The queen's English oak coffin was made at least 32 years ago and is lined with lead in accordance with royal family customs. The lead lining assists the body to last longer after the burial in a crypt. Lead is said to make the casket airtight, thereby helping to stop moisture from getting in.
For centuries, Kings, Queens, Princes, and Princesses have been placed in lead coffins to better preserve their bodies. The tradition dates from a time when modern methods of preservation were not yet available – using formaldehyde to preserve bodies was not discovered until 1869.
The eight men are from the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards which had a close connection with the Queen who held the position of company commander. At the time the British Army said the "very best soldiers" were chosen to carry out this solemn duty. Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories?
Jack Burnell-Williams, a member of the Household Cavalry, died on Wednesday, September 28, after being unresponsive at Hyde Park Barracks in Knightsbridge, London, the Army said in a statement.
Queen Elizabeth's coffin is draped in the Royal Standard before her funeral service in Westminster Abbey on Monday. The flag represents the sovereignty of the monarch and is flown only at royal residences while they are present, or on their vehicles as they travel to other locations.
Onlookers said the man tried to touch the Queen's coffin. "Some person decided they were going to push my seven-year-old niece out the way, run up to the coffin, lift up the standard and try to do I don't know what," witness Tracey Holland said. "She was grabbed out the way and the police had him within two seconds."
Alongside the King, Baron Parker - the Lord Chamberlain who was the most senior official in the late Queen's royal household - stood in front of the coffin and symbolically "broke" his wand of office by dismantling it into two halves and laying them on her coffin.
The eight pallbearers who carried the Queen's coffin have been awarded the silver Royal Victoria Medal in recognition of the important role they played at her funeral.
In some of the most poignant moments of the late Queen's funeral, eight Grenadier Guards in uniform carried her coffin, draped in the Royal Standard, into London's Westminster Abbey and her final resting place at St George's Chapel in Windsor.
Eight pallbearers who carried the late Queen's coffin at her funeral are among those to be recognised in a special honours list. The soldiers - who were selected to be pallbearers from the King's Company (then Queen's), 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards - have been awarded the silver Royal Victorian Medal.
Eight pallbearers are required to carry the coffin, rather than the usual six, as it weighs around a quarter of a tonne, or between 249-318kg.
A pallbearer is one of several participants who help carry the casket at a funeral. They may wear white gloves in order to prevent damaging the casket and to show respect to the deceased person.
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. According to the Ministry of Defence, the bearer party is formed of eight soldiers from the Queen's Company 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards.
Unlike caskets, coffins have six sides to them instead of four. Plus, the top of the coffin is wider than its bottom. Coffins get tapered to conform to the shape of a human form. A coffin also has a removable lid while caskets have lids with hinges.
It has now been confirmed that the Queen was embalmed.
“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 coffin bearers carrying the late Queen Elizabeth II at her funeral were specifically chosen to protect her body after her passing. 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.
Royal Navy sailors have the honour of pulling the State Ceremonial Gun Carriage bearing the Queen's coffin for two miles through the streets of London – a duty they have performed since the funeral of Queen Victoria in 1901.
Queen Elizabeth II's was bigger. There were 2,000 attendees in Westminster Abbey, including nearly 90 world leaders. There were 142 Royal Navy sailors pulling the monarch's coffin afterward, plus 4,000 military personnel on parade.
Perishable gifts are sometimes given to staff or charities if the Royal Family won't use them before they go off, in order to avoid waste. There's an annual review of official gifts in storage, where decisions are made about whether to keep an item there, loan it to another collection, or donate it to charity.
The pallbearers at the late Queen's funeral have been named as recipients of new honours under the Royal Victorian Order. As part of a special set of Demise awards, the men, who were drawn from the Armed Forces, have been recognised for their services at the monarch's funeral.
The other soldiers, from the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, were L/Sgt Alex Turner, L/Cpl Tony Flynn, L/Sgt Elias Orlowski, Guardsman James Patterson, L/Sgt Ryan Griffiths, Guardsman Luke Simpson, and Guardsman David Sanderson.
The crimson flag placed on the coffin is a smaller version of the Royal Standard of the regiment and is made of silk, explained Metro. The monarch's Company Colour is crimson. Queen Elizabeth II held the position of Company Commander of the Grenadier Guards' Queen's Company.
The three relics that rested on the Queen's coffin make up part of the Crown Jewels and date back as far as the 1600s – when the Stuarts were on the throne.
George's Chapel. The Queen was laid to rest, after an elaborate state funeral at London's Westminster Abbey attended by leaders from across the world. More than 26 million people in the United Kingdom tuned in to watch the funeral service on Monday, the first to be televised for a British monarch.
The public will be able to file past the coffin 24 hours a day from 5pm on Wednesday 14 September until 6.30am on the day of the funeral - Monday 19 September. Those wishing to attend will be required to queue for many hours, possibly overnight.