King and Queen Consort fly to Edinburgh as tour of home nations continues

The new monarch is visiting England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales this week.

King Charles III and the Queen Consort leave Clarence House for Westminster Hall (Gareth Fuller/PA) (PA Wire)

King Charles III and the Queen Consort have returned to Scotland as the new monarch continued his tour of the home nations to hear the condolences of legislators.

Charles and Camilla travelled to the Palace of Holyroodhouse – where the Queen’s coffin lies at rest in the throne room – for a day of engagements including visiting the Scottish Parliament to hear words of sympathy.

When the couple’s jet arrived at Edinburgh Airport they were greeted by a small group of dignitaries including Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon who appeared to be having a brief heartfelt conversation with the new monarch.

King Charles III (unseen) and the Queen are driven along the Royal Mile in Edinburgh (Odd Andersen/PA) (PA Wire)

Charles has been photographed looking close to tears in the days following his mother’s death but his mood appeared lighter and he smiled and shared a laugh with some on the officials at the steps of the plane.

His son the Duke of Sussex paid an emotional tribute to the Queen and thanked his grandmother for her “sound advice” and “infectious smile”.

In a statement released on Monday, which is understood to have been held back a day out of respect for the anniversary of September 11, the duke also said he wanted to honour his father at the start of his reign as King.

Harry revealed the Queen had met his children a few months before her death, saying: “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.

“I cherish these times shared with you, and the many other special moments in between. You are already sorely missed, not just by us, but by the world over.”

King Charles III at Westminster Hall, London, where both Houses of Parliament expressed their condolences (Henry Nicholls/PA) (PA Wire)

Earlier, during an event at Westminster Hall in London, where both Houses of Parliament gathered to express their condolences to the new monarch, the King promised to “faithfully to follow” the example of his mother.

In a short response inside the hall after a formal expression of condolence from MPs and peers, the new King quoted Shakespeare as he spoke movingly of tributes and monuments to his mother inside the Palace of Westminster and spoke of feeling the “weight of history” as he stood inside the historic room.

Speaking from a gilded lectern, Charles said: “I am deeply grateful for the addresses of condolence.”

He said the addresses “touchingly encompass what our late sovereign, my beloved mother the Queen, meant to us all”.

Charles once again reached for Shakespeare, after quoting from the play Hamlet in his address to the nation last week.

King Charles III inspects the Guard of Honour as he takes part in the Ceremony of the Keys at the Palace of Holyroodhouse (Peter Byrne/PA) (PA Wire)

“As Shakespeare says of the earlier Queen Elizabeth, she was ‘a pattern to all princes living’.

“As I stand before you today, 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, for the betterment of us all.”

Among those attending was the Prime Minister Liz Truss, as well as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, joined by MPs and peers under the cavernous timber roof of the ancient building in central London.

The new Prince of Wales and his brother Harry will not take part in the procession that will follow the Queen’s coffin as it is moved from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to Edinburgh’s St Giles’ Cathedral so the public can pay their respects.

The Queen’s children will take the lead, with Charles joined by the Princess Royal, Earl of Wessex and Duke of York.

King Charles III is offered the Keys of the City of Edinburgh by Lord Provost Robert Aldridge (Peter Byrne/PA (PA Wire)

The royal siblings will walk in a line behind the hearse carrying their mother’s coffin and a few steps behind will be Anne’s husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.

Following in a car will be the Queen Consort and the Countess of Wessex.

Charles’s first event when arriving in the Scottish capital was to inspect a Guard of Honour in the grounds of Holyroodhouse.

He was formally welcomed by Robert Aldridge, Lord Provost of Edinburgh, before symbolically receiving the keys to the City of Edinburgh.