6:46 am, September 12, 2022
Charles to lead royal family in procession behind Queen’s coffin
King Charles III will lead the royal family in a poignant procession behind the coffin of his mother when it travels to an Edinburgh cathedral to allow the public to pay their respects.
The Queen will be taken from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to nearby St Giles’ Cathedral where her family, and a congregation drawn from all areas of Scottish society, will attend a service of thanksgiving for her life.
Full details about the royal mourners have yet to be released but there is speculation the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the new Prince and Princess of Wales will be part of the group. Charles will lead some of the royals on foot, expected to be the Duke of York, Earl of Wessex, Princess Royal and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence – while the Queen Consort and other members of the monarchy will follow in cars.
Charles to carry out engagements in Northern Ireland on Tuesday
The King will carry out a number of engagements in Northern Ireland on Tuesday as part of the new monarch’s programme of visits across the UK.
Accompanied by the Queen Consort, Charles will arrive at Belfast City Airport where he will be greeted by the Lord Lieutenant of Belfast, Dame Fionnuala Mary Jay-O’Boyle, and Northern Ireland secretary Chris Heaton-Harris.
Charles and Camilla will travel to Hillsborough Castle in Co Down for several engagements. There they will hold a private audience with Heaton-Harris as well as meeting with representatives of political parties in the region.
Biden confirms he will attend the Queen’s funeral
US president Joe Biden will attend the Queen’s funeral, officials have confirmed, amid reports that foreign heads of state will be asked to catch a coach to the service.
Dignitaries will travel to Westminster Abbey in escorted coaches and ‘because of tight security and road restrictions’ they will be required to leave their private state vehicles behind, according to leaked documents, seen by Politico. According to the document, world leaders have also been urged to travel on commercial flights and have been told they cannot use helicopters to travel around the UK.
It reported that only heads of state and their spouses or partners will be invited to the event on September 19, due to limited space within the historic building.
New boss of Britain’s biggest police force to start work
The new head of the Metropolitan Police starts work on Monday during what is arguably one of the most turbulent times to face Britain’s biggest police force.
Sir Mark Rowley takes over as commissioner at Scotland Yard after former boss Dame Cressida Dick resigned in controversial circumstances earlier in the year.
The force has been plagued by a series of scandals and missteps in recent years, leaving Sir Mark with the task of rebuilding public confidence. In a sternly worded letter before his tenure began, then-home secretary Priti Patel demanded that Sir Mark address the ‘appalling mistakes of the past’.
Russia hits power stations after Ukraine counter-offensive
Russia has attacked power stations and other infrastructure, causing widespread outages across Ukraine as Kyiv’s forces pressed a swift counter-offensive that has driven Moscow’s troops out of swaths of territory.
The bombardment ignited a massive fire at a power station on Kharkiv’s western outskirts and killed at least one person.
President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced the ‘deliberate and cynical missile strikes’ against civilian targets as acts of terrorism.
People aged 65 and over urged to book Covid-19 booster jab
People aged 65 and over can now book their Covid-19 booster jab online or via 111.
The NHS is also offering appointments to carers and pregnant women as the vaccine rollout continues into the cooler months.
People aged 75 and over, the severely immunosuppressed and frontline health and care workers have been able to book a booster since last week. Bookings can be done online or over the phone as long as the person had their last Covid jab at least three months ago. Around 26m people in England will be eligible for an autumn booster in the comings weeks.
Weekend Car Dealer headlines
- Dealership group says there’s no let-up in demand for EVs despite energy prices rising
- Jeep plans electric offensive with new battery-powered models
- Column: Why Auto Trader has become far more than just a place to advertise vehicles
- Pendragon applies to knock down derelict Taggarts dealership and rebuild site
Weather outlook
Sunny with the chance of the odd shower for most of the UK today, reports BBC Weather. Spells of heavier rain will push south-eastwards across southern Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England and Wales, though.
Tonight, patchy rain for most of England and Wales. Drier and cloudier elsewhere.
