Here are all the tiny personal touches to the Queen’s funeral you may have missed

As thousands gathered from both within London and around the globe to attend Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, some small, deeply meaningful touches may have escaped the public eye. Following on from the funeral, many heartfelt tributes have come to light to remind us that not only were we saying farewell to a beloved monarch but also to a grandmother, a mother, and – of course – an animal lover.

The flowers

Her Majesty’s wreath, laid upon her coffin, was personally chosen by her son and now King, Charles III. The foliage included flowers cut from Buckingham Palace, from the royal residence on The Mall, Clarence House, and from the family residence of King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort: Highgrove House in Gloucestershire. 

Symbols of strength, remembrance, and love were intertwined into the arrangement. English oak, a traditional British symbol of strength, to recognise the Queen’s devoted duty to her nation, rosemary for remembrance, and finally Myrtle, a historical symbol for a long happy marriage, which was cut from the Myrtle plant grown from a sprig in the Queen’s wedding bouquet from 1947. The card placed on top of the wreath was a handwritten note reading: “In loving and devoted memory, Charles R.”

The Queen’s coffin

Beneath the beautiful wreath was an oak, lead-lined coffin. This is a traditional design chosen for members of the Royal Family or, in some cases, renowned public figures like Winston Churchill. The coffin was constructed around 30 years ago alongside her loving husband’s, The Duke of Edinburgh. 

The lead lining traces back to the Victorian era, with the purpose of an airtight seal for preservation leading to when the deceased is laid to rest above ground. The oak used for royal coffins is often made from the oak on Sandringham Estate, the much-loved country retreat of Her Majesty the Queen, a property bought by Queen Victoria in 1862 for the Prince of Wales. This is the reason why Her Majesty was carried by nine 1^st Battalion Grenadier Guards, as the coffin is estimated to weigh between 250-317kg.