Coffin of the late monarch: Queen is laid to rest in English oak and lead
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Coffin of the late monarch
Queen is laid to rest in English oak and lead
14/09/2022, 3:58 PM
The coffin in which the late Queen Elizabeth II is now buried has been waiting for more than 30 years. A special mix of materials should enclose her remains airtight. In order to be able to wear the insignia of the monarchy during laying, a particularly stable lid is required.
After the transfer of Elizabeth II’s body from Scotland to London, citizens can bid farewell to the Queen in Westminister Hall from Wednesday evening. According to a report, the landscaped coffin was made more than three decades ago and has some special features: According to information from the “Times”, the queen’s coffin was made of English oak at least 32 years ago. This wood is used less and less these days, most wooden boxes are made of American oak.
According to royal tradition, the coffin is lined with lead. This helps preserve the body for longer after it has been buried in a crypt, in the case of the Queen in the King George VI Memorial Chapel in St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle. The lead must seal the box airtight so that no moisture can penetrate. However, the metal makes the box considerably heavier. Eight porters are needed for him. The coffin of Prince Philip, the Queen’s husband who died in April 2021, also has such a lead lining.
The London company Leverton & Sons has been the funeral director of the royal family, but only since 1991. The coffin for the queen was already ready by then and the company says it does not know who made it, the Times reported. The coffin has an extra sturdy lid, because the royal crown, scepter and sphere are placed on it during the layout and the funeral service. The coffin’s brass handles were designed specifically for royal coffins by a Birmingham firm, according to The Times. “It’s not something you can do in a day,” says Andrew Leverton, who runs the funeral home.
Queen is buried next to Philip
The public saw the Queen’s coffin for the first time on Sunday. It was decorated with the Scottish Royal Standard and a wreath of white heather, dahlias and sweet peas from the gardens of Balmoral Castle, where Elizabeth II died Thursday at the age of 96.
The coffin was set up overnight at Holyroodhouse Palace in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Sunday, and was carried by a glass-enclosed hearse in procession with King Charles III on Monday. and other members of the royal family at St. Giles Cathedral. A Royal Air Force plane finally took the coffin from Scotland to London on Tuesday, where it will be ceremonially deposited in Westminister Hall for several days from Wednesday. Following the funeral service at London’s Westminister Abbey on Monday, the remains will be taken to Windsor. In the palace chapel there, the coffin will be placed next to that of Prince Philip.
