FIRST ON CNN: Royals had dinner together at Buckingham Palace
By Max Foster, CNN
The Royal family had dinner together at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday after receiving the Queen’s coffin, a source exclusively told CNN.
The Queen’s coffin was received at Buckingham Palace by the King, the Queen Consort and the children and grandchildren of the Queen, including Prince William and Harry and their spouses. Lady Sarah Chatto and Earl Snowdon, the children of Princess Margaret, the Queen’s late sister, were also present.
The coffin arrived at Buckingham Palace from west London’s RAF Northolt airbase by car Tuesday evening and had been transported from Edinburgh, Scotland, earlier on Tuesday on a C-17 Globemaster transport plane, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston told Sky News Tuesday in an on-camera interview.
Princess Anne accompanied the Queen on her final flight. The deceased monarch’s only daughter, Anne was also the only one of the Queen’s four children to accompany her coffin from Balmoral Castle to Edinburgh on Monday.
In a statement, Anne said it had been “an honor and a privilege” to accompany her mother on her final journeys.
“Witnessing the love and respect shown by so many on these journeys has been both humbling and uplifting,” she added.
“We will all share unique memories. I offer my thanks to each and every one who shares our sense of loss.”
All of the Queen’s children — King Charles III, Princess Anne and Princes Andrew and Edward — briefly held a vigil around the Queen’s coffin Monday at St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh.
The King and Queen Consort joined other members of the Royal family to receive the Queen’s coffin at Buckingham Palace Tuesday after Charles’ first trip to Northern Ireland as the United Kingdom’s new monarch, following in the footsteps of his mother, who was seen as a symbol of the union and was an important figure during Northern Ireland’s peace process.
The historic visit saw the King arrive at the royal residence, Hillsborough Castle, where he greeted the public and looked at floral tributes. There he met the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris, and the leaders of Northern Ireland’s biggest political parties.
Following the reception at the castle, the King and the Queen Consort arrived at St. Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast for an afternoon service of prayer and reflection. The King and the Queen Consort arrived back in London on their return from Belfast in time to receive the Queen’s coffin.
The Queen’s coffin will travel in a silent procession to Westminster Hall on Wednesday. There, she will lie in state for four days before her funeral on Sept. 19. After the service, her coffin will travel to Windsor where she will be laid to rest within St. George’s Chapel.
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CNN’s Lauren Said-Moorhouse, Jack Guy, Tara John, Arnaud Siad and David Wilkinson contributed reporting.
