The Queen owned an iconic collection of precious jewels, some of which will remain on public display in the Tower of London, while others will be passed down through the Windsor family as beloved heirlooms. However, the Queen was buried with a small handful of her most treasured and personal jewellery.
In what could be seen as an ancient throwback the Queen asked that she be buried wearing as much of her jewelry as could be fit on her body. One wonders if she was preparing to cross the River Styx. She was buried with a ring on every finger, bracelets stacked along her wrists, and her neck layered with necklaces.
Following the death of Her Majesty on Sept. 8, the King is now in charge of the Crown Jewels, which have been handed down from British monarchs since the 17th century. The Queen also leaves a vast personal collection of jewelry, which members of the royal family, including Kate Middleton, have borrowed on occasion.
Yet, did you know that the Queen was buried with a handful of her most valuable personal pieces? The monarch's final resting place is the King George VI memorial chapel, located in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, and it's likely her most sentimental jewels will be buried alongside her.
Royal coffins, like Queen Elizabeth's, are lined with lead.
During the service the Crown Jewels - the Imperial State Crown containing almost 3,000 diamonds, the sovereign's orb and sceptre were removed from the top of her coffin and placed on an altar.
Due to the lead lining of the coffin, the casket would be very heavy. It has been estimated that it would weigh between 250kg and 317kg. Eight military bearers have been selected to carry the Queen's coffin on the day of her funeral.
The Queen will be laid to rest today wearing only two precious pieces of jewellery. Her Majesty, who will be buried next to her husband Prince Philip later today, will wear only her wedding band and a pair of pearl earrings, despite owning a collection worth millions of pounds.
Lisa Levinson, head of communications at the Natural Diamond Council, has told Metro: 'Her Majesty is an incredibly humble woman at heart who is unlikely to be dressed in anything but her simple Welsh gold wedding band to rest and a pair of pearl earrings.
It is likely that these jewels will be passed down to members of the Windsor family and if the Queen follows tradition, she will leave the majority of them to the next monarch, which in this case is King Charles III.
The necklace was part of a set which included a tiara, brooch and earrings. The stunning piece was passed down to the Queen Mother, who wore it often until her 2002 death. It was later lent to Princess Kate from Queen Elizabeth.
Royal expert Katie Nicholl explained that, again, in typical royal fashion, “there is a hierarchy in all of this,” she says. “The Queen Consort, really, gets first choice of the Queen's jewelry. And after that is Princess of Wales, of course, Kate.
While Kate inherited $110 million in jewelry from the Queen, that collection did not include the Spencer tiara, a diamond-encrusted crown inherited by William's late mother, Princess Diana, in the mid-1970s. Diana wore the tiara in her wedding to King Charles—then Prince Charles—in 1981.
Following royal tradition, which dates back as far as the 1600s, the queen's coffin was lined with lead, which ensures that her remains stay intact for up to a year. This is because the lead makes the coffin airtight, stopping moisture from getting in and therefore slowing down the decomposition of the body.
The wand is broken and buried with the sovereign. In that moment, Parker symbolised the end of his duties to the Queen and, by breaking the wand, the end of a run of eight lord chamberlains who had held it and served her since 1952. Parker ceases to be lord chamberlain but could be reappointed by the King.
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.
However, Her Majesty will be buried in her beloved Windsor, in the King George VI memorial chapel. The chapel is set on the grounds of Windsor Castle, the estate the Queen moved to permanently for the last few years of her life.
The Queen will be buried within the King George VI Memorial Chapel, named after her father who died in 1952. She will join her father and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, who died 20 years ago, as well her sister Princess Margaret, who had her ashes placed in the chapel after her death in 2002.
The Queen will be buried within the King George VI Memorial Chapel, where she joins King George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and her sister Princess Margaret.
Lisa Levinson from the Natural Diamond Council believes the late monarch was buried with only a few pieces of jewelry. "Her Majesty is an incredibly humble woman at heart who is unlikely to be dressed in anything but her simple Welsh gold wedding band to rest and a pair of pearl earrings," she told Metro.
Outside of the services, visitors can visit on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, but you have to pay. On Sundays, general visitors aren't allowed but worshippers are welcome to attend the service. The chapel has a capacity of 800 people.
Can the public visit Queen Elizabeth II's grave? Yes, it is possible for members of the public to visit the King George VI Memorial Chapel in Windsor Castle, however visitors are reminded that the chapel is also local church for the nearby community too.
Following a centuries-old tradition for royals, the Queen's coffin is lined with lead, which helps prevent a body from decomposing for longer. The lead also makes the coffin significantly heavier, meaning eight pallbearers will be needed to carry it.
Lead-lined coffins slow the body's decomposition by keeping moisture out of the casket. Lead does not decay and so remains airtight, preventing decomposition, but also any smells and gases from being released; not something you want if multiple Royals are sharing a vault or may be moved in the future.
The Queen's coffin was slowly lowered into the royal vault in St George's Chapel, in the grounds of Windsor Castle, ahead of her burial later in a private family service. The service was the last of the public events before she is laid to rest next to her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.