Queen Elizabeth II has said farewell to Scotland for the final time as her coffin was flown from Edinburgh on its way to Buckingham Palace.
The plane carrying the Queen’s coffin took off shortly before 6pm.
The late monarch will be flown to RAF Northolt accompanied by her daughter the Princess Royal, Princess Anne.
It is expected to arrive at the RAF base around 7pm, and her coffin will then be driven to Buckingham Palace.
Her coffin will spend one night at her former official residence before being taken to Westminster Hall.
There she will lie in state for four days ahead of her state funeral on Monday, September 19.
Members of the public lined the route her cortege drove down in Edinburgh towards the airport as people took the chance to say one final farewell to their Queen.
Flight Radar 24 struggled with the numbers of people tracking the Queen’s flight.
A statement on the website reads: “We are seeing higher than usual volumes on the site. As a temporary measure, there is a waiting room to control the number of users and prevent crashing.”
Thousands lined Edinburgh streets
Thousands of people lined the streets to pay their respects to Britain’s longest-serving monarch, known to many in Scotland as the Queen of Scots.
More than 33,000 people visited the Queen’s coffin in St Giles’ Cathedral while she was lying at rest.
Reports on social media suggest some were waiting more than 10 hours to catch a final glimpse before she takes her final journey out of Scotland this afternoon.
Just after 1pm, there were reports of a protest breaking out in front of the cathedral, with a line of people holding blank pieces of paper.
It is believed this is in reference to an incident in London during which a man said he was warned he risked arrest if he wrote ‘not my King’ on a placard.
His Majesty King Charles and his siblings – The Princess Royal, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward – held a vigil around her coffin on Monday evening.
For 10 minutes, the four siblings stood in silence with their heads bowed as they guarded their mother’s coffin.
The King left Edinburgh on Tuesday morning to go to Northern Ireland as part of his tour of the UK – where he heard a message of condolence from the speaker of the assembly.
He has now returned to London alongside the Queen Consort.
‘A sad, but fond farewell’
Her Majesty’s departure from Edinburgh Airport concludes Scotland’s ceremonial events – known as Operation Unicorn.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon commented that the scenes on Sunday as the cortege made its way to Edinburgh from Balmoral will be a “very special part of the history of Scotland”.
She said: “Scotland has bid a final and poignant farewell to our much loved Elizabeth, Queen of Scots.
“Over these past few days we have seen just how much Her Majesty meant to the people of Scotland.
“As anticipated, people from all walks of life gathered across the country and in our capital city to pay tribute to the only Monarch most of us have ever known.
“The scenes on Sunday as Her Majesty’s cortege made the journey from Balmoral Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and then yesterday and today as thousands gathered along the Royal Mile and queued to enter St Giles to see the Queen’s Coffin, will forevermore form a very special part of the history of Scotland.
“The sympathy and good wishes of Scotland for The King and Royal Family has also been evident in these last few days, and on behalf of the Parliament and people of Scotland, I continue to offer my heartfelt condolences to all of Her Majesty’s Family.”
The first minister thanked the public servants who worked “tirelessly” in recent days and over the years to develop and implement Operation Unicorn.
She said: “Thousands across the emergency services, local authorities, armed forces, volunteer networks, transport and government agencies have helped ensure that Scotland paid fitting tribute to The Queen, and that Scots from all walks of life could celebrate the unparalleled contribution she made in her 70-year reign. The events of recent days have provided a sincere, solemn and fitting tribute from the people of Scotland to Her Majesty The Queen.
“Scotland has now bid our Queen of Scots a sad, but fond farewell. We will not see her like again.”
Leaving her beloved Balmoral behind
On Sunday, the Queen left her beloved Balmoral Castle for the final time.
The 96-year-old head-of-state was spending the summer at her beloved Aberdeenshire castle when she fell ill.
The Queen died peacefully at the 50,000-acre estate on Thursday.
The hearse carrying the Queen’s coffin, draped in a Royal Standard Flag, led the cortege with Princess Anne and her husband, Admiral Sir Tim Laurence following in the car behind.
The journey from Balmoral Castle to the Palace of Holyrood House in Edinburgh spanned six hours, with thousands lining the route to pay homage to the late monarch.
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