The King, head bowed, returned to St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh with his sister the Princess Royal and brothers the Duke of York and Earl of Wessex a few hours after attending a service of thanksgiving for the Queen.

It came shortly after the public were able to process past the Queen’s coffin for the first time since her death on Thursday.

Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward looked sombre as they took their places at the four sides of the oak coffin.

They stood alongside four suited members of the Royal Company of Archers, who were standing guard dressed in long-feathered hats and armed with longbows and a quiver of arrows.

The procession of members of the public queuing to view the coffin on Monday evening was temporarily paused to allow the royals to take their places.

Andrew kept his eyes closed for a period of time during the vigil, while Anne and Edward had their eyes fixed towards the floor.

Charles, wearing Prince Charles Edward Stuart tartan and white heather in his lapel from Balmoral, kept his hands joined and also looked towards the floor.

Many of those filing past bowed to the new monarch.

The Queen Consort and Countess of Wessex sat on seats opposite the coffin while the vigil, which began at at 7.46pm and finished it at 7.56pm, took place in the ancient cathedral.

The Archers have been completing 20-minute periods of standing guard at the coffin, which will remain at St Giles’ for 24 hours before it is taken to London to lie in state.

Members of the crowd cheered as Charles arrived at the cathedral, and as he departed.

As he drove past them, they took pictures and video and said: “Here he is. Here he is. It’s the King.”

Charles waved at onlookers waiting at the barriers to see him.

One woman was heard to say: “I missed him earlier and travelled up from Glasgow to see him. I waited five hours – I finally saw him.”

Prince Harry paid a highly personal tribute to his “granny”, saying how he cherished the time he had spent with her and how he would honour his father as the new King.

In a statement, Harry, who stepped down from royal duties with his wife Meghan in 2020, praised the Queen’s service as head of state and monarch, and also spoke emotionally of her role as a grandmother.

“Granny, while this final parting brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings – from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my Commander-in-Chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved great-grandchildren,” he said.

“I cherish these times shared with you, and the many other special moments in between. You are already sorely missed, not just by us, but by the world over.”

He praised her “unwavering grace and dignity” and her commitment to duty, saying she was globally admired and respected.

“We, too, smile knowing that you and grandpa are reunited now, and both together in peace,” he said, a reference to her husband of 73 years Prince Philip, who died last year.

“Thank you for your commitment to service.

“Thank you for your sound advice.

“Thank you for your infectious smile.”

After he and Meghan left their official royal roles, they became alienated from the family, including his father, now King Charles, and delivered withering criticism of Buckingham Palace and how they had been treated.

Since becoming King following the Queen’s death at the age of 96 last Thursday, Charles has expressed his love for the couple.

“As it comes to first meetings, we now honour my father in his new role as King Charles III,” Harry said.

Harry and Meghan were only in Britain when the Queen died because they were coincidentally visiting to attend a number of charity events , a rare trip since they moved to California where they live with their two young children.

They had not been even been expected to speak to their close relatives on the visit prior to the Queen’s death.

On Saturday, Harry and Meghan unexpectedly appeared with his elder brother William for a walkabout near Windsor Castle , in a show of unity that suggested the death of their grandmother could lead to a rapprochement.

A royal source described it as an important show of unity at an incredibly difficult time for the family.