Typically, caskets require six people to carry them, however Her Majesty's coffin is different. The Queen's coffin (which was made thirty years ago) is thought to weigh anywhere between 250kg and 317kg, due to it being made from oak with brass fittings and lead lining – which is used to slow decomposition.
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.
Lance Sergeant Alex Turner, Lance Corporal Tony Flynn, Lance Sergeant Elias Orlowski, Guardsman Fletcher Cox, Guardsman James Patterson, Lance Sergeant Ryan Griffiths, Guardsman Luke Simpson, and Guardsman David Sanderson carried the coffin as millions of people watched the funeral last September.
As for who those pallbearers are, the group is made up of eight 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, some of whom were flown back from their placement in Iraq to carry out the duty. The Grenadier Guard – whose company commander was the Queen – is the most senior, regular Army regiment and dates back to 1656.
Typically, there are a minimum of four pallbearers, though six can also be used depending on the weight of the coffin. Pallbearers will either carry the coffin at waist height, on their shoulders, or wheel it in with the assistance of a small trolley, known as a wheel bier.
Can Couples Be Placed in the Same Coffin? While it may be possible if there is a big enough coffin and plot to accommodate the couple, there are many other logistical constraints that may not permit this to happen. Having a large enough casket for two may not be easily transportable.
As a rule, four or six Pallbearers carry or escort a coffin at the funeral. As a rule, the people chosen to do this are usually very close family members and friends. Moreover, family and friends may ask to carry out this important funeral role.
The coffin bearers at the Queen's funeral are from a unit of which the late monarch was Company Commander. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The men have now been made recipients of honours under the Royal Victorian Order, bestowed independently from Downing Street as they are in the King's gift. Read more about the secret art of being a royal pallbearer and who carried the late Queen's coffin.
He was believed to be one of the newest recruits to the Household Cavalry. An Army spokesman said: "It is with sadness that we can confirm the death of Trooper Jack Burnell-Williams on 28 September 2022 at Hyde Park Barracks.
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.
Following the service, the Queen's coffin will now make its way to Windsor, where she will be buried with her beloved late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh. The coffin will be taken to Wellington Arch, Hyde Park Corner, as members of the public watch on, before it is taken to Windsor Castle.
Hauled by the Royal Navy
Royal Navy sailors will use ropes to pull the queen's lead-lined coffin mounted on a gun carriage from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey.
It was just something that happened and I accepted that, as I am sure many others do. 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.
In most instances, men are pallbearers, so it seems like the norm. However, there is no cultural or religious customs stating that women can't serve as pallbearers. The only reason why they don't do this job is that they may not be strong enough to lift the casket, which can sometimes be quite heavy.
Are coffins sold back to the funeral director for re-use? No. The coffin and the body inside are cremated together. There are occasions where the deceased or the family of the deceased has opted for using a cardboard coffin in which their loved one will be cremated.
Capacity of the grave
Graves can be for a maximum of three full earth burials, depending on ground conditions in the cemetery. The depth has to be determined with the first burial. In a dedicated cremation plot, designed solely for cremated remains, ten caskets can be interred.
The number of people allowed in a single space depends on the plot, cemetery, and body disposal method: Single-space plots hold a single casket with one body. Double-depth companion plots hold two stacked caskets. A single urn is usually buried in a plot specifically designed to hold urns (like in urn gardens).
The Regulation does not allow more than one body to be cremated in the same crematory retort at the same time to ensure that the ashes they receive are not a mixture of ashes from different people. It is for this reason that cremation authorities no longer attempt to separate wood ash from human ash.
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.
The coffin bearers carrying the late Queen Elizabeth II at her funeral were specifically chosen to protect her body after her passing. The late Queen Elizabeth II was Company Commander for the soldiers picked to be pallbearers for the funeral. The men, part of the 1st Battalion ...