Scottish protester holding ‘abolish monarch’ sign arrested during King Charles III declaration

A woman in Edinburgh, Scotland who held a sign reading “f— imperialism, abolish monarchy” was arrested Sunday during the formal declaration of King Charles III’s accession to the throne. 

The woman was escorted away by police, eliciting mixed reactions. One man shouted, “Let her go! It’s free speech!” while others shouted: “Have some respect!”

Still, there was some booing in Edinburgh when Joseph Morrow, Lord Lyon King of Arms, finished his proclamation with “God save the king!”

One attendee, 48-year-old Ann Hamilton, told The Associated Press she was offended by the protesters, saying: “There’s tens of thousands of people here today to show their respect.” 

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“For them to be here, heckling through things, I think it was terrible,” she said. “If they were so against it, they shouldn’t have come.”

Still, it was a sign of how some, including people in Britain’s former colonies, are struggling with the legacy of the monarchy — and its future.

Crowds of people packed the Royal Mile to get a glimpse of Queen Elizabeth II’s flag-draped coffin. The procession was a huge event for Scotland as the U.K. takes days to mourn its longest-reigning monarch. People turned out hours early to grab a space by the police barricades in Edinburgh. By afternoon, the crowds were 10 people deep.

In a somber, regal procession, Queen Elizabeth II’s flag-draped coffin was driven slowly through the Scottish countryside Sunday from her beloved Balmoral Castle to the Scottish capital of Edinburgh. Mourners packed city streets and highway bridges or lined rural roads with cars and tractors to take part in a historic goodbye to the monarch who had reigned for 70 years.

The hearse drove past piles of bouquets and other tributes as it led a seven-car cortege from Balmoral, where the queen died Thursday at 96, for a six-hour trip through Scottish towns to Holyroodhouse Palace in Edinburgh. The late queen’s coffin was draped in the Royal Standard for Scotland and topped with a wreath made of flowers from the estate.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.