Since the 1870s, mourning practices for some cultures, even those who have emigrated to the United States, are to wear black for at least two years, though lifelong black for widows remains in some parts of Europe.
If one's spouse or parent died, one wore black for a full year and then for six months, “half mourning,” which meant gray for men and mauve for women.
The Earl Marshal's office asked the public to dress as soberly as possible, and said 'anyone who does possess black clothes should wear them'.
There is a royal protocol for everything, and since Queen Elizabeth II's passing we have become reacquainted with the tradition of royal mourning, which will see all the family's activities put on hold until seven days after the funeral and all communications sent on black-edged stationery.
The association of the colour black with death and loss is centuries old and is believed to have originated during Roman times. However, it was after the death of Prince Albert in 1861 when it gained popularity as part of funeral fashion.
There is no timeline for how long grief lasts, or how you should feel after a particular time. After 12 months it may still feel as if everything happened yesterday, or it may feel like it all happened a lifetime ago. These are some of the feelings you might have when you are coping with grief longer-term.
Antebellum Mourning Traditions
Etiquette books recommended that mothers mourn a child for one year, a child mourn a parent for one year, and siblings mourn for six months. Widowers mourned for only three months by wearing armbands, badges, or rosettes of black fabric.
But George did not break any rules by opting for a slightly different hue at the Westminster Abbey service. According to Hello!, any dark color, including black or navy blue, is proper funeral etiquette and shows respect to the deceased.
Hand discoloration
The skin discoloration looks like a bruise, said Dr. ML Stevenson, a dermatologist at NYU Langone. That could be due to senile purpura, NBC News senior medical correspondent Dr. John Torres told TODAY via email.
Widows were expected to mourn for two years and were allowed to wear grey and lavender only in the last six months of 'half-mourning'. Children in middle-class Victorian families were required to wear full black mourning clothes for one year after the death of a parent or sibling.
The British monarchy's rules state that “a new sovereign succeeds to the throne as soon as his or her predecessor dies.” That means Queen Elizabeth II's eldest son, Prince Charles, became king immediately upon her death.
After lying in state, the royal coffin is moved via procession to Westminster Abbey for the state funeral, after which it is transported to Windsor. The state hearse takes the coffin along the Long Walk to St George's Chapel in Windsor Chapel, where a committal service takes place.
Switching to black is seen as a mark of respect for the monarch and is said to be part of the plan set out for the Queen's death, dubbed Operation London Bridge and Operation Unicorn.
The observation of the 40th day after death occurs in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. The ritual represents spiritual intercession on the part of the dead, who are believed to collectively await the Day of Judgment.
There is a belief that the soul continues to wander the Earth for another 40 days after the initial death. While wandering, the soul visits significant places from their life as well as their fresh grave. At the end of the 40 days, the soul finally departs from this world.
The family of someone who dies wears white mourning, in the hope that their loved ones are reborn again. The idea of white mourning, otherwise known as deuil blanc in French, was formed during the 16th century when white was worn by bereaved children and unmarried women.
Queen Elizabeth II is also a successor of Queen Elizabeth I, also known as the Virgin Queen, who was Queen of England and Ireland from 1558 until her death in 1603. According to RMG, Queen Elizabeth I's last words were, “All my possessions for one moment of time.”
“It might be Raynaud's phenomenon or just really cold hands. The purple is due to deoxygenated blood,” he told the Metro.
Queen Elizabeth II will be buried in an English oak coffin featuring brass handles that were designed more than 30 years ago, and lined with lead. It is estimated the coffin weighs between 250kg and 317kg.
According to People, only royals that are “working members of royal family who hold military rank” were permitted to wear their uniforms at the funeral. Prince Harry was stripped of his military titles after leaving the royal family and moving to the United States, per The Guardian.
Prince Harry and Prince Andrew might be the only living members of Queen Elizabeth II's immediate family to have served in the military in wartime, but strict royal protocols meant they did not wear a uniform during the monarch's funeral.
Queen Victoria is perhaps best known for her elaborate and seemingly never-ending mourning for her dear husband Prince Albert who passed rather suddenly in 1861. She donned all black for decades and withdrew from public view, creating a solemn and pious image of the Queen.
Australia will not observe an official mourning period, as is being observed in the UK.
Nine night is a separate event to the funeral itself. It's like the Irish wake and takes place nine days after the death of the person. You have a celebration of their life at the point at which their spirit traditionally leaves the body. It's a Jamaican practice with roots in an African tradition.
Shiva, meaning “seven” in Hebrew, is the week of mourning following the funeral. Traditionally shiva is observed for seven days, with a pause for Shabbat (the Sabbath, from sundown Friday until nightfall Saturday). Some mourners choose to observe shiva for a shorter number of days.