Queen Elizabeth’s death and funeral

The UK government is telling people not to wait or camp out along the route where Queen Elizabeth’s coffin will be transported to London on Wednesday.

In official guidance, the government said people who go to the route in advance may be asked to move.

On Wednesday at 9:22 a.m. ET a ceremonial procession will transport the coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall in the Houses of Parliament, where she will lie in state, the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said.

The Queen’s coffin is currently in St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh, and will be flown to London later Tuesday. The Queen will lie in state in the capital from Wednesday until Monday, September 19.

Airspace restrictions are in place in London until Monday evening, Sept. 19, when Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey.

Aircraft are banned below a certain altitude (2,500 feet above sea level) within central London, the UK Civil Aviation Authority said.

Restrictions also apply to all drones flying, it said.

Hundreds of mourners are still queueing outside St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh for their turn to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin inside the cathedral.  

The cathedral will be open to the public overnight and will be closed at 3 p.m. local time (10:00 a.m. ET) Tuesday, according to guidance issued by the Scottish Government. 

The Queen’s coffin will be flown to London later on Tuesday.  

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Monday recalled the moment when her husband — Peter Murrell — saved one of Queen Elizabeth II’s corgis from electrocution at Balmoral Castle.

As she tabled a motion of condolence for the late monarch at the Scottish parliament, Sturgeon shared her favorite memories of the Queen and a “tense moment” at Balmoral.

She said she and her husband were with the Queen before dinner when the light in the drawing room started to flicker.

“To my great alarm, he was, after all, in the presence of Her Majesty, my husband suddenly leapt up and darted across the floor,” the First Minister recalled. “Peter had spotted the cause of the flickering light. One of the Queen’s young Corgis, a beautiful pup called Sandy, was eating through a lamp switch.”

“Thankfully, tragedy was averted and Sandy emerged unscathed,” she added.

The Queen, who died Thursday at the age of 96, is reported to have had four dogs, two of whom are Pembroke Welsh corgis, Muick and Sandy.

Queen Elizabeth II’s corgis will live with the Duke and Duchess of York, Andrew and Sarah, a source close to the Duke of York told CNN on Sunday.

CNN’s Max Foster contributed to this report

A vigil for Queen Elizabeth II was held at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, where Her Majesty lies at rest.

King Charles III, his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, and other members of the royal family were there, including the King’s siblings: Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.

The Queen’s four children surrounded the coffin during the vigil. The Scottish crown is placed on the Queen’s coffin draped with the Royal Standard flag.  

The members of the public are now paying their respect to the Queen after temporarily being paused to allow King Charles III and his siblings to hold the vigil.

The Queen’s body will rest at St Giles’ Cathedral until Tuesday before being flown to London.  

CNN’s Sugam Pokharel contributed reporting to this post.

Scotland “stands ready” to support King Charles III as he continues his mother’s legacy of public service, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said speaking at the Scottish parliament Monday. 

Queen Elizabeth II has been “the anchor of our nation,” Sturgeon said, praising the Queen’s wisdom and dedication in performing her duties. 

Scottish lawmakers paid tribute to the Queen as part of a motion of condolence in the debating chamber. King Charles III and his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, were present.

“Your Majesty, we stand ready to support you, as you continue your own life of service — and as you build on the extraordinary legacy of your beloved mother, our Queen,” Sturgeon added.

“Queen Elizabeth, Queen of Scots — we are grateful for her life. May she now rest in peace,” she concluded. 

The members of the public are paying their respect to Queen Elizabeth II in St Giles’ Cathedral in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, as seen on live visuals.  

The Scottish crown is placed on the Queen’s coffin draped with the Royal Standard flag.  

The coffin was taken from Edinburgh’s Palace of Holyroodhouse to the cathedral, where King Charles III and other dignitaries attended a service of thanksgiving earlier on Monday. Her body will rest there until Tuesday before being flown to London. 

King Charles III addressed the Scottish parliament on Monday, pledging to “seek always the welfare” of the country as he begins his new royal role.

“I take up my new duties, with thankfulness for all that Scotland has given me with resolve to seek always the welfare of our country and his people and with wholehearted trust in your goodwill and good counsel, as we take forward that task together,” he said.   

Before the speech from the King, Scottish lawmakers paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II as part of a motion of condolence in the debating chamber.   

