Queen Elizabeth II's funeral will take place on Monday (September 19), with millions of people around the world expected to pay tribute to Her Majesty.
The late Queen will be laid to rest within the King George VI Memorial Chapel in Windsor Castle, in a private ceremony this evening. There, once her casket is lowered, she will join King George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and her sister Princess Margaret.
Prince Philip’s coffin will move from the Royal Vault to the memorial chapel to join the Queen’s, the Mirror reports. The Queen's coffin was made for her more than 30 years ago, by the same firm that made the casket in which the Duke of Edinburgh lies buried.
READ MORE: The day Queen Elizabeth II died as it unfolded
Matthew Lymn Rose, managing director of A W Lymn, The Family Funeral Service, told i: “My understanding is that the Queen and all members of the Royal Family have coffins made while alive… so there is no delay, the coffin is there”.
As with the Duke of Edinburgh's casket, the Queen's coffin is lined with lead. This tradition goes back hundreds of years, and there is an interesting reason as to why it is done.
The idea behind a lead-lined coffin is a royal tradition, which helps preserve the body longer - as it is airtight. In fact, the body can be preserved for up to a year, because the tightness of the coffin itself stops any moisture from getting in.
It has to be this way because, reportedly, the Queen will be laid to rest in the King George VI Memorial Vault, rather than given a traditional burial.
Mr Lymn Rose added: “Most people are buried underground. If you have a coffin vault or a family chamber in a church then that coffin remains above ground and open to the elements. A sealed coffin is very important.”
Going on to suggest that the Royal Family still opted for a more traditional burial method, he said: “I have never, in my 20 years, seen a coffin lead-lined. The process of zinc lining is more simple, less costly, less weighty”.
And because of the materials used, it is so heavy that it requires eight pallbearers to carry it, rather than the usual six.
Traditionally, royal coffins were made from well-seasoned oak from the Sandringham estate. Unfortunately, precise details about the manufacture of the late Queen’s coffin are thought to have been lost in the decades since it was ordered.
The lead-lined casket – which is essentially a coffin within a coffin – was made by the specialist firm Henry Smith.
You can light a candle for Queen Elizabeth II here or leave a tribute to her here.
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