Princess Anne impressed by north-east turnout for Queen’s cortege

Farmers across Deeside lined up their tractors to perform a guard of honour for the Queen's cortege.

By Michelle Henderson

May 2 2023, 7:51 pm

In a rare TV interview, Princess Anne says she was astonished by the number of people who turned out to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth on her final 175-mile journey from Balmoral Castle to Edinburgh. Image: Sandy McCook/ DC Thomson.

The Princess Royal described the north-east’s response during the Queen’s final journey from Balmoral Castle as “impressive” in a rare TV interview.

Princess Anne – the monarch’s only daughter – accompanied her mother’s coffin on the 175-mile journey to the Scottish Capital as thousands of mourners lined the route to pay their respects.

Members of the royal family including the Queen’s children, Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward and her grandchildren, Prince William and Prince Harry travelled to Scotland to be at her bedside.

On September 11, the Royal cortege left the Balmoral Estate to begin the Queen’s final journey through the Aberdeenshire countryside.

The Royal cortege left Balmoral Castle for the final time on September 11. Image: Kami Thomson/ DC Thomson.

During the journey, the north-east came out in force to pay tribute to the late monarch.

Deeside farmers lined up their tractors on the edge of a field to perform a guard of honour as the Queen’s coffin– draped in the Scottish standard – passed by.

A group of riders from Old Milltimber Farm Livery also paid tribute on horseback in a field overlooking the route.

A group of riders from Old Milltimber Farm Livery paid tribute to the late monarch on horseback as her coffin passed by. Image: Andrew Wilkie.

In a rare TV interview, Princess Anne says the lengths people went to honour the late Queen were impressive.

Her remarks come just days ahead of the coronation of King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla.

‘I was really impressed’

Speaking to CBC News correspondent Adrienne Arsenault, she said: “It was such an impressive sight, and it was more than that because it was really touching in the way that people responded and how they did things.

“The people brought their ponies and horses out, but they not only brought them out, they plaited them, they were properly dressed and well turned out. They brought their tractors out and they parked them tidily and they were all clean.

farmers guard of honour — Farmers from around Banchory gathered together with their families and lined their tractors up in an agricultural salute as the Queen’s cortege passed by. Image: Rodney Blackhall

“If you come from a rural background, I was really impressed.

“It was just an astonishing sight but the sheer numbers of people that turned up in quite extraordinary places, you were never going to miss that and the atmosphere that it created.”

‘Leaving Balmoral was never easy’

Balmoral Castle held a special place in the Queen’s heart.

Every summer, the late monarch would travel to the Aberdeenshire estate, where she would spend time with members of the family.

Balmoral Castle was handed down to her through generations of royals after being bought for Queen Victoria by Prince Albert in 1852.

Princess Anne admits leaving the estate was always a hard pill to swallow.

She added: “Leaving Balmoral was never easy but then it never has been. I was just as bad when I was leaving as a child, because I didn’t like leaving.

“It’s very much a place which I think always fitted in that time of the year, that was a real relaxation.”