“I know that the Scottish Parliament and the people of Scotland share with me a profound sense of grief at the death of my beloved mother,” he said, adding, “My mother felt as I do, the greatest admiration for the Scottish people for their magnificent achievements, and their indomitable spirit.”  

The English Premier League (EPL) announced Monday that the competition is to resume this weekend after last weekend’s matches were postponed as a mark of respect following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

Seven of the 10 matches initially planned for the weekend of Sept. 16-18 will go ahead, with Chelsea vs. Liverpool and Manchester United vs. Leeds United, initially planned for Sunday, being postponed as a result of events surrounding the Queen’s funeral. Brighton and Hove Albion vs. Crystal Palace had already been postponed as a result of planned rail strikes and remain so.

The EPL statement noted that several relevant parties were involved in discussions around the postponements, writing that, “Following extensive consultation with clubs, police, local Safety Advisory Groups and other relevant authorities, there was no other option but to postpone the three fixtures.”

The EPL statement also confirmed that “tributes will be paid to The Queen at Premier League stadiums” where matches are going ahead.

Further announcements will be made by the league as to when the postponed fixtures will take place.

The EPL outlined in a statement the weekend’s match schedule.

The Scottish parliament held a two-minute moment of silence to honor Queen Elizabeth II. The parliament is now hearing a motion of condolence following her death.

King Charles III and his wife, the Queen Consort, are present. 

“For people across our country this is a time of profound sorrow,” Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said. 

Before the silence, Alison Johnstone, the presiding officer, said the Queen called the parliament “rightly anchored in the history of Scotland” and said the Scottish people have “grit, determination, humor and forthrightness.”

“These were qualities that occupied a personal place in her own and family’s affections, and generations of people here in Scotland reciprocated that affection,” she said.

Johnstone said that while the occasion is a time for sadness and reflection, “its also a day to recognize and be thankful for Her Majesty’s long reign, service to this country and friendship to this parliament.”

The format for the motion of condolence in the chamber saw Johnstone welcome His Majesty The King and The Queen Consort to the Chamber before inviting each of the party leaders to speak to the motion, the Scottish Parliament said Sunday in a news release. 

The King will then respond to the motion, it added. 

CNN’s Sharon Braithwaite contributed reporting to this post.

King Charles III and his wife Camilla, Queen Consort, have arrived at the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh. 

The two were welcomed by Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and other members of the parliament. 

The members of the public are queuing outside St Giles’ Cathedral in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh to pay their respect to Queen Elizabeth II, as seen on live visuals.  

The Queen’s coffin was taken from Edinburgh’s Palace of Holyroodhouse to the cathedral, where King Charles III and other dignitaries attended a service of thanksgiving earlier on Monday. Her body will rest there until Tuesday before being flown to London. 

Camilla, the Queen Consort, was seen during Monday’s events wearing a diamond thistle brooch, which was gifted to her by Queen Elizabeth II, a royal source told CNN. 

The thistle is the national flower of Scotland. 

Church of Scotland’s Rt Rev Iain Greenshields highlighted in his homily Queen Elizabeth II’s “deep links” with the country and its people, during a service of prayer and reflection for the Queen at St Giles’ Cathedral on Monday.

In Scotland “we acknowledge with gratitude her deep links with our land and its people. Her love of the Balmoral estate is well known and being there latterly brought her great comfort,” he said. 

“She was active in the life of civic Scotland traveling across the country to support numerous causes, entertaining guests at Holyrood Palace, and presiding at ceremonial events, many of which took place in this church,” Greenshields said, adding the moment when the Queen received the Scottish crown in 1953. 

“Her links with the Scottish churches were also deep and lasting. The supreme governor of the Church of England, she worshipped in the Church of Scotland when north of the border in Canongate Kirk and especially at Crathie Kirk where she took her pew each Sunday morning, prevented from doing so latterly only by infirmity,” he added.  

Greenshields is the current moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. 

Towards the end of the service the national anthem, God Save The King, was sang. 

London Underground stations near Buckingham Palace are experiencing a surge in passenger numbers as thousands of people travel to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II. 

More than 29,000 travelers passed through St. James’s Park station on Saturday, more than two and a half times the total of 10,942 from the week before, Transport for London (TfL) told the UK’s PA Media news agency.

Similarly, Green Park, Hyde Park Corner and Charing Cross Tube stations — also near Buckingham Palace — saw a spike in demand on Saturday continuing into Sunday, according to PA Media. 

London is set to experience “unprecedented travel demand” in the coming days, transport companies have warned, due to the Queen’s lying in state and her funeral.

