Queen Elizabeth II's coffin is actually two coffins.
It's lined with lead.
And it was made so long ago, some details about it have become lost to history.
Here's what we do know about this curious casket.
Operation London Bridge — the protocol for handling the queen's death — was set into
motion as soon as Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022, at the age of 96.
The meticulous planning for her death began shortly after Elizabeth ascended the throne
in 1952, after her father's death.
In a New York Times article, British Commonwealth and history professor Philip Murphy said,
"From the moment the queen became monarch, [the British government] started the planning
process about what would happen when she died."
Throughout the years, those involved in the planning — including the police, the media,
and the government — reportedly met three times a year to discuss and change Operation
London Bridge as necessary.
Even the queen herself was involved in planning her funeral.
"The funeral service will be held at Westminster Abbey, the location where her reign began."
In 2021, Politico obtained the details of Operation London Bridge and outlined the events
that would take place up to 10 days after the queen's death.
The thorough planning, of course, also included the coffin in which Queen Elizabeth II will
be buried.
Members of the royal family are commonly buried in lead-lined coffins, because lead helps
keep the body preserved for longer.
The heavy metal prevents moisture from entering the coffin and slows down the decomposition
process.
According to Technology, the practice dates back quite a while, to when there weren't
other techniques available to preserve a body.
Queen Elizabeth II's coffin was manufactured by a company called Henry Smith, which closed
in 2005.
According to The Daily Mail, the company was established in 1869 and manufactured caskets
by hand.
It's the same company that provided the coffins for other well-known personalities including
Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, actress and singer Diana Dors, musician Jimi Hendrix,
and the queen's late husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.
The Telegraph reports the queen's coffin was ordered and made more than 30 years before
her death.
When Henry Smith closed, the company T Cribb & Sons took over.
Records were lost in the transition, so the exact date of manufacture cannot be determined.
Traditionally, royal coffins are made from English oak taken from the Sandringham estate.
Today, it is rare for coffins to be made of English oak.
It's difficult to procure and is often prohibitively pricey.
Most of today's oak coffins are made from American oak.
The exact details of Queen Elizabeth's coffin are difficult to confirm, as they were lost
with Henry Smith's records.
What is known is that it took about a week for the coffin to be completed.
The detailing on the coffin — fitments, clasps, and handles — was reportedly provided
by the now-defunct company Newman Brothers, a coffin furniture manufacturer that was located
on Fleet Street in Birmingham.
The details were specifically designed for royal caskets, and the fitments were created
to securely hold the queen's orb, scepter, and crown on top of the coffin.
After the queen's coffin was manufactured, it was initially kept and maintained by JH
Kenyon Ltd.
In 1991, it was transferred to Leverton & Sons as the royal family started using that company's
services.
Since Queen Elizabeth II's coffin is lined with lead, it is significantly heavier than
a standard coffin.
Eight pallbearers are required to carry it instead of just six.
Metro reports that Princess Diana's coffin, which was also lined with lead, weighed about
500 pounds.
Queen Elizabeth II's coffin is essentially a coffin within a coffin; the inner coffin
is made of wood and then protected with lead, and it is placed inside an outer coffin.
The process is called the lead shell and case method, according to Telegraph.
Queen Elizabeth II's coffin was first revealed to the public three days after her death.
The Scottish royal standard flag was draped over it.
An arrangement of sweet peas and dahlias picked from the grounds at Balmoral Castle was displayed
on top of her coffin as well, according to France24.
After 10 days of mourning, Queen Elizabeth's remains will be transported to Windsor Castle's
St. George's Chapel.
Like Elizabeth's coffin is one inside another, there's another chapel inside St. George's:
King George VI Memorial Chapel, where Queen Elizabeth's parents, King George VI and the
Queen Mother, are also interred.
The remains of Princess Margaret, the queen's sister who died in 2002, are also in the chapel.