The government has warned people could face 30-hour waits to get in. They will walk by the Queen's closed coffin, which rests on a raised platform, known as a catafalque, beneath the 11th Century hall's medieval timber roof.
and some seriously creepy photographs. here's why Royals never have open caskets during their funerals. before her funeral on Monday September 19th Queen Elizabeth II's body laid in state so that mourners could pay their respects.
The coffin is closed on the platform, called a catafalque, and is draped in the Royal Standard flag. The Orb and Sceptre, which are part of the Crown Jewels and are used at the monarch's coronation, are also placed on top.
Queen Elizabeth's casket will also be closed during her funeral. According to Mental Floss, members of the royal family are buried in lead-lined coffins, which stay closed during the funeral to prevent decay.
For open casket viewings family members are often given private time to view the body to allow them to grieve. Generally, you are not allowed to touch the body or make any comments about the person's appearance.
The answer is no; all of the organs remain in the body during the embalming process. Instead, the Embalmer makes small incisions in the abdomen and inserts tubes into the body cavity. These tubes pump a mixture of chemicals and water into the body, which helps to preserve the tissues and prevent decomposition.
However, you can give a gentle kiss on the cheek or touch the hand. Keep in mind though that the body will feel cold and hard to the touch. If you're taking your kid with you, let them know in advance about the occasion so they don't feel uncomfortable. You may also stand further away from the casket.
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.
King Charles, 73, marched behind the coffin alongside his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, with several other members of his family — including Prince William, Prince Harry and Princess Anne — following behind, with the brothers walking side-by-side behind their aunt and uncles.
After her funeral at Westminster Abbey on Sept. 19, the Queen's coffin will be transferred to Windsor Castle, which is about 20 miles outside of Central London. The Queen will be buried there as part of a long history of burials at the site, including 10 former sovereigns. St.
George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, the Crown Jeweller removed the Imperial State Crown and the Orb and Sceptre from the Queen's coffin before it was lowered into the royal vault.
Due to the lead lining of the coffin, the casket would be very heavy. It has been estimated that it would weigh between 250kg and 317kg.
As detailed by Express, the English Oak coffin itself is estimated to weigh at least 550 pounds and up to 700 pounds. But why? Well, it's lined with lead, which has been a royal tradition since the Victorian era. Back in the 1800s, sealing a body air-tight inside a coffin was important for above-ground resting.
On top of the coffin were three wreaths of white flowers from her brother, the Earl Spencer, and her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. There was also a letter from Prince Harry on her coffin addressed to "Mummy".
People who want to view the queen's coffin can do so 24 hours a day from 5 p.m. local time (1600GMT) Wednesday until 6:30 a.m. on Monday, the day of the state funeral.
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.
A card atop the Queen's coffin bore a poignant message from King Charles III- the new monarch of Britain for his mother. The card placed on the Queen's coffin, alongside flowers, read: "In loving and devoted memory. Charles R."
It was difficult to read, but the note on top of the Queen's coffin in Westminster Abbey carried a heartfelt final message from a mourning son. Handwritten by King Charles III, it read: "In loving and devoted memory. Charles R."
What happens after the funeral? After the funeral in Westminster, the Queen's coffin will be transferred to Windsor Castle, where there will be a committal service in St George's Chapel. She will be buried in the castle's King George VI Memorial Chapel, alongside her father, her mother, and her sister's ashes.
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.
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 is generally considered inappropriate to touch the body at an open casket funeral. If you want to touch their hand as you say goodbye or perhaps put something in the casket like a note or a small trinket, you should speak to the family in advance.
This means the body will not be displayed for the service and, in most cases, will not be embalmed. During a visitation or wake, there are scenarios where the individual has been viewed but has chosen to keep the casket closed for the funeral. Some individuals will have mixed emotions around seeing the body.
But by 50 years, the 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.
Before the embalming begins, the body is washed in a disinfectant solution. Limbs are massaged to relieve the stiffening of the joints and muscles. Any necessary shaving would also take place at this time. Your loved ones eyes are closed using glue or plastic eye caps that sit on the eye and hold the eyelid in place.