Return to Transcripts main page

State of the Union

Queen Elizabeth II's Hearse Travels The Royal Mile In Scotland; Queen's Coffin Now At Scottish Residence Of British Royal Family. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired September 11, 2022 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[11:00:00]

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: And we will now start to see a choreography of military and ceremonial events that has to be done with military precision for the timings. You're going to see that in about 15 minutes, when the hearse arrives here at the palace.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: This is a trip that she took, you said, many, many times in her life. She would fly to Balmoral and then drive back home to London.

QUEST: No, no, she would fly to Aberdeen and then take the trip across but would also take the royal train. There had been a hope that the royal train could be used for this but that wasn't possible.

LEMON: Let's get to our colleagues at Buckingham Palace, where there is a crowd of people there; Max Foster and Christiane Amanpour.

I would imagine that folks in the crowd are not paying attention to this part of her journey. But there is an anticipation there of seeing her, as well as the new king, Max.

MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT: Yes. So we're slightly behind schedule here. It was due that the coffin would arrive at the castle, the palace rather, at 4 o'clock but, as Richard says, absolutely impeccable otherwise. Everything is exactly as planned and signed off by the queen.

This will all be very heartening to her. The people of Edinburgh have come out in huge numbers. I've been hearing about the crowds there. There's Princess Anne in the procession there; there will be a member of the royal family there at the palace.

And you'll see the cortege going up to the palace through the Abbey Strand Gate and then we'll see a somber moment, with the royal salute as the coffin is taken in to the palace.

There will be some pomp and ceremony once they get there. But the main event will be tomorrow, when the coffin goes to St. Giles' Cathedral. The Lord Chamberlain, the Dean of the Chapel Royal in Scotland, will be up there and they're going to oversee this process. What you have in the moment is the members of staff really from

Balmoral, who are in charge of the coffin. Right now, they're going that hand it over to the authorities in Edinburgh.

So this is just the level of complexity you've got here, so many different agencies involved. But it's the solemnity of the occasion that's striking, the silence, when this is such a busy area normally.

LEMON: Christiane, you have covered a number of these, sadly, because it's always the death of someone. But there's always angst, there's always consternation and it is no different this time when you think about the magnitude of this. This feels quite different, when you are talking about Her Majesty.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, I keep thinking today, based on all these people turning out for the queen, I keep thinking of that major address she gave at 21, in which she pledged, whether her life was long or short, to devote it all to your service, talking about her people.

And then she added, God help me make good my vow and God bless all of you, who are willing to share in it.

I think that pretty much sums the whole last 70 years up. And all these people lining the route, we just saw the hearse pass with the glass cover and you can see the coffin very, very clearly.

They're lining in silent tribute; there have been throughout the day some outbursts of clapping, some tears. But a nation coming out simply to say, thank you, ma'am. I think that's what we're seeing today.

It's a Sunday and early this morning, on all the televisions and radios, there was a lot of conversation about the queen's dedication to her own faith, the Christian faith. She's obviously the head of the Anglican Church.

And now her son, King Charles, will take over. But, interestingly, she made that a church that welcomed all other faiths and became known as an interfaith, you know, champion really.

And today, we've heard from the Jewish community, the Muslim community, Sikhs and Hindus and many interfaith leaders, who speak fondly of how she would visit their church, mosque, temples --

[11:05:00]

AMANPOUR: -- not just an interest but a value of this multiculturalism, that's emerged during her reign.

LEMON: If there's any indication this is getting closer, it's the helicopter; I'm not sure if you can hear it. It quite possibly is the helicopter bringing us these shots in Edinburgh. I want to get to Nic Robertson.

I would imagine this is getting closer to you, as we are hearing the helicopter and seeing it overhead. What are you seeing there?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, absolutely, Don. That helicopter just literally passed overhead. We watched it track its way, come over here where we are on Prince's Street, pass off a line of police vehicles came through.

I think the cortege must be getting close. We can't see it but it will pass in front of us here.

