By Nicole Lyn Pesce September 19, 2022
The flag draped over Queen Elizabeth’s coffin was the Royal Standard, which represents the sovereign and the United Kingdom. England is represented on the first and fourth quarters by three lions and a pheasant; Scotland on the second with a lion rampant; and Ireland with a harp in the third.
The crown the queen wore at her 1953 coronation was placed on top of the Royal Standard. It’s made of gold and set with 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, 269 pearls and four rubies.
Princess Charlotte, 7, marched with her parents, Prince William and Princess Catherine, behind her great-grandmother’s coffin. She wore a brooch in the shape of a horseshoe, which many observers believe is a nod to Queen Elizabeth II’s love of horses.
Every sprig and petal stands for something. There was rosemary for remembrance, myrtle as a symbol of a happy marriage, English oak for the strength of love, and flowers reflecting the colors of the Royal Standard.
To honor the 96 years of the queen’s life, the Tenor Bell was struck once a minute for 96 minutes from 9:24 a.m. local time Monday until 11 a.m.
At the late monarch’s request, the piper played the lament, “Sleep, dearie, sleep” at the end of the funeral services, and was also set to play later when the coffin was lowered into the royal vault at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.