The Queen’s final journey
As we finally bid goodbye to Her Majesty, The Queen, after a long and moving week of mourning, here are the places she passed through in her final journey to her resting place in Windsor
It’s been an emotional week – with my other hat on, I’ve been writing about the Queen’s funeral for News Corp Australia and have watched the Queen’s coffin travel from her beloved Balmoral to Edinburgh, then home to London and finally laid to rest in Windsor. Whether you queued to pay your respects at Westminster, or plan a pilgrimage later, here’s how to follow in Her Majesty’s final footsteps.
Balmoral Castle
The shocking news on September 8 that the Queen had passed away, shook the world. The monarch had been holidaying in Balmoral Castle, where she took her annual summer break and had only just met with new Prime Minister Liz Truss.
The Queen adored Balmoral – according to Princess Eugenie, it was the place she most felt at home, where, surrounded by family, she could truly relax. “Family-wise we’re all there, so it’s a lovely base for Granny … for us to come and see them up there, where you just have room to breathe and run,” she said, previously. Her ladies-in-waiting described how she would kick her shoes off in delight at arriving at the Scottish retreat, looking forward to the one place she could be herself.
Balmoral, in Aberdeenshire, is usually open to visitors, where you can walk around the estate and enter the main castle. For details, visit here.
St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh
The Queen’s coffin first travelled to St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, where mourners could file past and pay their respects. St Giles, the High Kirk of Edinburgh, was founded in the 12th century and has been central to Scottish history, including enjoying a long relationship with the Queen.
Visitors can also spot a special stained-glass window to poet Robert Burns. For more information, visit here.
Buckingham Palace
After she left Scotland for the final time, the Queen’s coffin was brought home to Buckingham Palace, before processing to Westminster, where she lay-in-state for the hundreds of thousands of mourners who queued to pay their last respects.
Buckingham Palace is the working hub of the Royal Family and also the London home of the monarch. Visitors can tour the State Rooms every summer and see the famous sweeping staircases and Long Gallery, full of priceless artwork and sculptures. For more information, visit here.
Westminster Hall and Abbey
The last few days of the mourning period saw the Queen’s coffin laying-in-state in Westminster Hall, before the funeral on Monday, at Westminster Abbey.
Aside from the hundreds of thousands of people who queued to pay their last respects, you can ordinarily visit Westminster – the UK Parliament - and attend government debates in the public gallery. For information on how to visit click here.
Westminster Abbey, which is next to Westminster, was where the Queen’s funeral took place. It will re-open to the public on Wednesday September 21. This tourist attraction and royal church has seen the coronations of kings and queens since William the Conqueror in 1066 and is the final resting place of monarchs, prime ministers and poets. For more information, visit here.
St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle
Finally, on Monday, the Queen travelled back to her home of her last years, Windsor Castle, where, after a service at St George’s Chapel, she was laid to rest with Prince Philip in King George VI Memorial Chapel.
Windsor Castle was dear to the Queen – it was here she and Princess Margaret lived, away from their parents, throughout World War II and it was here she moved during the pandemic. Visitors can normally tour Windsor Castle and its vast grounds, as well as St George’s Chapel. For tickets, visit here.
The British Travel List is the sister newsletter to The Royal List. It is a weekly guide to my favourite places to visit and stay around the country. I am an experienced travel and lifestyle journalist who writes for British and Australian newspapers and magazines and I am passionate about British travel. For more of my work, visit kerryparnell.com