It was an event we all knew was inevitably coming, as it does to us all one day, but one that my photographer colleagues and I had discussed from time to time and thought about for a while, “what will you do the week the Queen dies?” How would we go about photographing the Queen’s funeral week?
We always knew it’d be a huge event for the country, but also a week which would be perhaps difficult and logistically challenging to report upon, and to photograph. Photo passes and accreditation would be required, vantage points secured, long hours and days with a lot of waiting. It would be a big week from a photographic point of view.
The cortege carrying the coffin of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II drives down the Royal Mile High Street passing St Giles Cathedral, and the Mercat Cross, in Edinburgh, Scotland, 11 September 2022. Copyright © Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert 2022. Edinburgh, Scotland, 9 September 2022. Commuters pass a digital display showing a portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who has died aged 96, in Waverley Station, in Edinburgh, Scotland, 9 September 2022. Photo credit: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert/ Alamy Live news.
Edinburgh, Scotland, 12 September 2022. The cortege carrying the coffin of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, with King Charles III and members of the Royal Family walking behind, makes its way up the Royal Mile High Street towards St Giles Cathedral, passing the Mercat Cross, in Edinburgh, Scotland, 12 September 2022. Photo credit: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert/ Alamy Live news.
Edinburgh, Scotland, 12 September 2022. The cortege carrying the coffin of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, with King Charles III and members of the Royal Family walking behind, makes its way up the Royal Mile High Street towards St Giles Cathedral, passing the Mercat Cross, in Edinburgh, Scotland, 12 September 2022. Photo credit: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert/ Alamy Live news.
Edinburgh, Scotland, 12 September 2022. Prince Edward departs St Giles’ Cathedral after a service for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, in Edinburgh, Scotland, 12 September 2022. Photo credit: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert/ Alamy Live news.
Scenes on the Royal Mile in the minutes after the coffin of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II begins its journey to London, leaving Scotland for the last time, in Edinburgh, Scotland, 13 September 2022.
Edinburgh, Scotland, 11 September 2022. The public proclamation of the Accession of the King Charles III, at the Mercat Cross on the Royal Mile High Street, in Edinburgh, Scotland, 11 September 2022. Photo credit: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert/ Alamy Live news.
Edinburgh Scotland, 19 September 2022. In Holyrood Park, in front of the Royal family’s Palace of Holyroodhouse, crowds watch on a large screen the funeral in London of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who died on 8th September, in Edinburgh Scotland, 19 September 2022. Photo credit: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert/Alamy Live News.
Edinburgh Scotland, 19 September 2022. In Holyrood Park, in front of the Royal family’s Palace of Holyroodhouse, crowds stand for 2-minutes silence as they watch on a large screen the funeral in London of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who died on 8th September, in Edinburgh Scotland, 19 September 2022. Photo credit: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert/Alamy Live News.
Edinburgh Scotland, 19 September 2022. In Holyrood Park, in front of the Royal family’s Palace of Holyroodhouse, crowds watch on a large screen the funeral in London of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who died on 8th September, in Edinburgh Scotland, 19 September 2022. Photo credit: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert/Alamy Live News.
Flowers, flags and letters left in the gardens of Palace of Holyroodhouse as a mark of respect to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who has died aged 96yrs, in Edinburgh, Scotland, 13 September 2022.
Edinburgh Scotland, 19 September 2022. Pipe Major Steven Dewar, of Scotia Pipers, plays a salute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who died on 8th September, on board the Royal Yacht Britannia moored in Leith docks, in Edinburgh Scotland, 19 September 2022. Photo credit: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert/Alamy Live News.
Edinburgh, Scotland, 13 September 2022. The coffin of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is carried out of St Giles’ Cathedral for the very last time, on its journey to leave Scotland and head to London, in Edinburgh, Scotland, 13 September 2022. Photo credit: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert/ Alamy Live news.
Edinburgh, Scotland, 13 September 2022. The coffin of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is carried out of St Giles’ Cathedral for the very last time, on its journey to leave Scotland and head to London, in Edinburgh, Scotland, 13 September 2022. Photo credit: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert/ Alamy Live news.
Commemorative tea-towels depicting Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who has died aged 96yrs, on sale on the Royal Mile, in Edinburgh, Scotland, 13 September 2022.
Digital displays depicting Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who has died aged 96yrs, in Waverley train station, in Edinburgh, Scotland, 13 September 2022.