King Charles III, along with his siblings and his wife, Camilla, the Queen Consort, has now left Edinburgh’s St. Giles’ Cathedral after the thanksgiving service for the Queen.

Unlike the somber scene during the procession to the church, the King was met with some applause by onlookers outside the church.

Queen Elizabeth II’s love for Scotland was “legendary,” said St. Giles’ Minister, Reverend Calum I MacLeod, during a Service of Prayer.

“We gather to bid Scotland’s farewell to our late monarch, whose life of service to the nation and the world we celebrate, and whose love for Scotland was legendary,” he said.

The service is celebrating the life of the Queen and her connection to Scotland.

David Fergusson, the Dean of the Chapel Royal in Scotland, also spoke about the Queen’s “deep links with our land and its people.”

“Her love of the Balmoral estate is well known, and being there latterly brought her great comfort,” he said. “There, she was valued as a neighbor and a friend. She was active in the life of civic Scotland, traveling across the country to support numerous causes.”

The first Changing of the Guard service since King Charles III was formally proclaimed as Britain’s new monarch took place on Monday, the UK’s PA Media news agency reported.  

The Changing of the Guard is a formal ceremony where soldiers protecting the royal residences of Buckingham Palace and St. James’s Palace hand over responsibility to a new unit. 

Number 7 Company The Coldstream Guards formally handed over duties to Number 12 Company Irish Guards in simultaneous ceremonies that were held on the forecourts of the two palaces in central London, according to PA Media.  

It marked the first time there has been a changing of the King’s Guard at the royal residences for 70 years, since the soldiers were known as the Queen’s Guard during Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.  

To mark that historic moment, PA Media reported just one piece of music was performed as opposed to the traditional mix of regimental marches and pop music. 

The Band of the Scots Guards played The King’s Guard March. Composed in 1904, it led the new guard from Wellington Barracks until they arrived at the gates of Buckingham Palace.

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon read an extract from the Old Testament during the service of thanksgiving for the Queen at Edinburgh’s St. Giles’ Cathedral.

The reading was Ecclesiastes 3: 1-15.

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven, a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together,” Sturgeon read.

“A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.”

The Queen’s coffin has arrived inside St. Giles’ Cathedral, where a service of thanksgiving is underway.

The coffin entered the cathedral followed by the Queen’s son and heir, King Charles III, and her three other children.

It was placed at the front of the church by troops from the Royal Regiment of Scotland, who carried the coffin from Palace of Holyroodhouse. The Crown of Scotland was placed on top.

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Scotland’s First minister Nicola Sturgeon are also present.

At the beginning of the service, Reverend Calum MacLeod welcomed the royal family, “representatives of our nation’s life” and “people whose lives were touched by the Queen in so many unforgettable ways.”

The opening hymn, All People That on Earth Do Dwell, is now being sung.

As the Queen’s coffin procession was underway, Prince Andrew was walking in a morning suit while his siblings King Charles III, Princess Anne and Prince Edward were wearing military uniforms.

Prince Andrew is no longer a working royal. He was stripped of his military titles and charities in January 2022, shortly before he settled a civil sexual assault lawsuit in the United States.

The procession carrying the Queen’s coffin has arrived at St. Giles’ Cathedral, its final resting place in Scotland, where it will lie in state for 24 hours.

King Charles III and the Queen’s three other children walked behind the hearse during the somber journey.

The streets of Edinburgh were packed with onlookers who stood rooted in silence as the cortege slowly made its way past.

Later this week, the Queen’s coffin will arrive in London and lie there for several days, before her funeral takes place on Monday.

The journey of the Queen’s coffin to St. Giles’ Cathedral is underway, with the procession moving through crowds of onlookers standing in near-total silence on Edinburgh’s streets.

Elizabeth II’s coffin is draped in the Royal Standard in Scotland and is dressed with a wreath of flowers, which includes dried white heather from Balmoral. 

Minute guns will be fired as the cortege makes its way up the Royal Mile. The last round will fire as the hearse stops outside St. Giles’ Cathedral.

The Queen’s coffin has begun its journey from Edinburgh’s Palace of Holyroodhouse to St. Giles’ Cathedral, with King Charles III heading the procession.

Elizabeth II’s other children — Princes Edwards and Andrew, and Princess Anne — are accompanying the King and Queen Consort.

They will walk past the crowds of people who have lined the route of the Scottish capital.

