The Queen and Princess Diana's Coffins Were Draped in the Same Flag. Both the queen and Diana's caskets were draped in the Royal Standard, a flag representing the Sovereign and the United Kingdom.
The flag that has been draped over the Queen's coffin is called the Royal Standard. The Royal Standard flag represents the Sovereign and the United Kingdom and is flown when the monarch is in residence in one of the Royal Palaces.
The crimson flag placed on the coffin is a smaller version of the Royal Standard of the Grenadier Guards and is made of silk. King Charles III was seen placing a crimson flag on Queen Elizabeth II's coffin at the end of the committal service at at St George's Chapel in London on Monday.
But he has revealed how he broke protocol by deciding that the Royal Standard and not the Union Flag should be draped on the coffin. He told Sky: "Her body was in a coffin, there was never a mark on her face, she was beautifully made up, she looked as though she was sleeping.
Those who walked past Her Majesty's coffin or see the photographs around would have noticed the casket draped in a colourful flag. The flag is called the Royal Standard, and it represents the sovereign and the United Kingdom. It is split into four quarterings, with the colours red, yellow and blue.
The flag has been draped on the queen's coffin on the catafalque as she lies in state, and placed upon it is the Imperial State Crown, and the sceptre and orb. It will be removed before her burial in Windsor at 4pm on Monday.
To honor the memory of their service to their country, a United States flag drapes the casket of deceased veterans. The field of blue is at the head and over the left shoulder. After Taps is played, the flag is carefully folded into the symbolic tricorner shape.
TheTalko website revealed how Margaret took her disdain for Diana to the late Princess' funeral, refusing to bow her head as the hearse drove past. The publication claimed: "Even though the story was true, Margaret could never forgive Diana for making the family look bad.
The queen stood with her family, and as Diana's funeral cortege passed by, she bowed her head. It was not a quick bow, nor a shallow one. The woman accustomed to being bowed by the world now lowered her head and humbly honored the princess.
One notable royal who refused to bow at Princess Diana's funeral in 1997 was Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Queen Elizabeth II. Prince Philip was a close family friend to Diana and the two were known to have a close and complicated relationship.
A man who appeared to grab the flag draped over the Queen's coffin planned to trespass at royal residences because he did not believe she was dead, a court has heard. Muhammad Khan, 28, allegedly left the queue in Westminster Hall on Friday night while the Queen was lying in state as the live feed briefly cut away.
The note on top of Queen Elizabeth II's coffin during her funeral on Monday was a handwritten message from her son, King Charles III. The message read: "In loving and devoted memory. Charles R". The "R" in King Charles' title refers to "Rex," which is Latin for king.
PC Lynsey McMenemy and PC Jordan Godfrey tackled Khan and all three fell to the ground as mourners “gasped” and were “clearly anguished”, the court heard.
The card held a touching and simple message for Queen Elizabeth II, which read: 'In loving and devoted memory. Charles R'. R stands for rex, Latin for 'king. ' Queen Elizabeth was Elizabeth R, the R standing for regina, Latin for 'queen."
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.
Flag on the Queen's coffin
The Royal Standard adorns the coffin for the funeral, as it has done during the lying-in-state at Westminster Hall. It's a flag that represents the sovereign and the United Kingdom.
The 73-year-old monarch and his siblings walked behind the hearse, while Camilla, Queen Consort, traveled in a car behind.
Camilla may have been at Diana's wedding but she was not welcome at her funeral, which was watched by an estimated 2.5 billion people around the world. Still, to many her absence echoed around the ancient hall. The Queen made it clear to Charles that he could not take his paramour to the service.
After Princess Diana died in 1997, Charles, then the Prince of Wales, wore a navy suit to her funeral. At the time, royal watchers read his outfit choice as a tribute to the late princess; Diana was said to have preferred men in navy.
“The sight of Diana's coffin, pulled along by horses, cause many onlookers to cry, as their grief poured out after the funeral,” I added, after seeing entire families sobbing as they walked away from the funeral route.
Phil Bartlett, who was serving with the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, was part of the funeral procession on the four mile journey from Kensington Palace to Westminster Abbey as the two young princes walked behind the gun carriage carrying their mum's coffin.
A man who appeared to grab the flag draped over the Queen's coffin did so because he did not believe she was dead and wanted to check for himself, a court has heard.
It's a very ancient practice. From the Wiki article: “Burials may be placed in a number of different positions. Bodies with the arms crossed date back to ancient cultures such as Chaldea in the 10th century BC, where the "X" symbolized their sky god.
The colour white is used to symbolise mourning in Sri Lanka. Image via GroundViews.
The Royal Standard is flown only when the Sovereign is present. If the Union Jack is flying above Buckingham Palace instead of the Standard, The King is not in residence. When The King goes to Parliament, the Royal Standard flies from Victoria Tower.