What's On The Queen's Coffin? The Royal Standard, Imperial State Crown, the Orb, the Sceptre and flowers explained

As the world says farewell to Queen Elizabeth II we look at the significance of the object placed on her coffin during the State Funeral.

Everything to do with the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II has been meticulously planned – with nothing left to chance.

This includes the objects placed on her coffin, each of which has its own fascinating history and significance.

Here’s what they are, and what they represent.

The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II with the Imperial State Crown resting on top is carried by the Bearer Party into Westminster Abbey during the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II with the Imperial State Crown resting on top is carried by the Bearer Party into Westminster Abbey during the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II with the Imperial State Crown resting on top is carried by the Bearer Party into Westminster Abbey during the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Royal Standard

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The flag that the coffin is draped in is the Royal Standard.

The red, yellow, and blue Standard is split into four quarterings. England is represented in two quarters with three lions passant, with Scotland’s lion rampant in a third quarter and an Irish harp in the final quarter. Wales is not represented in the Royal Standard, due to its special position as a Principality.

The Imperial State Crown

The crown on the coffin is the Imperial State Crown, which is usuall kept in the Tower of London with the rest of the Crown Jewels.

It was made for the coronation of the Queen’s father, King George VI in 1937, and was worn by the Queen for her own Coronation, as well as for the annual State Opening of Parliament.

The solid gold crown is set with 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, 269 pearls, and four rubies.

According to the Historic Royal Palace website: “The crown contains some of the most famous jewels in the collection. These include the Black Prince’s Ruby, the Stuart Sapphire, and the Cullinan II diamond.”

The St Edward’s Sapphire is said to have come from a ring worn by St Edward the Confessor, which was discovered in 1163 when his coffin was moved to another shrine in Westminster Abbey.

The Sceptre

The sceptre represent the crown’s power and governance, and has been used in every coronation since 1661, when it was created for the coronation of King Charles II.

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In 1910 King George V altered the sceptre to incorporate the 530.2 carat Cullinan I diamond – the largest cut white diamond in the world unearthed in South Africa in 1905.

The smaller Cullinan II diamond is set into the Imperial State Crown.

The orb

The last part part of the Crown Jewels placed on the coffin is the orb. also used for royal coronations.

The golden ball is covered with precious stones and has a gem-encrusted cross designed to signify that the monarch's power comes from God. It was created in 1661.

The flowers

The wreath of flowers on the Queen’s coffin contains a number of significant blooms cut from the gardens at Buckingham Palace, Clarence House, and Highgrove House.

They include rosemary for remembrance, English oak for strength of love, and myrtle cut from a plant that grew from a sprig of myrtle that was in Queen Elizabeth's wedding bouquet.

Other plants chosen to refect the colours of the Royal Standard include pelargoniums, garden roses, autumnal hydrangea, sedum, dahlias, and scabious.

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