It is likely to be a somber and difficult undertaking for the new King, marking the first time he has glimpsed his mother’s coffin since it left Balmoral Castle.

Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin has emerged from the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, ahead of the procession that will take it to St. Giles’ Cathedral for a service.

A royal salute has been given, and a rendition of God Save the King is underway.

That short journey will begin shortly.

The UK public is being invited to observe a one-minute silence at 8 p.m. [local time] on Sunday Sept. 18, Prime Minister Liz Truss’ spokesperson said Monday.

The minute’s silence will be held the evening before Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral for a national moment of reflection, according to the prime minister’s spokesperson. 

King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, have arrived at Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland where Queen Elizabeth is lying at rest.

He is currently greeting members of the public standing behind barriers.

The King will then attend the Ceremony of the Keys.

The monarch is traditionally welcomed to the city of Edinburgh, “[his] ancient and hereditary kingdom of Scotland,” by the Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, Robert Aldridge – the City’s civic head. He will offer Charles the keys to the city, according to the website of the British monarchy.

The gesture of offering the keys is purely ceremonial, and the King is expected to decline them, with the words: “I return these keys, being perfectly convinced that they cannot be placed in better hands than those of the Lord Provost and Councillors of my good City of Edinburgh.”

The King will later walk behind the Queen’s coffin as it moves in procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St. Giles’ Cathedral.

King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, have now landed in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The King will later walk behind Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin in a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St. Giles’ Cathedral in the Scottish capital.

They departed from the RAF Northolt airbase in west London earlier aboard a G-LEGC Embraer Legacy 600 jet.

The death of Queen Elizabeth II has prompted an outpouring of reflection and reaction online. But not all was grief – some young Africans instead are sharing images and stories of their own elders, who endured a brutal period of British colonial history during the Queen’s long reign.

“I cannot mourn,” one wrote on Twitter, posting an image of what she said was her grandmother’s “movement pass” – a colonial document which prevented free travel for Kenyans under British rule in the east African country.

Another wrote that her grandmother “used to narrate to us how they were beaten & how their husbands were taken away from them & left to look after their kids,” during colonial times. “May we never forget them. They are our heroes,” she added.

Their refusal to mourn highlights the complexity of the legacy of the Queen, who despite widespread popularity was also seen as a symbol of oppression in parts of the world where the British Empire once extended.

Kenya, which had been under British rule since 1895, was named an official colony in 1920 and remained that way until it won independence in 1963. Among the worst atrocities under British rule occurred during the Mau Mau uprising, which started in 1952 – the year Queen Elizabeth took the throne.

Africa’s memory of the Queen cannot be separated from that colonial past, professor of communication Farooq Kperogi at Kennesaw State University told CNN.

Read the full article here.

“I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.”

This line, delivered on Elizabeth II’s 21st birthday, defines her career like few others. Within five years, she would be Queen – and she’d go on to be the longest serving monarch in British history.

Elizabeth II dedicated herself to lifelong service. This explains why she never abdicated, even as many of her younger contemporaries did. Between February 2013 and June 19, 2014, four European monarchs stepped down: Pope Benedict XVI of Vatican City; Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands; King Albert II of Belgium; and King Juan Carlos I of Spain.

Elizabeth, a devout Christian who rarely missed a Sunday at church, resisted the exodus because of the promise she made not just to her subjects but to God. There’s a clue to that at the end of her 21st birthday speech: “I shall not have strength to carry out this resolution alone unless you join in it with me, as I now invite you to do: I know that your support will be unfailingly given. God help me to make good my vow, and God bless all of you who are willing to share in it.”

Even when her husband, Prince Philip, retired in 2017, Elizabeth continued public engagements and brought in other members of the family to accompany her as needed. Just days after Philip’s death in 2021, she resumed official duties with the appointment of new ambassadors to the UK.

Elizabeth understood the power of the media from an early age, and harnessing it was to become another key theme of her reign. That speech on her 21st birthday was recorded not just for radio but also for the emerging medium of television. At her coronation in 1953, she personally requested that cameras be allowed in to Westminster Abbey to broadcast the ceremony live.

People famously went out to buy television sets so they could watch. It was a sacrosanct moment the public had never before been able to witness; they remembered where they were and who they watched with. The Queen had inadvertently invented event television. All she wanted was for as many people as possible to feel part of it.

