London, Sep 13 (PTI) The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II departed Scotland on Tuesday evening for London, where it will lie-in-state ahead of Monday's state funeral.

Queen Elizabeth II, the UK's longest-serving monarch, died last week at Balmoral Castle in Scotland after reigning for 70 years. She was 96.

Also Read | Indian-Origin Artists To Create Giant Mural As Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II in London.

In what has been dubbed a final farewell to the late monarch who was also Queen of Scotland, the cortege made its way by road to Edinburgh Airport at the conclusion of the Scottish ceremonial events programme known as Operation Unicorn.

“Scotland has now bid our Queen of Scots a sad, but fond farewell. We will not see her like this again,” said Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Also Read | Cryptocurrency Fraud: Indian Citizen Nikhil Wahi, Arrested in US For First Ever Crypto Insider Trading Scheme, Pleads Guilty.

The Scottish government said around 33,000 people filed past the coffin while it lay at rest at St. Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh for 24 hours since Monday.

“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,” said Sturgeon.

“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,” she said.

The First Minister of the devolved government expressed sympathy and good wishes for King Charles and the royal family, as was also conveyed in the parliamentary ceremonies held in the region over the past few days since the Queen died in Scotland on Thursday.

“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,” added Sturgeon.

The Queen's oak coffin was taken by road to Edinburgh Airport and flown to London, accompanied by the Queen's daughter Princess Anne, on a Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft that was used to evacuate thousands of people fleeing the Taliban in Kabul last year.

The C-17 Globemaster has also been used to take humanitarian aid and weapons to Ukraine following Russia's invasion.

Once in London, it will lie in state at Buckingham Palace overnight before being taken in procession to Westminster Hall for the Lying-in-State ceremony open to the public.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)