Above images are all from Edinburgh in the week of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral. Copyright © Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert 2022.
I’d always imagined that on hearing the news I would instantly book a hotel room for a few days later in London, and then travel down, cameras on shoulder to photograph the events and mourning that unfold. But after years of thinking of this it didn’t go that way.
It was hard decision to make, but the fact that the first few days of the week centred on Edinburgh as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin was brought to the capital, and Operation Unicorn (the plan for if the Queen died in Scotland) was in play, meant there was much to photograph here. As the days and events unfolded I began to feel that it was unnecessary to travel south to London.
The Bristol Bar, a favourite with Unionist and Rangers FC supporters, displays a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, and flies flags at half mast, as a mark of respect to Her Majesty. Glasgow, Scotland, 9 September 2022. Copyright ©Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert 2022. Glasgow, Scotland, 9 September 2022. In the city streets digital displays of a portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who has died aged 96, in Glasgow, Scotland, 9 September 2022. Photo credit: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert/ Alamy Live news.
Princess Anne and her husband Sir Tim Laurence visit the City Chambers to look at flowers laid as a mark of respect to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who died one week ago, in Glasgow Scotland, 15 September 2022.
As a mark of respect an estate agent window in Glasgow display tributes to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who died one week ago, in Glasgow Scotland, 15 September 2022.
Flags depicting the recently deceased Queen Elizabeth II, and new monarch King Charles III, on sale outside Rangers FC’s Ibrox Stadium, in Glasgow Scotland, 17 September 2022.
Fans observe a minute’s silence as a mark of respect for the recently deceased Queen Elizabeth II, and then sing the national anthem, God Save The King, inside Rangers FC’s Ibrox Stadium, in Glasgow Scotland, 17 September 2022.
Glasgow Scotland, 19 September 2022. Anti-monarchy graffiti in the east end of the city, on the day of the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who died on 8th September, in Glasgow Scotland, 19 September 2022. Photo credit: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert/Alamy Live News.
Glasgow Scotland, 19 September 2022. Glaswegians drink in the Rangers FC supporters’ Bristol Bar, which for two days has called itself the Queen Elizabeth Arms, while watching the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who died on 8th September, in Glasgow Scotland, 19 September 2022. Photo credit: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert/Alamy Live News.
Glasgow, Scotland, 15 September 2022. Princess Anne and her husband Sir Tim Laurence visit the City Chambers to look at flowers laid as a mark of respect to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who died one week ago, and were met by Lord Provost Jacqueline McLaren, in Glasgow, Scotland, 15 September 2022. Photo credit: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert/Alamy Live News.
Glasgow Scotland, 19 September 2022. Glaswegians drink in the Rangers FC supporters’ Bristol Bar, which for two days has called itself the Queen Elizabeth Arms, while watching the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who died on 8th September, in Glasgow Scotland, 19 September 2022. Photo credit: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert/Alamy Live News.
Glasgow Scotland, 20 September 2022. Anti-monarchy graffiti in the Ibrox area of the city, on the day after the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who died on 8th September, in Glasgow Scotland, 20 September 2022. Photo credit: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert/Alamy Live News.
Glasgow Scotland, 19 September 2022. A banner depicting Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who died on 8th September, stands as a tribute near a road junction on the east end of the city, in Glasgow Scotland, 19 September 2022. Photo credit: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert/Alamy Live News.
Glasgow, Scotland, 15 September 2022. As a mark of respect shops in Glasgow display portraits of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who died one week ago, in Glasgow, Scotland, 15 September 2022. Photo credit: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert/Alamy Live News.
Above images all from Glasgow in the week of the Queen’s funeral. Copyright © Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert 2022.
Instead I photographed here in Glasgow and Edinburgh, photographs which add to and build upon what I’ve shot before for various stories and projects. Images which hopefully record in some way the week, and continue to help tell the story of our nation. And that one day will join the previous 30-years worth of my photographic archive which is now held at the University of St Andrews .
There is much I can write about photographing the Queen’s funeral week – from gaining access and vantage points, to equipment failures, and the incredibly generous help of strangers – certainly too much for one article here, and it is all still being digested. It is a topic I’ll return to at some point, but for now, some images, a small and quick selection, not even a definitive edit of photographs of the Queen’s funeral week here in Scotland.
Thank you.
Thanks mate. Turned off media so these are the only funeral photos I have seen. Rock on.