Why is the Queen’s coffin lined with lead?
THE Queen's coffin is made from English oak and lined with lead in keeping with royal tradition.
Her Majesty's casket will be lowered into St George's Chapel's Royal Vault at the end of a poignant committal service in Windsor but why is the coffin lined with lead?
Why is the Queen's coffin lined with lead?
The Queen's coffin is lined with lead to prevent air and moisture getting in, slowing the decomposition process.
Senior members of the Royal Family are buried inside a chamber.
The lead seals the coffin, helping to preserve a body for up to a year.
As well as keeping moisture from getting in, it also ensures toxins from the body don't get out.
Encasing royals in an airtight lead coffin is a royal tradition which dates back hundreds of years.
Similar caskets were used for Prince Philip, Princess Diana and Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
A coffin must be sealed if it is intended for interment above ground.
It is likely this will be the case for the Queen, who be laid to rest in the King George Memorial Chapel in Windsor Castle.
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What is the Queen's coffin made of?
Queen Elizabeth's coffin is made from English oak which is considered to be the strongest of the oaks.
The casket will be lowered into St George’s Chapel’s Royal Vault live on TV.
It will later be retrieved with that of her husband Prince Philip and be buried next to her parents.
Her casket will descend slowly on an electric lift to join the Duke of Edinburgh in the tombs at the end of a poignant committal service in Windsor.
But later, away from the TV cameras, both their caskets will be hoisted back up for a private interment.
The couple will then be moved to the church’s King George VI Memorial Chapel to be reunited with the Queen’s parents, George VI and the Queen Mother, and the ashes of the Queen’s sister Princess Margaret.
King Charles, his brothers Andrew and Edward and their sister Anne are expected to gather as the black Belgian marble stone ledger that covers the tomb is lifted for the first time in 20 years.
Are all Royal coffins lined with lead?
Lead is used to line the coffin of members of the Royal Family.
This is because they are not commonly buried in the ground.
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Their coffins need to be airtight to keep out moisture.
It's also to prevent toxins from the body escaping into the environment.