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England’s Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch the royal family has seen, died at age 96 on Sept. 8, 2022. The queen, who guided Britain through the tumultuous 20th century and into the new millennium, died surrounded by her family at her Scottish estate. When her funeral happens, one long-standing trend will end while Queen Elizabeth follows royal family tradition with her coffin.

Queen Elizabeth II attends the 2017 London funeral of Patricia Knatchbull, Countess Mountbatten of Burma. The queen's lead-lined casket is in keeping with recent royal family tradition.
Queen Elizabeth II at a 2017 funeral | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth II will be the first monarch to have a funeral at Westminster Abbey in nearly 300 years

Doctors revealed some health concerns shortly before the queen died. Her death seemed to happen suddenly, but she had planned for her funeral years ago. 

The queen, who reigned longer than any other English monarch will revive a long-dormant tradition by having her funeral at London’s Westminster Abbey. According to the Westminster Abbey website, King George II was the last English monarch to have a funeral there, in 1760. Queen Elizabeth I was buried at Westminster on April 28, 1603.

The funeral will revisit a past tradition, but Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin will keep one long-standing trend going.

The queen will be laid to rest in a lead-lined coffin

The queen’s funeral will take a monarch to Westminster, which is a short distance from Buckingham Palace, for the first time in nearly 300 years. While revisiting that tradition, the queen’s lead-lined coffin will keep one trend going.

According to MentalFloss, the queen had a lead-lined oak casket designed more than 30 years ago. Princess Diana was buried in a 540-pound lead-lined coffin, per MentalFloss. Why include lead lining? It impedes moisture from entering the casket, which slows decomposition. 

Prince Philip, who hid a bizarre detail of his 2021 funeral in plain sight, is expected to have his casket moved from Windsor Castle to be interred with the queen’s, Mental Floss reports.

Queen Elizabeth won’t be buried with her beloved dogs

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The queen had a lifelong love of dogs, especially corgis. She received a corgi as a birthday present as a teenager and bred several generations throughout her life. Two corgis were among the four dogs she had at her death.

Queen Elizabeth might have loved dogs to death, but it’s almost certain she won’t bring them in her lead-lined casket in death. 

The palace has yet to confirm the details, but the speculation is the queen’s beloved dogs will go to her children. 

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