An eyelet hole on one of the horse's harnesses snapped, breaking the hitch to the hearse. In a flurry of panic, horses started bucking wildly and Queen Victoria's coffin very nearly shot out from the back of the carriage which would have sent it flying down the hill.
On the day of the funeral itself, 2 February 1901, panic broke out when the horses pulling the gun carriage on which the coffin rested broke free.
Why did horses not pull the Queens coffin? The steeds' panic threatened to topple the coffin off the carriage, so the sailors had to step in to carry the Queen's coffin – therefore enshrining a new tradition that continues at state funerals today.
SUBSEQUENT STATE FUNERALS
It is said that the tradition of using sailors to haul the gun carriage has evolved because the horses bolted at Queen Victoria's funeral.
On the day of Victoria's funeral in 1901, her coffin was to be carried on the gun carriage through the streets of Windsor. But in the bitter cold of that February day the horses pulling it panicked and reared up, threatening to topple the coffin off the carriage.
Four members of the RCMP, riding horses they had gifted to The Queen, took part in Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's funeral procession in September 2022.
The Queen regularly rode Emma for light exercise in the grounds around Windsor Castle over the last 15 years. Following her attendance at the Queen's funeral procession, Mr Pendry, who accompanied the pony during her appearance, claimed Emma was aware on some level that she will never ride with the Queen again.
The late queen was arguably the most enthusiastic royal owner and breeder of racehorses in British history. The king has so far realised just over £2.25m by selling off her horses, but Charles III still privately owns dozens of thoroughbreds, in training in racing yards or stabled at the Royal Stud.
After developing an interest in horses, Queen Elizabeth inherited the breeding and racing stock of her late father, King George VI. The Queen enjoyed numerous wins with her racehorses over the years, earning the Champion Owner title in British flat racing in 1954 and 1957, according to Racing Post.
Before being placed in her coffin, Victoria was dressed in a white gown and her wedding veil. She had requested that family mementoes be placed inside too, such as Albert's dressing gown and a plaster cast of his hand.
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."
Man detained by police after he 'ran up to Queen's coffin' in Westminster Hall. Mourners watch in shock as a man tries to touch the Queen's coffin, according to onlookers.
Prosecution lawyer Luke Staton, told the court Mr Khan had reached Westminster Hall when he was seen by officers to approach the coffin. "He stepped off the carpet in the direction of the catafalque, then grabbed hold of the Royal Standard flag draped over the coffin with both of his hands," Mr Staton said.
The tradition of wearing only black during the mourning period dates back to medieval times when women were expected to only wear black caps and veils when their husbands died.
Queen Victoria was buried with husband's dressing gown and her wedding veil | Royal | News | Express.co.uk.
When the Queen's coffin is taken to her funeral service at Westminster Abbey it will be carried on a royal navy state gun carriage pulled along by sailors. This royal tradition has been a feature at every funeral for a monarch since Queen Victoria was laid to rest over 100 years ago.
All the King's horses: Charles III will inherit the Queen's beloved racehorses. Following tradition, King Charles III has inherited his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II's collection of racehorses.
King Charles inherits Queen's cherished racehorses to continue her "lifelong passion"
She toasted a winner at Epsom during her Platinum Jubilee celebrations, when Steal A March won the feature 2m7f handicap hurdle. The Queen owned in excess of 100 horses at her death in 2022, and was believed to have earned around £8.7m from prize money down the years.
She also leaves behind her beloved four-legged friends. As she famously said, "My corgis are family." The Queen had four dogs at the time of her death: two Pembroke Welsh Corgis named Sandy and Muick, a Dorgi (Corgi-Dachshund mix), and a Cocker Spaniel named Lissy. Lissy joined the family in January 2022.
King Charles III is selling off some of the racehorses he inherited from his mother the Queen.
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.
Muhammad Khan was booked for breaking the queue and marching towards the Queen's Coffin inside Westminster Hall.
Buckingham Palace said the Yorkshire-bred pony would continue to be much-loved and cared for at the Royal Mews in Windsor.
The four steeds chosen to lead the Queen's coffin procession as it leaves Westminster Abbey were all gifted to her by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, embodying a decades-long bond between the horse-mad monarch and the commonwealth member's famous Mounties.