Is lying in state a closed coffin?

[GreenGreenGrassBlue]

I’m from a country where all our funerals are open coffin so we follow that culture here too and bring the body home for family and friends to visit. I’m assuming it’s a closed coffin due to the number of days for the Queen?

Queen Elizabeth II will have a open coffin when she is lying in state at Westminster Hall before she’s taken to Westminster Abby for her funeral service

Don’t know why people are so weird about open casket ! The op was just curious. I personally have only ever been to open caskets and I think it’s lovely to get to see the person and say your goodbyes and spend some time with them.

but I guess it’s not the norm here so that’s fine.

Where did you learn of that please.

No she will not!!!!

The coffin will be closed, covered by the Royal Standard and her Crown and coronation regalia placed on top.

Where on earth are you getting your info from - it's utter shite.

When my late DPs mum died her coffin was open in the living room the night before the funeral. I didn't find it horrible but it wouldn't have been my choice and DP was quite freaked out by it. I preferred to remember her the way she was.

I think it depends on the cultural norm you are used to.

When DP died his body had been badly affected by his illness and I had no desire to remember him like that.

A dear friend died in her early 30’s. She was Greek and her family invited us to the house first before the funeral. What I wasn’t aware of was she would be there in an open coffin as per their tradition. They must have assumed I was familiar with this tradition and knew what to expect but I didn’t I had no idea. She’d been dead over 2 weeks. I was horrified by what I saw. I’d never seen a dead body before, least of all one that long after death. That is the lasting image I have of someone so dear to me. Even now when I look at photo’s of her I get a flash of memory of the open casket. I never want to see that again especially of loved ones. I want to remember them as they were when they were alive.

What an unfortunate situation!! I truly sympathize with you.

A day or so after the death, maybe, but two weeks?

I hope you can remember your friend in her vibrant days.

A family seeing the body of a close relative is one thing; making a public spectacle of it is quite another.

no i dont like open caskets i saw my mum die and then lie there for a few hours not something i want to se again

I think that. Can you imagine (god forbid ) if some nutter tried to do something? I think the body is elsewhere and it's all just for show tbh. Probably being flown down in an unmarked plane.

I seen my mum in an open coffin at the funeral directors in the chapel of rest. You can only visit for five days after death. No she didn't smell because of the embalming they do. After five days the coffin is closed.

Open caskets are normal for us (South Asian here too) but not for British people. It varies culturally. I personally am not a fan other than close family I have no desire to see the face of a dead person.

That being said there's no need for the vitriol towards ops post, she asked a question and it's been answered.

Mumsnett is so catty lately no need for alot of it.

This is an interesting thread so thank you for your question OP. Sorry about some of the useless replies you're getting. You can clearly tell which people have travelled the world or made an effort to get to know people of different backgrounds just from the answers to this thread.

Open caskets aren't "odd" or "weird" or all the other nonsense spouted.

Listen up people. Death is as much a part of life as, life. It's not some state of humiliation or defeat that has to be hidden away. Open or closed, both are good. Just do you.

That’s true.
A person whose spirit has flown looks so very different to when they were alive,
It really seems as if the body is just a discarded shell.
Even with animals it’s different.
Hope there IS a Heaven where we are reunited with loved ones and animals.

I'm so sorry to hear this. In my culture the body is buried within 24 hours so there's none of this. But I have seen open caskets of other cultures too but nothing as late as this. This is really unfortunate for you 💐

I too thought that!
Like the Cullinan 💎 Diamond, The Queen could be taken on a private plane to evade any attempts to disrupt her Casket.
But that’s just conjecture.

My ex husband died a few months ago. It was 3 days before he was found, then 2 weeks at the mortuary for the post mortem before being moved to the funeral home.

Embalming or ‘Hygiene treatment’ as they called it was stated as a standard, I didn’t realise I had an option.
They offered an open coffin for me to view, which surprised me after the time that had passed, I said no.

Having since read the post mortem report I think I’m glad I didn’t see him but still feel guilty for saying no.

Anyway, my point is it’s interesting to read everyone say embalming is not a standard procedure. 🤔

I might be losing it completely, but I'm sure I read that the Queen was in an open casket in the ballroom at Balmoral, before she began her journey back to London.

If she was, and that helped her family, that's wonderful.

Your grandad would probably have been kept at a very cold temperature at the undertakers, and only put in the coffin on the day of the funeral so this would have prevented issues.
The Queen's body will have been at room temp on the Balmoral ballroom and will continue to be at room temps ( albeit a cool room temp) during her lying in state, hence the need for a lead lined coffin.

She might well have been, which would have been nice for the family and those close to her who knew her as a private person Elizabeth not just The Queen.

I'm sure it would have brought them much comfort to see her at rest.

Over the course of the last century so many funeral rituals have changed in this country.

The now common cremation was something abhorrent not that long ago.

As the funeral industry became big business, we became more and more detached from looking after our own. Practices such as wakes at home went out of fashion and instead of being seen as a natural part of the grieving process. It’s now seen as strange or odd or worse in some quarters.

Open casket funerals are very common in many communities in the UK, there is definitely a sense of closure for me. You can see the shell but appreciate that the essence has gone as despite many a good make up artist, they just don’t look right.

As for those saying but this is our queen. There is historical precedence of pictures being released of UK Royals on their death bed or lying in state including Edward VIi for example.

She has been embalmed! There will be no issues!

Royal bodies are all embalmed. There is a practical reason for this. They are put in a vault. They’re not buried - the coffin is on a stone table in a room, forever. The embalming process essentially removes the decay factor. Google it if you want to know the intricacy but honestly, it is perfectly possible to embalm a body in a way that basically preserves it ad infinitum.

Yes. I have seen many close people to me die and at a young age. My aunt and father in their 40s. I saw my Dad just after he had died, he was still warm but I can’t describe how he looked it was empty. Gone.

When we brought his body home we had so many people want to see him. But it was out of respect for us. Having not known a Royal funeral I wanted to ask/understand.

I’m glad people are talking about different funeral rituals. I’m glad we are seeing the Royal family show their grief it’s important they grieve together but show the world it’s normal to show your feelings, not cover it up.

You can see photos of Queen Victoria and husband Albert in an open coffin online. Also Edward vii. None after that.