A phrase often attributed to Elizabeth was that “you have to be seen to be believed.” She understood that it wasn’t enough to go out in public, but she had to be seen there. Television gave her a bigger audience and when color was introduced, she wore brighter shades so she would stand out.

Read more about the modernizing monarch here:

Queen Elizabeth II visits the set of the long running television series Coronation Street, on July 8, 2021 in Manchester, England.

Related article TV, travel, walkabouts: How the Queen stayed relevant

King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla have arrived at the RAF Northolt airbase in west London, and will soon fly to Edinburgh, Scotland.

There, the King will walk behind the Queen’s coffin from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St. Giles’ Cathedral in the Scottish capital.

Charles will later meet with Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon before he attends Scottish Parliament to receive a motion of condolence.

The Queen’s corgis will live with the Duke and Duchess of York, Andrew and Sarah, a source close to the Duke of York told CNN on Sunday.

The pair, who divorced in 1996, both reside at the Royal Lodge on the Windsor estate.

The source told CNN that Sarah, Duchess of York bonded with the late Queen over a shared love of dog walking and horse riding.

Even after her divorce from Andrew, Sarah continued her friendship with the Queen by walking dogs through the Windsor estate, the source added.

In addition to her two Pembroke Welsh corgis, Muick and Sandy, the Queen is reported to have left behind an older, mixed breed “dorgi” called Candy and a cocker spaniel named Lissy.

See pictures of the Queen’s corgis here:

Queen Elizabeth II of England at Balmoral Castle with one of her Corgis, 28th September 1952. UPI color slide.

gallery

Related gallery Photos: The Queen and her corgis

In his first address to Parliament, Charles has vowed to continue the Queen’s “dedicated service” to her people.

“The great bell of Big Ben, one of the most powerful symbols of our nation throughout the world, and housed within the Elizabeth Tower also named for my Mother’s jubilee, will mark the passage of the late Queen’s progress from Buckingham Palace to this Parliament on Wednesday,” Charles said in Westminster Hall. The Queen will lie in state for four days in the hall from Wednesday until her funeral next Monday. 

“We gather today in remembrance of the remarkable span of the Queen’s dedicated service to her nations and people,” the King said.

“While very young her late Majesty pledged herself to serve her country and her people.

“This vow she kept with unsurpassed devotion. She set an example of selfless duty which, with God’s help and your councils, I am resolved faithfully to follow,” Charles said.

As he concluded his short speech, a rendition of God Save the King, the British national anthem, was played.

Watch the address here:

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03:44 - Source: cnn

English Football League (EFL) fixtures will resume on Tuesday with tributes paid to the late Queen Elizabeth II, after matches across the country were postponed over the weekend.

“A minute’s silence will be held before matches, with black armbands to be worn by participants, flags to be flown at half-mast and the National Anthem to be played in stadiums,’’ the EFL said in a statement on Monday. 

“With a national policing plan now in operation, the League and Clubs will continue to work with forces in respect of any challenges that may emerge regarding policing of specific fixtures.

“Consideration to individual circumstances will be made on a case-by-case basis, in line with standard match Safety Advisory Group (SAG) protocols.” 

The EFL comprises the Championship, League One and League Two. The Premier League has not yet confirmed when games will resume.

Prince Charles is addressing Parliament now.

He began by thanking the Speakers of the Houses of Commons and Lords for their opening speeches, “which so touchingly encompass what our late Sovereign, my beloved mother The Queen, meant to us all.”

“As Shakespeare says of the earlier Queen Elizabeth, she was a pattern to all princes living,” King Charles III said.

“I cannot help but feel the weight of history which surrounds us and which reminds us of the vital parliamentary traditions to which members of both Houses dedicate yourselves with such personal commitment, to the betterment of us all.”

“Parliament is the living and breathing instrument of our democracy,” Charles added.

King Charles III will address Parliament in a few moments. He has just arrived with Camilla, the Queen Consort.

King Charles III has begun his short journey to Westminster, where he will address the UK’s Parliament.

British Prime Minister Liz Truss is already at the Chamber to see the new monarch.

It’s Charles’ first visit to the Palaces of Westminster since he became the King.

Prince Harry has today paid tribute to his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II.

“Thank you for your commitment to service. Thank you for your sound advice. Thank you for your infectious smile,” Harry wrote in a statement on Monday.

“In celebrating the life of my grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen — and in mourning her loss — we are all reminded of the guiding compass she was to so many in her commitment to service and duty,” he added.

“Her unwavering grace and dignity remained true throughout her life and now her everlasting legacy,” he continued.

