flown to RAF Northolt on Tuesday and taken by road to Buckingham Palace.
It will be taken to Westminster Hall on Wednesday for lying-in-state until the morning of the funeral on September 19. Members of the public will be able to see the coffin as it lies in state.
Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral will be held on Monday, September 19 at Westminster Abbey at 11am – which King Charles today declared would be a bank holiday.
The service at Westminster Abbey will be the culmination of ten days of official mourning, details of which were revealed for the first time by the Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk, who is charged with organising the huge event.
Lots of young families have made their way to Buckingham Palace this morning, pictured, to pay their respects to the Queen
Palace gardeners have removed bunches of flowers off the gates and moved them to Green Park (pictured) to help make space for the public to continue to get as close as they can to the King and Queen’s new home as the nation comes to terms with the Queen’s death at age 96
Flowers and tributes, left in Green Park. The flowers are due to be be turned in to compost after being displayed in Green Park Queen Elizabeth II died in Balmoral, Scotland aged 96 on Thursday
Royal Park workers deliver flowers to Green Park that have been collected from other locations near the Palace
The flowers laid by well-wishers for the Queen are due to be be turned in to compost after being displayed in Green Park
A worker for Royal Parks continues to add flowers to the lines laid down in Green Park where well-wishers go to look at the tributes
Volunteers help to remove packaging and arrange flowers in Green Park, central London, after the bouquets were put down at Buckingham Palace for The Queen
A woman looks at tributes left in Green Park early on Sunday morning where tens of thousands of flowers have been left
Endless lines of floral tributes, balloons and toys have been left for the late monarch who died on Thursday afternoon
Women take pictures of the scenes in Green Park, central London, where tens of thousands of flowers have been left for the Queen after her passing on Thursday
Two women embrace as they become emotional at the sights in Green Park where tributes have been laid for the Queen
The Queen will lie in state for ‘four clear days’ in Westminster Hall from Wednesday September 14 before the funeral, a senior palace official said.
Buckingham Palace said devoted daughter Princess Anne will accompany the late monarch’s body to London ahead of the funeral, the only one from the Royal Family to do so.
On the day of the funeral at 10.44am the coffin will be taken in procession from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey where the state funeral service will take place.
Following the funeral, the coffin will be taken again in procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch, and from there to Windsor by road, where the Queen will be laid to rest in St George’s Chapel, alongside her late husband the Duke of Edinburgh.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the ‘poignant’ journey would give the public a chance to come together to ‘mark our country’s shared loss’.
King Charles will lead the nation in mourning on Monday as he walks at the head of a procession of the Queen’s coffin through the streets of Edinburgh.
He will be at the front of the royal party heading from the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh and up the Royal Mile to St Giles’ Cathedral, it has been announced.
The King and Queen Consort will fly to Edinburgh with Prince William and other members of the Royal Family to lead the procession. Some members of the family will follow in cars, with others walking.
She will then lie in state for 24 hours before being transported by plane to RAF Northolt and from there will be taken by road to Buckingham Palace.
Members of the public will be able to see the monarch lying in state at St Giles and later in London at Westminster Hall.
A pearly king and queen walk past Buckingham Palace on Sunday morning following the Queen’s death on Thursday evening
A little girl holds a bunch of flowers on the gates at Buckingham Palace this morning to pay tribute to the Queen
Some flowers had pictures of the Queen and written messages, including one which read ‘Thank you for your service’ and ‘Rest in Peace Your Majesty’
People left written letters and tributes to the Queen, as well as drawings depicting the late monarch with her husband Prince Philip, who died in 2021
More people pictured at Buckingham Palace this morning to lay flowers for the Queen after her death on Thursday afternoon
A woman leaves flowers outside Buckingham Palace this morning after the death of Her Majesty The Queen on Thursday
The flowers laid for the late Queen are due to be be turned in to compost after being displayed in Green Park (pictured)
A little girl puts some flowers down in Green Park for Her Majesty The Queen on the day her coffin will be brought to Holyrood
A young girl is comforted after looking at the tributes laid for Her Majesty The Queen in Green Park, central London
Thousands have flocked to central London once again as the nation heads into its second official day of mourning for the Queen after her death on Thursday
A young family lays down flowers on a bed of bouquets in Green Park, where tributes are being kept for the Queen
Thousands of people will be able to file past to see the late monarch’s coffin – and further details of how the public can attend will be announced in the coming days.
