King Charles III and his siblings paid a poignant tribute to the Queen by staging a silent vigil around her coffin after she was praised by politicians in Westminster and Edinburgh.

With their heads bowed Charles, the Princess Royal, Earl of Wessex and the Duke of York stood guard around the late Queen’s coffin, at rest in Edinburgh’s St Giles’ Cathedral.

Earlier, the Queen’s children had followed the hearse carrying their mother to the cathedral, walking in unison as thousands watched from the city’s Royal Mile.

A hush descended on the famous thoroughfare as the procession travelled from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to the cathedral for a service of thanksgiving for the Queen’s life.

Later that evening, the royals returned to the cathedral, and as members of the public filed slowly past, Charles, Anne, Edward and Andrew stood motionless, after joining four members of the King’s Body Guard in Scotland stood at each corner of the coffin.

Draped with the Royal Standard of Scotland and with a wreath of Balmoral flowers, the Queen’s coffin had the Crown of Scotland placed at its head in tribute to the late monarch.

Sat nearby was the Queen Consort, the Countess of Wessex and senior aides to Charles and Camilla.

The Queen’s coffin was set to remain at St Giles’ Cathedral for a 24 hours before being flown to London on Tuesday.