How do they decide which lads get to be the Queen’s coffin bearers?

[Wenwes]

Such responsibility, and they all looked so young.

When they came into Westminster Hall at a slow march, they definitely appeared to be doing inside outside steps rather than left right steps.

They would be doing inner outer otherwise the coffin would be zigzagging.

All probably the same height and weight

How did the crown stay on top? Genuine question. Even when being pulled by the horse I wondered the same but then to be lifted and carried. I assumed the cushion was attached and the crown but can’t see how. Was no one else worried it would fall off and smash on the Mall or just me 😬

Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey?

Google says 2 miles (although they did a slight detour so slightly more than that).

*Westminster Hall of course (next door anyway)

Ha yes every bump and raising/lowering of the coffin my heart was in my mouth.

Can't answer that question though sadly but am dying to know myself. A magnet of some sort would be explainable I guess.

It isn't actually the tallest but it is important they are all of a similar height in order to distribute the weight evenly. Years ago a close relative was part of a team who had the task of providing the honour guard for military funerals. They were RAF so the optimum height was around 5'10 but as the lads today were guards it may have been 6'.
They do practice with a weighted coffin but nothing compares to the actual event. To do it for the Queen & in front of so many people/cameras just adds to the pressure they already feel to get it right for the family.
Hats off to both the team in Scotland &. today.
They did themselves, the royal family & the nation proud and I say that as someone who isn't particularly pro-monarchy.

Cable ties and and some duct tape 🤣🤣 can you imagine lol..

Those boys done amazingly well , all looked strong and even then some were visibly shaking / sweating but still done the job.

If that were any of mine , my heart would be bursting with pride.

but yes I assumed they were all chosen for exact same height and shoulder height , as it’s the shoulders that were carrying the coffin.
Im sure there were line ups and measurements taken long before the event.

They looked about 6 foot. Any smaller and it’d be harder to take the coffin off the carriage as well as placing it on the platform.

All these things would have been meticulously planned.

I read a fascinating article about lead lined coffins earlier, warning, contains mention of ‘exploding king juice’

iflscience.com/why-is-queen-elizabeth-ii-going-to-be-buried-in-a-lead-lined-coffin-65268

Was no one else worried it would fall off and smash on the Mall or just me 😬
It crossed my mind! And not just that it might fall, but the security implications. I mean obviously it was surrounded by armed guards but even so, I think it's pretty amazing that as well as the Queen's coffin we have priceless jewels on show and pretty much the all the most senior mrmbers of the royal family walking through the streets, completely in the open, with the route publicised to everyone in advance etc. It must be an absolute security nightmare.
And the actual funeral will have all those overseas dignitaries to protect too. I mean, if you were a revolutionary who wanted to assassinate your own head of state it might seem like a great opportunity. Unlike in your own country where they're likely centre stage most of the time and very well protected, most of the presidents and so on who'll be coming will be bit players in this event so kind of vulnerable whilst everyone is literally and metaphorically looking the other way. I imagine our security services have a hugely difficult task keeping everyone safe at all these huge and very public events - hats off to them,

Incidentally, requirements for a Grenadier serving The Queen used to be a minimum height of 6ft 2” I believe. This was dropped not long back to 5ft 10” which enabled the first female to join.

Well I kinda thought we may be able to up the game for the boss just on this occassion 😂

I always greatly admire the pall bearers at royal funerals. A great honour, a huge responsibility and presumably nerve wracking too.

I always feel for those who have to carry those enormously heavy coffins up the steps of cathedrals (or abbeys). Westminster Abbey for instance, has a fair old flight of stone steps up to the doors, and a slight slip would be a disaster. Then getting it down the aisle to the catafalque. And of course back out of the Abbey and down those steps again, into the hearse or onto a gun carriage! It seems quite a feat to me.

I imagine there must be a great sense of pride and relief when all is over and has gone without a hitch.

The young men were absolutely amazing. I held my breath for them. I’ve never really noticed that role before. Their families must be so proud. If it was my son I’m not sure I could bear to watch. So proud of the pageantry.

It did cross my mind too to wonder how the Imperial State Crown and it's velvet cushion were secured. I assume it must have been secured somehow - imagine the scene if it had slipped during the parade or fallen off!

A terrifying responsibility. I couldn't decide if their faces were etched with grief or the sheer strain both physical and emotional. The whole lot I suppose.
They did brilliantly.

Was no one else worried it would fall off and smash on the Mall or just me
At the funeral of George V, the cross on the top of the crown did fall off. Luckily a Sergeant Major marching behind spotted it and scooped it up and dropped it into his pocket.

@TheseusScamander that's not true. You don't have to be 5'10 to join any regiment or corps in the British Army these days.

I remember a guardsman in Welly B who was so small, he didn't pay VAT on some of his clothes
as he could fit into childrens sizes.

Thank goodness he didn't throw in a "shake it all about" as well. It could have gone down as the most famous Hokey Cokey in British history.

That would have been funny!

Time Out interview with Sgt Martin in 2017 suggests to join the Queens protection it was lowered to 5ft 10”.

www.timeout.com/london/blog/things-you-only-know-if-youre-a-grenadier-guardsman-040517#:~:text='The%20height%20requirement%20has%20been,because%20they%20were%20so%20tall.

‘The height requirement has been brought down to 5' 10", but traditionally, if you were in the Queen’s Company within the Grenadier Guards, you had to be 6' 2" or over. They were known as “the models” because they were so tall. I’m 5' 10" myself, so there was a time when I wouldn’t have made it.’

Also, Victorians believed that your body had to be whole to enter heaven - and a sealed, non-decaying coffin will keep your body intact forever ...right?
Re exploding coffins, they put a valve in these days so any build-up of gases gets expelled.