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The coffin of the Queen has been deposited in Westminster Hall, where she will lay in state until her funeral. However, because of its unique material, moving the coffin has proven to be a tremendous difficulty for the pallbearers.
Following her arrival from Scotland, Her Majesty was led along the Mall from Buckingham Palace while King Charles III, Prince William, and Harry trailed behind.Pallbearers carried the late monarch into Westminster Hall after removing her from the carriage and leading her there.
However, instead of the typical six pallbearers, eight were needed because of the weight of the casket.It was disclosed earlier this week that Queen Elizabeth’s coffin will be coated with lead, making it far heavier than it otherwise would have been.
This is because, rather than receiving a standard funeral, she will be buried in the King George VI Memorial Vault, claims The Telegraph.
Photo Credits – PA
It is quite difficult to carry since, in addition to the strengthened coffin, it is also decorated with brass fittings and other accessories that contribute to its weight.Its total weight of it is estimated to be between 250kg and 317kg.
For comparison, consider that this is around ten times the weight of the typical bergen (backpack) carried by British military personnel.
Henry Smith, a specialized company that opened in 1869 and closed in 2005, created Her Majesty’s coffin. During that period, it also created coffins for the Duke of Edinburgh and famous people, including Diana Dors, Freddie Mercury, and Jimi Hendrix.
The finely made coffin was kept up to date by funeral home JH Kenyon Ltd, who also handled the funerals for King George VI and Winston Churchill, until the 1990s, when it was taken over by the family firm Leverton and Sons in 1991.
It is crafted from English wood, which is exceedingly hard to find, according to director Andrew Leverton, who spoke with The Times in 2018.Currently, American oak is used to make oak coffins. I don’t believe we could make a coffin out of English wood right now. The price would be unaffordable.
Leverton, whose company has handled the funerals for the Queen Mother, Princess Diana, Princess Margaret, Margaret Thatcher, George Orwell, and others, said that the Earl Marshal is also involved in state funerals, and the Armed Forces supply coffin bearers.
We must participate in meetings and provide help during exercises, he continued. There are practice coffins available with the proper weight. We are a little part of a massive machine.”We maintain constant communication with the family during a normal funeral. The Royal Household, not the Royal family directly, is where we get our directives from.”
