US pesident Joe Biden has said the “world is better” because of the Queen as he offered his condolences to the British people for their loss on the eve of the monarch's state funeral on Monday.
Daily routines will be disrupted in Scotland as the Queen's state funeral is held, with schools, nurseries, colleges and universities shut and many shops and tourist attractions remaining closed as a mark of respect.
A UK bank holiday was approved by King Charles III for the day of the funeral of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, at Westminster Abbey in London.
The service is due to take place at 11am, after which her coffin will be taken in a walking procession from the abbey to Wellington Arch, at London’s Hyde Park Corner, and be transported by hearse to Windsor Castle and her final resting place in St George’s Chapel.
But the ceremonial day will start long before the funeral, at 6.30am when the Queen’s lying in state will end.
At 8am the doors of Westminster Abbey will open for the congregation to begin taking their seats.
Mr Biden said the Queen reminded him of his mother at Lancaster House after visiting Westminster Hall with his wife Jill to pay his respects to the late monarch.
"The way she had that look, like, 'are you okay, anything I can do for you, what do you need'," he said The president stood on the platform for around two minutes, taking in the scene, where he crossed himself and exchanged a few words with the first lady.
He looked on with a sombre expression and put his hand to his heart before walking away.
Mr Biden said: “To all the people of England, all the people of the United Kingdom, our hearts go out to you. You were fortunate to have had her for 70 years, we all were.
“The world is better for her.
He added: "I think what she gave is a sense of maybe above all the notion of service."
Mr Biden and the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will be among the heads of state and overseas government representatives, including foreign royal families, governors general and Realm prime ministers who will be attending the grand Abbey ceremony.
The Queen will approach her final resting place at Windsor Castle to the sound of her favourite bagpipes playing a Scottish rebel lullaby.
The massed Pipes & Drums of Scottish and Irish Regiments, the Brigade of Gurkhas, and the Royal Air Force, numbering 200 musicians, will play the Skye Boat Song as the funeral procession gets near to the Castle gates.
The traditional 19th century Scottish song recalls how Bonnie Prince Charlie fled to the Isle of Skye to avoid capture by Government troops after being defeated at the Battle of Culloden in 1746.
Around 2,300 police officers will line the route of the Queen’s final journey from Westminster Abbey to Windsor Castle.
More than 3,000 officers from forces outside London will form part of the 10,000-strong team policing the funeral on Monday, which Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy described as the “final and most complex phase” of the operation after the death of the monarch.
Liz Truss concluded her talks with world leaders on Monday and met the King as she prepared to say a final farewell to the Queen along with hundreds of dignitaries from across the globe.
The Prime Minister hosted her Irish counterpart as well as the Canadian premier and the Polish president at Downing Street on Sunday.
The Queen’s funeral will be broadcast on a big screen in the park near her “beloved” residence in Edinburgh.
The state funeral will be screened in Holyrood Park in front of the Palace of Holyroodhouse but there will be no similar broadcast in Glasgow.
The Queen’s coffin was brought to the steps of the Palace of Holyroodhouse after she died at Balmoral last week.
But some churches have agreed to screen the service, including the Tron Church on Bath Street, Glasgow and Fettercairn Church, near Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire.
While most cinemas will be closed, some will live stream the funeral, with Vue among those offering free bookable seats.
Across Scotland's 32 local authority areas, non-essential services such as sports facilities, museums and libraries will be shut along with primary and secondary schools and council nurseries.
ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper train services are expected to operate a normal service on Monday, as are CalMac ferries and Edinburgh trams. FirstBus is operating a Saturday service whilst Stagecoach and Lothian Buses are running a Sunday service.
The Scottish Government says some disruption is "inevitable" for the NHS. It has given guidance to health boards to continue "essential" services, including pre-planned treatments and the winter vaccination programme.
GP surgeries, community pharmacies, and dental and optometry practices have been left to decide whether to open or not and will contact affected patients.
In Livingston, most of the 120 retailers in the town's Centre shopping centre will be shut, as main supermarkets and major UK-wide chains confirm they will not open.
Tesco and Sainsbury's said they would open their convenience stores at 5pm, while Morrisons stores will be closed all day.
Fast food companies have changed their operating hours, with McDonalds announcing it would not open its restaurants until 17:00 while Domino's said stores would open at noon after the ceremony had fnished.
Some pubs and restaurants are expected to alter their opening hours for the duration of the funeral. Brewdog confirmed its bars will be closed until 2pm.
National Galleries Scotland, Historic Scotland, Glasgow Life and National Museums Scotland are among those that have announced that their sites not be open to mark the funeral.
Notable closures announced include Edinburgh Castle, Kevingrove Museum, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh Zoo, Dundee's V&A Museum, The National Galleries of Scotland and The Royal Yacht Britannia.
And all government buildings, including the Scottish Parliament and council offices will remain closed on Monday.
On Sunday thousands took the last chance to join the lying-in-state queue before it closes.
By 4pm on Sunday, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport estimated that the queuing time to see the Queen lying-in-state in London was at least 10 hours.
DCMS also warned people not to set off to join the queue.
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