Queen Elizabeth II's coffin was carried on a gun carriage pulled by 98 sailors at her state funeral on Monday.
The team of Royal Navy sailors are known as the Sovereign’s Guard. Forty sailors marched behind the carriage to act as a brake, in a tradition dating back to the funeral of Queen Victoria in 1901.
A bearer party of Grenadier Guards then carried it on their shoulders into Westminster Abbey for the service, then returned it to the carriage around an hour later at the end of the service.
The short procession from Westminster Hall, to the sound of bagpipes and with Big Ben tolling, took around eight minutes. It reformed after the service, with King Charles III leading his family walking behind as the procession made its way across central London.
The wreath which adorns the queen’s coffin includes flowers requested by King Charles.
Cut from the gardens of Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Highgrove House, the flowers and foliage have been chosen for their symbolism.
They include rosemary, for remembrance, and myrtle cut from a plant which was grown from a sprig of myrtle in the queen’s wedding bouquet. Myrtle is often seen as a symbol of a happy marriage.
Also included are English oak to symbolise the strength of love, pelargoniums, garden roses, autumnal hydrangea, sedum, dahlias and scabious.
These are in shades of gold, pink and deep burgundy, with touches of white, to reflect the Royal Standard, which was draped around the coffin.
Laced with tradition
As with much of the proceedings surrounding the death of the queen, and the accession of King Charles, tradition played a huge part in the funeral.
In 1901, Queen Victoria’s coffin was to be carried on the gun carriage through the streets of Windsor. However, in the bitter cold of that February day, the horses which were going to pull it panicked and reared up, threatening to topple the coffin off the carriage.
Capt Prince Louis of Battenberg — who would become First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy — intervened and suggested to the new monarch, King Edward VII, that the senior service step in.
Once this was agreed to, the horses were unharnessed and improvised ropes were attached to the gun carriage, which weighs 3,000 kilograms (2.5 tonnes). The team of sailors was brought in to ensure the coffin was carried safely for the rest of the route.
Only nine years later, at the funeral of King Edward VII, the new routine became enshrined as a tradition which has been followed at all state funerals since. They include those of King George V and VI, Sir Winston Churchill and the ceremonial funeral of Lord Louis Mountbatten, the son of Capt Prince Louis of Battenberg.
Nowadays, the gun carriage is kept under environmentally controlled conditions at a temperature of between 16°C and 20°C and at humidity of between 40 per cent and 70 per cent. This is to prevent it becoming dry and brittle and to stop fungal growth.
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King Charles III in Westminster Abbey for the state funeral of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. PA -
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth is carried into St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle for the committal service. PA -
The hearse arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service. Getty Images -
Flowers are seen on the hearse as it arrives at Windsor Castle. AP -
King Charles and Prince William join the procession in the Quadrangle inside Windsor Castle. AFP -
The procession, led by the dismounted detachment of the Household Cavalry, followed by massed Pipes and Drums of Scottish and Irish regiments, the Brigade of Gurkhas, the Royal Air Force and the Band of the Grenadier Guards, arrives at Windsor Castle. Getty Images -
The hearse travels along the Long Walk as it makes its way to Windsor Castle. Reuters -
The ceremonial procession travels down the Long Walk in Windsor. PA -
The hearse travels to Windsor. Reuters -
The royal corgis await the cortege at Windsor Castle. Reuters -
A member of the Coldstream Guards walks past flowers at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. AP -
A mourner throws a flower towards Queen Elizabeth's hearse as it is driven to Windsor from London. Reuters -
Members of the royal family pay their respects as the hearse carries the coffin of Queen Elizabeth in London. Reuters -
The state gun carriage carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth arrives at Wellington Arch during the ceremonial procession following her state funeral. PA -
The funeral procession marches down The Mall following the service at Westminster Abbey. AP -
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth is carried from her state funeral at Westminster Abbey. PA -
King Charles walks with Princess Anne, Prince Harry and Prince Andrew behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth as it is pulled on a gun carriage through the streets of London following her funeral service. AP -
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Queen Consort Camilla, Prince George, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, stand outside Westminster Abbey after the funeral. PA -
Buckingham Palace household staff pay their respects. AFP -
Mourners pause for two minutes' silence during the funeral service in London. Reuters -
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth, draped in a Royal Standard and adorned with the Imperial State Crown and the sovereign's orb and sceptre, arrives in Westminster Abbey. AP -
