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Rare English oak lined with lead: Queen Elizabeth II's decades-old coffin
Queen Elizabeth II Funeral: The coffin is made of oak from the Royal Family's Sandringham Estate following royal tradition, Sky News reported.
Queen Elizabeth II, the United Kingdom's longest-reigning monarch, will be buried on Monday in a coffin made of English oak and lined with lead, media reports said. The coffin was reportedly built decades ago. Here are more details on the coffin in which Queen Elizabeth II will be buried:
1. The coffin is made of oak from the Royal Family's Sandringham Estate following royal tradition, Sky News reported.
2. The coffin was originally built by the specialist firm Henry Smith over three decades ago, Telegraph reported.
3. The coffin has been in storage under the care of two different firms since its manufacture.
4. The materials used made the coffin much heavier than a normal coffin thereby requiring eight pallbearers to carry it.
5. Encasing coffins with lead is a practice that dates back hundreds of years in the Royal family.
6. Lead prevents moisture from entering the casket thereby slowing the decomposition process.
7. Similar coffins were also made for UK's former Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Prince Philip and Princess Diana.