I asked a 92-year-old lady why was she here today. She had been sitting out here in a chair at the railings to get a view for the past several hours with her daughter and some of her grandchildren.

She said, I remember seeing the queen in 1977, 45 years ago.

I said, what do you remember?

She said I remember her clothes, her dignity.

But everyone you talk to here speaks with such reverence about her. What you hear from people is they're paying that back in their own special way, to be here, to pay their respects as she passes by.

She meant -- means still so much to so many people. She will come around that corner. But as the cortege gets closer, you get that sense of expectation. You get the sense of the crowd getting a little quieter. The people waiting, waiting for that moment to watch her go by, Don.

LEMON: Exactly. I conveyed that just moments ago. You can feel it here. There are so many people out here, so many people on their phones and using the technology that -- it's hard to get service because of that.

But you see the throngs of people lining the streets here. You're right, there is a reverence that the people have of this queen, she -- regal, right?

QUEST: I said to Christiane a moment ago, this is the kind of thing we've not seen before. And the reality is, the reason you haven't seen it before, it's not happened before. And I don't say that flippantly.

But modern technology means we can see it better and the size and scale is a reflection of the length of the reign and the affection with which she was held. And we will not see anything like this. This is the beginning, Don. You wait until the funeral next week.

LEMON: This is the buildup, this is the momentum to the funeral.

QUEST: Absolutely, yes.

Nic, I do have to say, I noticed we -- there was an expectation of rain. And so far, I don't want to jinx anything -- it's held off and we hope it continues to do that, because that would mean a lot to the people who have taken the time to come out and see the queen, as she makes her final passage here.

ROBERTSON: Don, I think you see all the phones raised here in the crowd. I think that moment for everyone, where we're standing, is getting close. They'll get their glimpse of the queen and the cortege as it passes by.

It has been threatening rain. The rain has held off. I think everyone, as you say, is happy for that. But I do get that sense that, even if it were tipping down with rain, Don, there would be a lot of people here.

I think particularly in Scotland, people are used to a good drop of rain. But I don't think it would put people off here today. These days, these important, special days, personally to people, don't come off like this. Here's the police coming around the corner.

[11:10:00]

ROBERTSON: No one quite knows which is the one in front of the cortege. But the technology we're talking about, all the phones are raised here. Everyone is ready to record, ready to have that piece of history. Maybe in 10 or 20 or 30 years, they can talk about that to the next generation.

(CROSSTALK)

ROBERTSON: -- happy for that.

LEMON: I think that you have the best assignment here as we watch this motorcade get closer, because you get a chance to talk to the people.

Can you share with us again what they're saying?

You said there was a child on her dad's shoulder and just a multitude of people, different ages in the cities in the crowd.

What are they saying to you?

ROBERTSON: Everyone is here. I was just speaking to a young French student, who is here, studying at Edinburgh University. He's here with his friends.

I spoke to a gentleman from Tennessee earlier. He just happens to be here in Edinburgh.

The little girl we were talking to before, her parents had named her after the queen. She was here.

The lady who was talking to as well, 92 years old, who remembers seeing the queen back in 1977.

But what people are telling us is that it's that sense of dignity that the queen had, that sense of service, of commitment. And this is something that goes on in the background. It's not something that's been everyone's lives every day. But they're so aware, particularly at moments like this, of everything

that the queen means for the country and has done for the country. This has been a constant in their lives and now that is transitioning to King Charles.

But this sense that the queen has given them something, given them something in their lives, given them constancy, support. And here now, the queen and the cortege about to pass us by. The crowd gently clapping. And there goes the queen's coffin. In a moment, you'll see Edinburgh Castle.

That round of applause there, there was silence before and then that applause. At the end of it all, the little dog barking. And the queen loved dogs.

LEMON: Nic, thank you very much for that moment. I want to get to Isa Soares.

What are you seeing there?

ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: The mood has changed so much and I think you felt it. I've been here since 2:00 am Eastern, much more relaxed. As we see that cortege come into Edinburgh, we can almost hear a pin drop here.