Harry recalled the words the Queen spoke after the passing of her husband, Prince Philip: “Life, of course, consists of final partings as well as first meetings.”

“Granny, while this final parting brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings — from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my Commander-in-Chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved great-grandchildren,” he wrote.

“We, too, smile knowing that you and grandpa are reunited now, and both together in peace,” the prince added.

Harry said he “now honours [his] father in his new role as King Charles III.”

Hundreds queued up outside the British consulate in Hong Kong on Monday morning to offer flowers and to sign a book of condolence in remembrance of Queen Elizabeth II.

Hong Kong was a British colony for 156 years until 1997 when it was returned to Chinese rule, but Beijing now appears to have rejected that status, referring to the period as a “forcible occupation” that should not be regarded as legitimate.

The Queen, who visited Hong Kong twice during her 70 year reign, is remembered by many in the city as “Boss Lady” or “lady in charge” in Cantonese.

Among those outside the consulate office on Monday was retiree Sylvia Lee, who said she was saddened to hear of the Queen’s death on Friday, adding she thought the Queen was a symbol of stability across the world.

“No one lives forever and we knew this day would come someday. She was a respected figure, and the government during the colonial period made many contributions to Hong Kong’s development, especially in the 70s and 80s,” Lee told CNN, referring to a period when governors appointed to the city built up its public housing and transport infrastructure.

Chapman Wu, 40, also brought along his young daughter, to pay tribute and offer flowers to the Queen.

Wu said that without the British Empire, having religious freedom in the city might not have been possible under Chinese rule. Christianity was brought in Hong Kong as early as 1841 when the city came under British rule after the First Opium War.

“I won’t comment politically, but without being a former British colony, Hong Kong might not have religious freedom,” he told CNN.

“Otherwise, who knows if we’d be able to practice any religion at all, especially with religious repression of Christians in China.”

Both Beijing loyalists and Hong Kong politicians protested against British control during the colonial period, but in recent years, a more favorable view of the colonial government has emerged among pro-democracy groups, with many adopting the colonial flag as a radical sign of resistance to Chinese one-party rule during the 2019 anti-government protests.

Antigua and Barbuda, a Commonwealth country and former colony of the British Empire, will hold a referendum on becoming a republic and removing King Charles III as its head of state within three years, its prime minister has said.  

The island nation’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne told the UK’s ITV News on Saturday that “this is a matter that has to be taken to a referendum for the people to decide.”

This was Browne’s first interview since the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday.

Browne said “it does not represent any form of disrespect to the monarch. This is not an act of hostility, or any difference between Antigua and Barbuda and the monarchy.”

He added that “it is a final step to complete the circle of independence to become a truly sovereign nation.”

The Caribbean country is one of 14 states to retain a British monarch as head of state, with Browne signing a document confirming Charles’ status as the new King for now.

Some context: King Charles III will now become head of the Commonwealth, although that is not a hereditary position, after his succession to the role was agreed by the association’s leaders at a meeting in London in 2018.

Prince William has spoken to the first minister of Wales and expressed his honor in being made Prince of Wales by King Charles III, according to a Kensington Palace statement on Sunday.

In a telephone conversation with Mark Drakeford, the Prince of Wales “acknowledged his and the Princess’s deep affection for Wales, having made their first family home in Anglesey including during the earliest months of Prince George’s life,” the statement read.

The statement added that the new Prince and Princess of Wales will “serve the Welsh people” with “humility and great respect.”

According to the statement, they will spend the months and years ahead deepening their relationship with communities across Wales.

“They want to do their part to support the aspirations of the Welsh people and to shine a spotlight on both the challenges and opportunities in front of them. The Prince and Princess look forward to celebrating Wales’ proud history and traditions as well as a future that is full of promise.

“They will seek to live up to the proud contribution that members of the Royal family have made in years past,” the statement adds.

For a few days, time seemed to stand still in parts of the United Kingdom as the nation absorbed the news of Queen Elizabeth II’s death. Politics, sport and some cultural events came to a grinding halt and tributes flowed from many corners of public life, while the country’s longest-serving heir apparent introduced himself, at last, as King Charles III.

On Monday, as Britain starts its first full week in a new era, Charles will continue that task. The day will see tributes to the late monarch and public appearances from the new one, as the UK observes a period of mourning that will end after the Queen’s funeral in seven days’ time.

Here’s what we’re expecting later today: