The reason the Queen's coffin was carried through Parliament Square on a 123-year-old gun carriage towed by 98 Royal Navy sailors is because of a near-mishap that occurred during Queen Victoria's procession. Victoria's coffin was to be carried on the 2.5 tonne gun carriage through the streets of Windsor in 1901.
The horses pulling the carriage were then unharnessed and improvised ropes were attached to the gun carriage so the team of sailors brought could carry the coffin safely for the rest of the route.
En route from the hall to the abbey, the Queen's coffin was carried on a 123-year-old gun carriage as part of a procession led by the royal family, Palace guards and 138 Royal Navy sailors. They are known as the Sovereign's Guard and are in place to haul the carriage along with a white rope.
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.
According to Metro, this is because lead seals the coffin from moisture, slowing decomposition for up to a year.
The pallbearers hail from the Queen's Company, the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards. 'It's their role to protect her body, both in life and in death, remaining in the Queen's Company until King Charles decides otherwise,' explained Major Adrian Weale to the PA.
Sailors pull the Queen's coffin rather than horses due to weather tradition - Cheshire Live.
There was nothing they could do, and Burnell-Williams was pronounced dead on the spot. Laura, 42, tweeted an impassioned tribute to her son, Jak, to family and friends, with a photo of the young soldier, adding that she never imagined she would be writing this.
The eight pallbearers who carried the late Queen's coffin have been recognised by King Charles III in a special Royal honours list.
The breaking of the wand of office is a ceremonial tradition which brings to an end the sovereign of a monarch. For Queen Elizabeth II, the wand will be broken and then placed on the late monarch's coffin.
Once in Windsor, the Queen's coffin will join a third procession to St George's Chapel in the castle's grounds, her final resting place. The Queen's cortege will pass through several London boroughs, including Hounslow. 'It is expected that people will want to throw flowers following the procession.
A crew of 98 Royal Navy sailors, known as the Sovereign's Guard, will use white rope to haul the state gun carriage on which the queen's coffin will be placed.
It is flanked by 10 pallbearers and Grenadier Guards. The coffin is draped with the royal standard and adorned with the Imperial State Crown, which the queen wore for her coronation 70 years ago, resting on a velvet cushion and a wreath of flowers.
It is estimated the coffin weighs between 250kg and 317kg. As Royal Family members are buried inside a chamber, rather than directly in the ground, their coffins are lined with lead in order to slow decomposition. The lead seals the coffin and prevents moisture from getting in, preserving the body for up to a year.
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.
Jack Burnell-Williams served with the Household Cavalry, having walked with the Queen's coffin from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch, before he was found dead at Hyde Park Barracks in Knightsbridge just before 4 p.m. local time on Wednesday, per The Guardian.
Where is Queen Elizabeth I buried? Elizabeth I is buried in Westminster Abbey. Her body was first placed in the vault of her grandfather King Henry VII. However in 1606 Elizabeth's coffin was transferred to the Henry VII Chapel in Westminster Abbey, and placed beneath a monument to her erected by King James I.
An 18-year-old soldier has been found dead at an Army barracks in London. Trooper Jack Burnell-Williams, from Bridgend, died on Wednesday after being found unresponsive at Hyde Park Barracks just before 16:00 BST. According to reports, he was involved in the late Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral arrangements.
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.
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.
While it is likely that secretaries, housekeepers, chefs, chauffeurs, gardeners etc. will be kept on, some of the queen's more personal staff may be made redundant or choose to leave the household voluntarily, such as her footmen and dressers.
At the service's conclusion, the Queen's coffin was lowered into the Royal Vault – the resting place of many past monarchs. Below the chapel lie King George III, IV and V, William IV and others. Last year Prince Philip, the Queen's husband, was also laid to rest there.
Soldiers in ceremonial uniform were maintaining a constant, 24-hour vigil around the Queen's coffin at Westminster Hall. While the soldiers were permitted to rotate position every 20 minutes, they were ordered to stand completely still around the four corners of the coffin for six hours a shift.
Part of everyday Naval life, a salute is always made with the palm facing in. Why? Because sailors' hands were generally covered in tar from sails and rigging, and it was deemed unsightly to show an officer or member of the Royal Family a dirty palm.
The gun carriage is from a British Army Ordnance, BL, 12 pdr 6 cwt, MK II, gun and weighs 2.5 tonnes (2.8 tons). The carriage was made by Vickers, Sons and Maxim in 1896 and entered storage at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, being recorded as No. 146.