The phones are out. People are looking up to see if the helicopter is near. I've seen parents holding onto children. One lady said, I've got my handkerchief at the ready. It's incredibly respectful and dignified.

Across generations, I may add, young people, slightly older people, everyone has something beautiful and positive to say about the queen. One lady said that the queen loves Scotland. She said she traveled from Gloucester and are here to pay our respects.

I asked a couple of people what they thought about King Charles III and they all said he would be fantastic. One lady told me, his mother was the queen, so he couldn't have had a better teacher.

[11:15:00]

SOARES: What we keep hearing is the duty and service and we are here to pay our respects and we need to be a part of history. This is someone about 18 years of age telling me now.

So what we are seeing is at the top of the Royal Mile. She'll be coming past me in the next two, three minutes. Of course, we have seen the cortege slow down as it comes into Edinburgh.

But such a poignant moment that this is happening, in many ways, in Scotland. The country has had a lifelong connection with the queen. She had a soft spot for Scotland and a deep love and affection for the countryside as well as its people.

That, of course, is being felt here, as people reciprocate and show that love today. I've spoken to a police officer very close to where we are.

Now you are seeing it, Don, the cortege coming up, rounding the bend, coming down shortly to where I am, the Royal Mile. Of course, as we come in, silence.

It's now making its way up to where you are, the Palace of Holyroodhouse. As you saw, silence here and many people drying away their tears. A few people I saw threw a couple of flowers as it passed St. Giles' Cathedral, continuing on toward the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

The royal residents aware the queen will lie in the Throne Room tonight before moving on to St. Giles' Cathedral, Don.

LEMON: We want to listen in. We'll take it from here, because it's getting closer to where we are.

But, Richard, what a beautiful shot of the beautiful coffin of Her Majesty. You can hear the -- there's some excitement in the crowd here.

We should listen in. It's the right thing to do.

We're going to dip in and out and speak here but there's nothing that we can add to the beauty and reverence of this moment.

QUEST: The sheer number of people, the simplicity of the hearse, with the coffin covered by the flag of Scotland because she was the queen of Scotland. And that simple white wreath, the queen's favorite flowers on top of it, majestic is the word.

LEMON: Whatever you're feeling about anything, whatever you're feeling about the monarchy or what have you, this is a stunning and beautiful moment. It is quite moving. Anyone can't help but being moved by this.

QUEST: For a moment, we couldn't hear anything. Again, it's just appropriate to take all of this in, as they move through Edinburgh to the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

[11:20:00]

QUEST: It's also fascinating to experience these scenes that will be replicated many times, because there is such an outpouring of emotion even where we are here.

LEMON: No one is moving. It's past. People are still standing because they want to wait in respect. I don't want to harp on this but I think that it is appropriate to talk about what is important to the people here, how they knew their queen and they loved her so much.

And they thought about what would she want and what would make her happy. As we listen into these moments and we're silent here, we hear dogs barking. That warms my heart, because she so loved her animals. And these -- her subjects know it and they brought them out. I love to hear the dogs barking and yelping.

QUEST: You can see them in the pictures there.

We're now waiting for the final moment of when -- from the Royal Mile -- the procession will move toward the Palace of Holyroodhouse. This was where the queen would spend at least a year every year as part of Scotland week, where the royals would come here and conduct the business of royalty in this country.

LEMON: Looking over my shoulder, because I hear the siren, I would imagine the motorcade is getting closer and closer -- I should say the procession is getting closer and closer to us.

Folks are just standing about, on their phones, not really talking. There's very little small talk going on here, because they're just anticipating and waiting, Richard. We keep talking about how meticulously this has been planned, every single detail down to a very fine point.

QUEST: It was not only -- it was reviewed and reviewed and rehearsed at all levels to make sure that it would happen.

LEMON: When I got here last night, they were practicing.

