This is known as “paging away” and comes from the era of horse-drawn vehicles. Walking in front allowed the funeral director to stop any other approaching carts. More frequently today, the pagers will walk in front for a short distance then return to the lead vehicle and continue to the service by car.
When the cortege is ready to leave, the funeral director will ask everyone to make their way to their cars. The funeral director will then walk in front of the hearse for a short distance. This is a mark of respect to the deceased and also gives following cars an opportunity to join the cortege.
Paging essentially means walking in front of the hearse, and this is something that the Funeral Director does before the cortege – that is, the procession of mourners – leaves the family home.
The officiant will usually lead the procession and pallbearers carrying the coffin tend to follow.
This tradition offers a sense that family and friends are caring for their deceased loved ones as they collectively take the journey to their place of rest.
The picture below shows who is among the group and the order they are walking. The Queen's coffin will be led at the front by mounted police, representatives of George Cross, Commonwealth forces and armed forces, chiefs of defence staff, defence advisers, service chaplains and colonels.
Traditionally, the order of family in a funeral procession is direct family immediately behind the hearse, followed by close family and friends. Then others who were important to your loved one might join the procession, like neighbours, carers or colleagues.
The King will walk with Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward just behind him. They will be followed by the Queen's grandsons, Peter Phillips, Prince William and Prince Harry.
It is important to remember that, when carrying a coffin or casket, the person inside is always carried feet first – the only exception is a vicar, who is carried head first to face their congregation. Coffins are carried feet first simply because of health and safety, rather than any kind of ceremonial tradition.
A conductor walks in front of a hearse. This action dates back to medieval England when the college of Arms arranged funerals for all the nobility within their trade and the Head of the Colleg eof Arms would walk in front of the cortege as a mark of respect to the deceased.
So why do Funeral Directors bow at coffins? Respect. The aim when working with any family is to show their loved one as much dignity and respect as possible. Even though this person may not be walking on this earth any longer does not mean that they deserve any less respect.
Funeral flowers play an important role in British funerals, providing beauty and comfort at a time of sadness. Many people also believe that flowers symbolise the continuation of life.
Flowers are very traditional in British funerals as they provide comfort and ultimately beauty in a time of sadness. It has also been said that flowers represent the continuation of life as usually people choose their loved ones favourite flowers.
The water used to wash the corpse before placement in the coffin was traditionally kept to be thrown in front of the hooves of the horse drawing the funeral carriage. Later, this developed into the symbolic act of neighbors and family throwing buckets of water as a mark of respect for the dead.
The front rows are for the immediate family so sit nearer the back if you did not know the person very well. However, if there are few mourners present then sit nearer to the front. It does not matter which side of the 'aisle' you sit.
Traditional funeral processions will usually include a lead car. This is a vehicle that goes in front of the hearse with its hazard lights flashing. This alerts other vehicles and passers-by that a funeral procession is in place. The funeral director may also walk in front of the lead car.
In 19th century Europe and America, the dead were carried out of the house feet first, in order to prevent the spirit from looking back into the house and beckoning another member of the family to follow him, or so that he couldn't see where he was going and would be unable to return.
According to Metro, this is because lead seals the coffin from moisture, slowing decomposition for up to a year.
Historically, some thought the feet were a particularly vulnerable body part. Carrying the coffin feet first was a way for them to safeguard the deceased's spirit from harm.
Soldier Queen coffin: Soldier Jack Burnell-Williams, who walked beside Queen Elizabeth II's coffin, found dead at army barracks - The Economic Times.
In many cases, the clothing and jewellery worn by royals during their life is buried with them. However, some royals opt for specifically commissioned items. For example, King George VI was buried in a specially crafted military uniform, while King Charles II of England was buried in an ermine-trimmed jacket.
It might seem disrespectful not to attend a parent's funeral, but this is ultimately a personal choice. There is no obligation to attend a funeral, and you might find that you would like to say goodbye in your own way.
Some people still make this simple gesture of respect, when any hearse passes by. The funeral director often leads the procession carrying a cane or ornamental walking stick. The stick, or 'wand 'is a hark-back to a centuries-old tradition, which fell out of practice in the later half of the 19th century.
As a general rule, everyone is welcome at a funeral and you don't need to wait for an invitation. This includes those who didn't know the deceased but would like to offer their support to the family or another guest. Witnessing a big turnout at a funeral is often a great source of comfort to the bereaved family.
Queen Elizabeth's coffin bearers were specifically chosen to protect her body after her death. Soldiers from the Queen's Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, were chosen to lift the coffin during the service at Westminster Abbey and Windsor Castle.