A spokesman for the King said the monarch’s main focus will be leading the royal family and nation in mourning over the coming days.
‘Whilst, in the next few days, the King will carry out all the necessary state duties, his main focus will be leading the Royal Family, the nation, the Realms and the Commonwealth in mourning Her Majesty The Queen. This will include meeting members of the public, to share in their grief,’ the spokesman said.
The man in charge of the huge funeral operation, the Earl Marshall the Duke of Norfolk has confirmed for the first time that the funeral will take place on Monday September 19 at 11am in Westminster Abbey.
And during the period of national mourning, members of the public have continued to add bunches of flowers and soak up the sombre atmospheres near places of royal importance.
A young girl called Olivia told Sky News yeserday that she remembers seeing Buckingham Palace when she went to London on a family holiday: ‘I think she was there but we didn’t get inside.
‘I remember when I was in school and it was the Jubilee, learning loads about the Queen, colouring in, doing ‘I spy’ worksheets to find the corgis. We learnt that she’s been on the throne for 70 years.’
Rebecca Young-Herries with her daughter Cassandra (5 moths old) looks at floral tributes in at Palace of Holyrood House, Edinburgh ahead of the arrival of the coffin of HRH The Queen, which will be taken to Holyrood
People continue to lay flowers and tributes following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, at the war memorial in Bournemouth, Dorset
People have laid flowers and tributes at various landmarks and war memorials (like pictured in Bournemouth, Dorset) across the UK for the Queen
With the flowers being removed at night, it doesn’t take long for them to start mounting up outside Windsor Castle on the long walk this morning at 8am
A little girl looks at the floral and written tributes outside Windsor Castle at 8am this morning where plenty of well-wishers went to pay their respects today
Members of the public continued to arrive at Windsor Castle this morning following the death of the Queen on Thursday
The Windsor Castle estate erected a sign for well-wishers leaving flowers which read: ‘Your flowers are greatly appreciated. It may be necessary to move your flowers, if so, they will be placed in a secure area outside St George’s Chapel or along Cambridge Drive. All messages and cards will be kept safely for the Royal Family to read’
Thousands of bouquets and tributes were laid at the top of the long walk by Windsor Castle, pictured at 8am this morning
The flowers on Long Walk by Windsor Castle were removed last night – but by 8am this morning plenty more had been placed out of respect for Her Majesty
Her father Graham added: ‘I thought it was a good opportunity to come and say thank you, pay our respects. The Queen has always been there every day since I’ve been alive like most of the nation so it’s a fitting time to say thank you.
‘We’re quite local as well so it’s something good for the kids to remember as well, thinking back in another 70 years.
‘I think she [The Queen] was very proud of mentioning Scotland, having Balmoral here and the likes of King Charles as well. Very proud to have them so close on our doorstep.’
One drawing shows the Queen with a colourful dress on, love hearts surrounding her and the words ‘best Queen Elizabeth II’, ‘you are the best Queen ever!’ and the Her Majesty’s date of birth to date of death. It was signed by Mila, age seven.
Another, again signed by seven-year-old Mila, Margot, age five, and Theo, eight months, shows the Queen with a golden crown and a rainbow surrounding her with the title ‘Our beautiful Queen’.
At Windsor Castle this morning, a sign directed at well-wishers visiting to pay their respects can be seen, reading ‘Your flowers are greatly appreciated.
‘It may be necessary to move your flowers, if so, they will be placed in a secure area outside St George’s Chapel or along Cambridge Drive. All messages and cards will be kept safely for the Royal Family to read.’
A photo of Queen Elizabeth II left among the flowers laid by members of the public at Balmoral in Scotland, pictured on Sunday morning
Police officers arrive at the gates of Balmoral in Scotland where flowers and tributes have been laid by members of the public
A man sits on a bench while waiting for the funeral cortage carrying Britain’s Queen Elizabeth in the village of Ballater, following the queen’s passing in Balmoral
Members of the public line the streets in Ballater, Scotland, as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, will pass through the area as it continues its journey to Edinburgh from Balmoral
Members of the public line the streets in Ballater, as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, will pass through Ballater, as it continues its journey to Edinburgh from Balmoral
People line the streets as they wait to view the cortege carrying the coffin of the late Queen Elizabeth II on Sunday morning