Queen’s coffin set down at Balmoral castle, tearful estate staff pay their respects

Britain’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II passed away on Thursday afternoon at her beloved Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Her Majesty’s coffin has been placed in the ballroom of Balmoral castle for members of staff to pay their final respects.

As per the reports, the coffin is draped in the Royal Standard and will remain in the ballroom for two days before she is transported back to London for the state funeral, widely believed to take place on Sept. 19.

The Balmoral ballroom holds significant importance as Her Majesty had danced and shared special moments with Prince Philip as a young princess.

Queen Elizabeth II, who died peacefully on Thursday afternoon aged 96, and the late Duke of Edinburgh spent every August to October at Balmoral, hosting the famous ‘Ghillies Ball’ to thank her staff and servants each year.

The ball was last held in 2019, before COVID-19.

Queen’s former family butler Grant Harrold talked about being invited to Christmas parties and "getting to dance with the Queen at the Gillies Ball in the Balmoral ballroom.

“It seems fitting this is the place where the queen gets to bid her goodbye,” he said in an interview with Town & Country Magazine.

Queen Elizabeth’s funeral is expected to take place in 10 days at Westminster Abbey.