King Charles and senior royals stand vigil over late Queen’s coffin at St Giles’ Cathedral

King Charles III and other senior royals have kept vigil by the coffin of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, as her body lay in state at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh.

Charles and his siblings – the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex – took their places at the four sides of the oak coffin, which was draped in the Lion Rampart and flag of St Andrew’s, and adorned with the Crown of Scotland.

They stood alongside four suited members of the Royal Company of Archers, who were standing guard while dressed in long-feathered hats and armed with bows.

A queue that consisted of thousands of members of the public to view the coffin on Monday evening was temporarily paused to allow the royals to take their places.

The new monarch and his family began their 10-minute vigil at the coffin at 19.46, with the Queen Consort and Countess of Wessex sitting on seats opposite.

Prince Andrew kept his eyes closed for a period of time during what is known as the Vigil of Princes, while Princes Anne and Prince Edward had their eyes fixed towards the floor.

The King kept his hands joined and also looked towards the floor as members of the public filed past.

The Princess Royal’s appearance has made her the first woman to be part of the vigil, which has until now been carried out by male-only members of the royal family.

Huge crowds had earlier thronged Edinburgh’s Royal Mile to pay their respects as the Queen’s coffin was taken in a solemn procession from Holyroodhouse to St Giles’ Cathedral, followed by senior royals.

Political leaders, dignitaries and war veterans were among mourners who joined a private thanksgiving service at the cathedral, in which Reverend Calum MacLeod began by welcoming those “whose lives were touched by the Queen in so many unforgettable ways” by the late monarch, “whose love for Scotland was legendary”.

The King then made his way to the Scottish parliament, where he addressed MSPs, after party leaders paid tribute to the Queen in a special session.

Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon, who earlier performed a short biblical reading at the thanskgiving service, said that Elizabeth, the “Queen of Scots”, had been the “anchor of our nation”, adding that Scotland “stands ready” Charles as he continues his mother's legacy of public service.

Following a two-minute silence, Charles said: “If I might paraphrase the words of the great Robert Burns, my dear mother was a friend of man, a friend of truth, a friend of age and guide of youth. Few hearts like hers, with virtue warmed, few heads with knowledge so informed.”

As the King addressed the chamber at Holyrood, huge queues of well-wishers waiting to observe his mother’s coffin before it begins the journey south to lie in state in London were already stretching across Edinburgh’s George IV Bridge and into the Meadows, in a procession likely to continue through the night.

In London, mourners have already started to queue to visit Westminster Hall, where the Queen’s body will lie in state from 5pm on Wednesday until Monday.

Additional reporting by PA