QUEST: And they're practicing in London for later in the week and will do runs at it. This was a detailed -- and of course, the same plan exists, God forbid we have to talk about it -- the plan exists for Charles and William. There's a plan in place for all the major members of the royal family.

LEMON: This is also an enormous security undertaking, as well.

QUEST: Which is nothing compared to what London will have to face, not to minimize what's here. But if you think about Joe Biden and all the world leaders flying into London over the next week, so hats off.

LEMON: Here we go, right behind us.

So the queen and her procession making their way to the Palace of Holyroodhouse where she will be placed in the Throne Room and that will last until tomorrow. And then she will be taken to Buckingham Palace to Westminster.

QUEST: So what we would expect to see now is the coffin will be carried by the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

LEMON: Let's listen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Present arms.

[11:25:00]

LEMON: As you can see with her every step of the way, Princess Anne and her husband. And they will now enter the cathedral --

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: -- Sophie and Edward, as well. QUEST: -- at Balmoral and they've been there all week.

LEMON: And I understand that Andrew is in the crowd, as well.

QUEST: (INAUDIBLE) is present because they're all in Scotland (INAUDIBLE) since the passing. The king will be in Scotland tomorrow for the procession that will take place from the palace to St. Giles' Cathedral.

The queen and king consort will be arriving tomorrow for that. The coffin is now being borne into the palace at Holyroodhouse, where it will lie in rest in the Throne Room.

LEMON: The cathedral where it will it lie until Tuesday and then will travel by air to London.

And the what happens on Wednesday is that the coffin will be moved from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, lying in state there. And that's going to end in the morning.

CNN's Max Foster joins us live at Buckingham Palace.

We've been watching this play out here in Edinburgh. Quite a moment of majesty and reverence, Max.

FOSTER: Yes.

[11:30:00]

So, just to describe what's happening within the palace right now the bear (ph) party became propping up the chair, right there. No, no the coffee was -- the current administratively as it called. At the top of that great, the bear party was a ceremonial position.

So there's lots of ceremony going on within the palace and they're going to move into the throne room. And there, the royal family who was there to gather with the Lord Chamberlain, the Dean of Chapel Royal of Scotland, and they'll continue along the colonnade.

They're going to go up a certain -- they're going to go to the mourning drawing (ph) room to the throne room, moved to the south side of the room, and there'll be a short service there to octave that -- the coffin into the castle there. And the coffin will be on trestles. They've already been prepositioned within the palace, so very carefully organized. And then a bear party will leave, and there'll be prayers, and they'll be fed by the team, and the royal family will have their moment there.

And then the royal family, I think, will withdraw because the rest of this evening will be an opportunity for members of the Palace of Holyrood to pay their respects to the queen as one of the main households for the queen. And then of course, it's a case of waiting. For tomorrow when the King arrives and the Queen Consort and they lead the procession to St. Giles.

LEMON: Christiane Amanpour, this is -- I think you can say this is the official beginning of the laying to rest of Her Majesty but there is much more to come. We have days and days to go before her official funeral.

AMANPOUR: Indeed, as they've been saying, as we've all been saying today it's the first step of her final journey. And she has now come to rest for the moment here at the Palace of Hollywoodhouse. I have to say that, you know, it was quite a moment to actually see her coffin borne by those eight pole bearers because we did not see it as it came into the hearse out of Balmoral, we saw it in the hood, but to see it there so close, to see the reality really.

Her daughter, the princess royal, Princess Anne, has followed her every step of the way and was with her, we were told at the moment of her passing. Her husband and her other sons were there. And you can see from the overhead pictures, I mean, just simply the meticulous choreography and performance of this royal tradition. And it's something that the people of this country can take comfort in because no matter how anachronistic it might look, kings and queens are the stuff of legend that is stuff of everyday culture.

That's what Disney is all about. It's not as if kings and queens and Romans and reigns and royalty are just reserved for Great Britain. It's something that really captures the imagination, which is why so much of this is being televised, and again, so much of it, televised for the very first time.