Prince William, his wife Catherine, the Princess of Wales, and their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte arrive at Westminster Abbey. AP -
Members of the public watch the funeral from Horse Guards Road in London. PA -
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby speaking during the funeral. PA -
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth is carried into Westminster Abbey, followed by King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla for the state funeral in London. PA -
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth is carried by the Bearer Party into Westminster Abbey. Getty -
King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward arrive at Westminster Abbey. AFP -
Prince William and Prince Harry make their way to Westminster Abbey. PA -
The State Gun Carriage carries the coffin of Queen Elizabeth through central London. PA -
Members of the public on the Mall become emotional during the funeral. PA -
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is placed on a gun carriage for her state funeral service in central London. AP -
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth leaves Westminster Hall. AP -
The Yeoman of the Guard arrive in Westminster Abbey. AP -
Guests take their seats inside Westminster Abbey in London for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth. AFP -
The Royal Marines band marches to Westminster Abbey. Getty Images -
US President Joe Biden arrives for the funeral. PA -
French President Emanuel Macron and wife Brigitte walk into Westminster Abbey. PA -
Metropolitan Police Officers walk in formation down The Mall in preparation for the state funeral Of Queen Elizabeth II. Getty -
A Pearly king and queen, who raise money for charity, on the procession route in London. AFP -
People line the funeral procession route. Getty -
Mourners take a moment to rest on The Mall in London. Reuters -
At 6.28am on the day of her funeral, the final members of the public pay their respects at the coffin of Queen Elizabeth at the Palace of Westminster, London. PA -
London's Westminster Abbey on the day of the state funeral and burial of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. Reuters -
Black Rod, the House of Lords' senior figure, walks through Westminster Hall at 6.30am after paying her respects on the final day of the lying in state at the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in London. PA -
Police on patrol in Whitehall before Queen Elizabeth II's funeral at Westminster Abbey in London. EPA -
People in London camp during the night before the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Reuters -
Vehicles in the motorcade of US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrive to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II in London. Getty Images -
US President Joe Biden accompanied by the First Lady Jill Biden signs a book of condolence at Lancaster House in London. PA -
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro signs a book of condolence at Lancaster House in London, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Reuters -
The first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska (R) views the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, lying in state on the catafalque in Westminster Hall in London. Getty Images -
Oman's Sultan Haitham arrives for a reception hosted by Britain's King Charles III for heads of state and official overseas guests, at Buckingham Palace in London, the night before the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. AP -
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, arrives for a reception hosted by Britain's King Charles III for heads of state and official overseas guests, at Buckingham Palace in London, before the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. AP -
Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati and his wife May sign a book of condolence at Lancaster House in London, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. PA
It was built at the Royal Gun Factory at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, London, to carry the standard light field gun of the army at the time, the breech-loaded 12-Pounder. However, it was converted into a ceremonial gun carriage by fitting a catafalque — a raised platform with horizontal rollers for moving the coffin.
The gun carriage is stored at HMS Excellent on Whale Island in Portsmouth, on England's south coast, where its upkeep is the responsibility of custodian Lt Cdr Paul “Ronnie” Barker.
“We try to keep it at a constant temperature and weekly I go in and turn the wheels a quarter turn to stop them from going egg-shaped with gravity and lots and lots of polishing," he told the PA news agency.
“In preparation for this event, we have increased that polishing 10-fold — if you look at the gun carriage, the barrel itself hasn’t been chromed, that’s years and years of polishing and lots and lots of elbow grease.
“I tend to get upset if I see a new scratch, so I have probably crawled over every single part of it in the past four or five years.”
Cdr Steve Elliott, a staff weapon engineer officer, who was part of the gun carriage contingent, said before the service: “I will have the sombre honour of marching in front of the gun carriage carrying her majesty’s body on her final journey.
“Something perhaps a little more poignant for me is it will be my last action in uniform after 32 years’ service before I actually leave the Royal Navy.”
