Why are royal coffins lined with lead?
Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, which saw the Great Smog of London, the Suez Crisis, the Vietnam War, the Apollo 11 moon landing, the breakup of the USSR and the invention of the Internet, ends on September 8, 2022 .
Due to long-standing royal traditions, we already know many of the details of the burial.
The procession will unfold over the next 10 days, with planned greetings and various ceremonies. Like Prince Philip, the Queen will be laid to rest in an oak coffin that was designed for her more than 30 years ago and will inevitably weigh a ton because it is lined with lead.
Members of the English royal family are usually buried in lead-lined coffins for preservation purposes. According to Metro, this is because the lead seals the coffin from moisture, slowing decomposition for up to a year. When Princess Diana died in 1997, her coffin also contained this special lining, which is why it weighed almost 540 kilograms.
The English aristocracy followed this tradition for at least four centuries. Westminster Abbey records show that Elizabeth I and Charles II were buried in lead-lined coffins, as well as noblemen such as Sir Francis Drake and respected artists such as George Frederick Handel.
Prince Philip, whose body currently lies in the Royal Vault at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, is expected to be laid to rest with his wife in the coming weeks.
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