In addition, we're already hearing from members of foreign nations and foreign dignitaries who are getting prepared to come to the state funeral, which will be in just over a week from now Monday the 19th. We know that the Australian Prime Minister plans to come. The New Zealand Prime Minister says she's going to prioritize it. We have also heard that Pakistan, which is already under such duress itself and half the country underwater from these floods, is declaring a full day of mourning tomorrow, flags at half-mast.

We know also that the President of China Xi Jinping has today reiterated not just his condolences on the death of the Queen, which he did a few days ago, but reiterated his congratulations to King Charles II, hoping that they can work together.

We've heard from the likes of the Irish dignitaries and leaders. The head of Sinn Fein, who has said that the Queen was fundamental to an idea of hand of friendship being reached across the aisle, someone who advanced peace and reconciliation, someone who sought to build relations with those of an Irish and those of the British identity.

All of these tributes pouring in, and honestly much more about -- much less about the British Monarchy than about the person of Queen Elizabeth II, who most people would agree has stood out for her life of selfless dedication, and her 70 years on the throne and 96 years of life in which now all the people as we've seen lining this route and will continue to line it and who continue to turn up here outside Buckingham Palace just to say thank you and just to be part of this transition.

LEMON: Royal Historian Kate Williams joins us now. Kate, this is what you do, put this into historical perspective for us.

[11:35:00]

KATE WILLIAMS, CNN COMMENTATOR: Well, Don, this is history as you're saying. It's a moment of Majesty and reverence watching history and just so moving to see all those people from across the generations turning out to say thank you for your dignity and grace, and she was working until the end, and this is her last word engagement, the last journey that we've seen, this beautiful journey from Balmoral, the beloved home bought by Queen Victoria to Holyrood Palace, the home of her Scots ancestors for nearly 1000 years.

And she actually used to use the apartments. We're just looking at the wonderful palace here where she is now at rest. She used to use the apartments of Mary Queen of Scots for her entertaining, and it's so -- the symbolism is so striking to me. She will rest here one night, go to St. John's Cathedral. And she visited St. John's Cathedral just after her coronation in 1953, received the crown jewels of Scotland there, separate crown jewels in Scotland and England.

And this -- that was her moment pledging dedication to Scotland. And this journey to me has symbolized her duty, her service, and also her life from the end in Balmoral to -- with you reminding as at the beginning in Edinburgh in 1953 where she pledged herself to serve the country, to serve the realms, to serve the Commonwealth. And this her final journey, her final journey of this great life reminding that she has been -- I would many -- I would argue, many would argue, our greatest monarch who has come from such a long line of kings and queens.

LEMON: Yes.

Richard Quest, almost on cue --

QUEST: I mean --

LEMON: -- after the Queen arrive.

QUEST: There's a sadness of the day --

LEMON: The rain.

QUEST: -- the weather is now reflecting it from the morning, bright sunshine of a day of a new era. And now we have the sadness of mourning. And so, apologies for the umbrellas, but being Scotland is not only rain, but it could be very heavy rain quite quickly.

LEMON: I think it's appropriate that it held out until she got here, and I don't mind it so much. I'm happy for everyone, and I don't mean the journalist standing out here, I'm talking about the people who had been waiting for hours and hours and that they did not get poured on waiting for their queen to arrive. So, how fitting that it -- I think it worked out perfectly.

QUEST: Right.

LEMON: That said --

QUEST: What a day. What a day, Don.

LEMON: What a day. Right you are, what a day.

Our coverage is going to continue here on CNN. You're watching continuing coverage of the laying to rest, the beginning of that for Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:41:46]

LEMON: Welcome back live now to CNN's continuing coverage of Queen Elizabeth in the beginning of what is to be her final funeral on Tuesday. I want to get straight out to CNN's Isa Soares who's out on the streets and she has been able to speak to people.

Isa, what are you hearing?

ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR & CORRESPONDENT: Don, it wasn't so much. Of course, what we all saw that was so moving is more than anything. I think you and Richard probably felt it too. It was that feeling in your stomach, wasn't it? I mean, I think my producer and I welling up as the cortege came pass. And I think it's something that a lot of people have been filling too.

Very dignified, told me one lady. I'm joined here by two people who are watching the cortege, of course. We've got Andrew (ph) who's 11 and his Uncle David (ph).

How did you feel when you saw the Queen come, Andrew?

ANDREW (PH): Yes, it was definitely pretty cool and made me really think like, kind of sad that, you know, she passed. Yes.

SOARES: Very sad that she passed.

ANDREW: Yes.

SOARES: How was it for you? What did you take away from that moment? What did it mean?

DAVID (PH): I think somebody really moving about the fact that the Queen's body is working in this slow progression through Scotland to Edinburgh place, it was so important to her, and that so many people wanted to come and see that -- and to see that happening. And I think that the slow unfolding of that ceremony does give shape to people's personal sadness's and personal feelings. And I knew that there was a lot of people here today who felt themselves welling up. Something extraordinary has passed in our lifetime.

SOARES: Yes, for so many of us, you know, we've only known one monarch, and that's Queen Elizabeth II. How -- what is it do you think, Andrew, I know you're 11, how was it about the queen that you think so many people loved?

ANDREW: She's just a good person. You know, she was always really joyous and happy. And, you know, she's a good person overall, I think. Yes.

SOARES: Do you think you can King Charles III, do you think he'll be able to match that?

ANDREW: Yes, yes. Probably. I mean, I really don't know because I am only 11. Yes.

SOARES: I think you've got a good feeling, though. What about yourself, do you think he'd be able to match what his mother has --

DAVID: It wasn't very, very hard to follow, but he has -- had a long time to prepare. And I think everybody wishes him well.

SOARES: Indeed. And Don, what I've heard so much here throughout the day in the Royal Mile is that, you know, you had a good apprenticeship, and she was a good teacher. Big shoes to fill, no doubt, that there's of course being her moment, her last great journey as King Charles III, of course, said. Back that to you.

LEMON: All right, Isa, thank you very much.

We're going to continue on our coverage here, but I want to send it back to my colleague Dana Bash in Washington, D.C.

And Dana, I think the gentleman put it appropriately as something extraordinary has passed in our lifetime.

[11:45:00]

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's so true and just listening to your coverage with our colleagues it is overwhelming even all the way here across the pond as they say.

I want to talk more about it with my panel who was here. And I want to start with you, Hilary Fordwich, you are joining our panel. What are your thoughts as you watched the Queen's casket arrived at Hollywood house -- Holyroodhouse?

HILARY FORDWICH, ROYAL WATCHER: Holyroodhouse. My first thoughts actually go to what is happening actually in Scotland actually, politically, that there was a movement to and Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister had talked about perhaps, you know, devolution and voting and having a referendum to leave and you see the outpouring from the Scots.

And let's remember that the Queen was more than half Scottish and her mother was Scottish. And I think what's wonderful and Xena (ph) said this best of -- one of your previous guests, I love the way she characterized it as the tapestry of humanity.

When you see there, the Scots, coming out in such force with such support and such affection, let's remember that the Queen, maybe she didn't know when her passing would be, but there were distinctive plans, Operation Unicorn, to be conducted from Balmoral. And I think what you're seeing is a great outpouring from the Scots that's reflective of her love for Scotland.

BASH: Julia, you were -- we were laughing, which I think, listen, this is a solemn moment, but when somebody is 96 years old, it's also time to celebrate an extraordinary life. You were laughing at what we were hearing as the Queen's casket was going along and making its way to Edinburgh.

JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN ANCHOR & CORRESPONDENT: Well, firstly, I love that this is a family affair, that there are children there that are joining, that there are parents or older generations and I think that's what transcended her, but special guests as well, pets, which we know dogs in particular meant so much to the Queen. And we heard all around half an hour ago that dog furiously barking. I do feel in what we know of Queen Elizabeth that you should be looking down and smiling, the fact that she was being serenaded quite aggressively there by a barking dog.

