Lying in state is the tradition in which the body of a deceased official, such as a head of state, is placed in a state building, either outside or inside a coffin, to allow the public to pay their respects. It traditionally takes place in a major government building of a country, state, or city.
Lying in state is when the closed coffin of a sovereign is placed on view, allowing the public to pay their respects before the funeral ceremony. During this period, the coffin rests on a raised platform - known as a catafalque - and is guarded 24 hours a day.
Lying in state is usually reserved for sovereigns, current or past queen consorts, and sometimes former prime ministers. During the formal occasion, the closed coffin is placed on view, as thousands of people queue to file past and pay their respects.
Lying in repose is the tradition in which the body of a deceased person, often of high social stature, is made available for public viewing.
On January 30, 1965 a state funeral was held for Sir Winston Churchill. There have been no other state funerals since then. The Duke of Edinburgh, who died in April 2021, was given a royal ceremonial funeral, rather than a state funeral.
If you're planning to attend a funeral with an open-casket, the body of the person who has died will be visible. For some, this can offer a source of comfort, while others feel uncomfortable seeing the body of their loved one.
An open casket funeral typically has to take place within a few days or a week after the person's death. If the funeral is not going to take place for a longer period of time, then the body may not be able to be preserved well enough to host an open casket funeral. The preferences of the person who died.
OPEN-CASKET FUNERAL ETIQUETTE
If they have an open casket viewing, make sure you follow proper funeral etiquette: DON'T touch the body under any circumstances. Sometimes the casket has a glass to prevent this from happening.
It is a common practice to cover the legs as there is swelling in the feet and shoes don't fit. As part of funeral care, the body is dressed and preserved, with the prime focus on the face. Post embalming, bodies are often placed without shoes; hence covering the legs is the way to offer a dignified funeral.
If you are uncomfortable with an open casket, there is no obligation to view the body. You may enter the room and take a seat without approaching the casket.
In both Edinburgh and London, the coffin will be guarded 24/7 by military guards, with the public able to visit the coffin for 23 hours in the day.
The queen lay in state at Westminster Hall for four days before her funeral and many wondered how her body could stay preserved for so long. 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.
The photos are actually the screenshots of the Dutch comedy TV show “The Evening Show with Arjen Lubach.” Arjen Lubach, host of the program, said that the images taken inside the Queen's coffin were from a live broadcast of the BBC Extra Plus channel. However, the BBC does not have any channels called BBC Extra Plus.
By 50 years in, your tissues will have liquefied and disappeared, leaving behind mummified skin and tendons. Eventually these too will disintegrate, and after 80 years in that coffin, your bones will crack as the soft collagen inside them deteriorates, leaving nothing but the brittle mineral frame behind.
The date of the funeral service- While most funeral services take place within a week of the loved one having passed, sometimes it is not possible to plan it and gather family and friends so quickly. In this case, the body may no longer be presentable and the family may choose a closed casket.
Most modern caskets lock using a universal casket key owned by funeral homes, while older and more affordable models are typically sealed shut using simple metal latches or clasps. Caskets are primarily locked for symbolic reasons and to protect the deceased's body in transport.
It has been used to prevent the odor of decay, to give family members closure and prevent them from witnessing the decomposition of their loved ones, and in many cultures it has been seen as a necessary step for the deceased to enter the afterlife or to give back to the cycle of life.
We don't remove them. You can use what is called an eye cap to put over the flattened eyeball to recreate the natural curvature of the eye. You can also inject tissue builder directly into the eyeball and fill it up. And sometimes, the embalming fluid will fill the eye to normal size.
To Protect the Corpse from Being Stolen. Snatching dead bodies was common in many parts of England and Scotland in the early 1800s. Therefore, graves were always dug six feet deep to prevent body snatchers from gaining access to the buried remains.
Advantages of open-casket funerals
Allows friends and family members to kiss the deceased goodbye one last time. The family can hold the decedent's hand. Everyone can take comfort in seeing the deceased looking beautiful and at peace.
If you are afraid, have someone accompany you to the casket. When viewing the body, it is totally okay to touch the hand of your loved one or even give a kiss on the cheek. However, you should avoid attempting to hug the body. The body will feel cold to the touch.
The deceased's face is sometimes covered before the casket is closed to protect it from the inside lid of the casket. If the face does not need protection, it may still be covered at the funeral as a gesture of comfort, out of respect for the body, or due to Catholic tradition. That's the short answer.
Average Time Between Death and Funeral
With today's preservation methods, families have a bit more time to prepare and get affairs in order. This helps families make arrangements, and to pick a day to hold the funeral. A standard funeral can be up to about 2 weeks after the date of death.
How Long Before a Body Must Be Buried? Decomposition begins once death has occurred, but embalming can slow it down for a short period of time. This extends the amount of time you have to plan an open casket viewing to approximately seven days.
Casket. A casket is often the most expensive item that factors into the average funeral cost. Caskets vary widely in style, material, design, and price. An average casket costs between $2,000-$5,000 and is typically either metal or a cheaper wood, but some caskets can sell for as much as $10,000 or more.