BASH: And her humor and her sense of --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

BASH: -- mischievousness.

SALLY BEDELL SMITH, JOURNALIST AND ROYAL COMMENTATOR: Yes.

BASH: It's something that you've talked about.

SMITH: Yes. Well, I mean, we certainly saw in the video with Paddington, you see humanity and mischief. And I was remembering a really wonderful story that was told to me when she went to a birthday party for one of her oldest friends who was a bridesmaid in her wedding back several years ago.

And on the way, she recounted this to the guests when she arrived, and she said she was driving through -- she was being driven through Hyde Park and a policeman pulled over her car. And as they sat there, a big limousine came by with a whole bunch of outriders and as you walked in the party, she said it must have been some terribly important ruler.

BASH: That's a very good story.

OK, everybody, hold on, we have much more to talk about. We're going to take a quick break and we're going to go back to Scotland as we look ahead to the next steps on the Queen's final journey and her royal funeral eight days from now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:52:32]

LEMON: We're back now at Edinburgh, Scotland along with my colleague. I'm Don Lemon along with my colleague Richard Quest. Sir Richard, let's talk about what's happening now because the queen is being laid to rest here at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. And then there will be a procession to St. Giles tomorrow.

QUEST: Correct. So --

LEMON: Cathedral.

QUEST: So tonight, there are prayers that are being said inside and now members of the royal household in Scotland, of Balmoral and, where of course, where they able to pay their respects, but also here it Hollywoodhouse, the palace, all the people who worked for the queen, over many, many years, decades, are paying their respects. Tomorrow, King Charles flies to Scotland. And we have the movement of the body from here to the cathedral where there will be another service and members of the public will be able to pay their respects.

But here's the important thing.

LEMON: Smaller version.

QUEST: Tomorrow, we're going to see a smaller version of the London procession because you're going to have the princess, and I'm imagining, since we've seen Charles, who will be here, we've seen Andrew, we know Edward's here, I would imagine they will walk behind.

LEMON: And we haven't seen Harry here, but we've seen them.

QUEST: And they will walk behind the procession as it makes its way to the cathedral. So it'll be a very solemn moment. And a good introduction, in a sense, to what we're going to see in London next week.

LEMON: And then the next day the body will be flown back to London, first to Buckingham Palace, it'll -- that's the first place it will arrive and then it'll be taken after that to Westminster.

QUEST: And at the briefing notes, we saw this picture of what it was like the last time that the coffin or the state funeral was moved, and I don't think any of us have got any idea of the size and scale that it will be down as it proceeds through central London. It will then lie in state at Westminster Hall where the members of the public will be allowed to come in. And they haven't announced the full arrangements for that, but the sheer number of people, 200,000 people came to see Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

LEMON: Yes. Two hundred thousand people.

QUEST: Two hundred thousand.

LEMON: Yes, and I think it's important distinction here because it is laid to rest here and then she will lie in state in London.

QUEST: Yes. Yes. Because that is the official lying in state, the catafalque with the crown, the flag will be that there. And in the morning of the funeral it will proceed to Westminster Abbey. [11:55:04]

LEMON: I can't begin to estimate how many people will turn up for London especially considering, and the undertaking it is when you consider who all will be in London for the services.

QUEST: I've got chills thinking about it, in the sense of -- the authorities are concerned that London literally will fill up and become dangerous people, but it doesn't matter, in a sense they'll cope in the same way that they'll cope with more world leaders arriving in a short period of time and perhaps we've ever seen. We will cope. It will happen.

LEMON: Will we see anything publicly this evening?

QUEST: No.

LEMON: No. This is all?

QUEST: This is -- it's time for you and me to look it up.

LEMON: Thank you, Richard Quest.

QUEST: Thank you, sir.

LEMON: Yes. Listen, I want to get back to my colleague in Washington, Dana Bash. "State of the Union" will continue right after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)