THE QUEEN’S state funeral will take place on Monday, September 19 at Westminster Abbey.
Here we take a look at who has carried Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin so far and what a pallbearer is.
Who has carried the Queen’s coffin?
According to the Ministry of Defence, the bearer party will be formed of eight soldiers from the Queen’s Company 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards.
Pallbearers from the Queen’s company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards carried Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin inside Westminster Hall on September 14, where she lied in state until the day of her funeral on September 19.
While we don’t know everyone who has carried the Queen’s coffin, ITV reported that Fletcher Cox, 19, from Jersey, was part of the eight man bearer party.
Another named pallbearer is young soldier Ben Tubuna from Fiji who was specially selected as one of the Queen’s pallbearers in the Edinburgh ceremony on September 11.
Tubuna was seen helping carry the coffin outside the Palace of Holyroodhouse as it entered St Giles’ Cathedral.
The bearer party carries the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II into Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday.
Tubuna, from the Rewa province, lives in Inverness and is part of the Royal Regiment in Edinburgh.
The 21-year-old, acknowledged the privilege he had been given to be a part of the momentous occasion, he told the Fiji Times: “I felt blessed that being a Fijian, I was given such an important task.
“But I accepted it with humility because this is my job – it is a role I have to fulfil as a soldier.”
The remaining seven pallbearers in Edinburgh had been selected from the Queen’s Colour Squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF).
The 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards provided the pallbearers for the
Who are the Bearer party?
The bearer party around the coffin will be formed of troops from The Queen’s Company 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards.
At 10.35am on Monday, September 19, 2022, the bearer party made will take the coffin from Westminster Hall to the gun carriage which will transport it to Westminster Abbey.
Once the procession has arrived at the west gate of the Abbey at 10.52am, the pallbearers will lift the coffin from the gun carriage and carry it inside for the funeral.
After the service the bearer party will once again lift the coffin and transfer it to the gun carriage.
A procession to Wellington Arch with the Royal Family walking behind will then take place with the coffin flanked by the bearer party.
What is a pallbearer?
A pallbearer is someone who helps carry the coffin or casket into the funeral venue and to the burial site.
Often close family members and friends of the deceased are chosen for this solemn honour.
There are usually six or eight pallbearers depending on the size of the coffin.
Before the funeral service or mass, pallbearers gather around the casket and slowly carry it down the aisle to the front of the church or place of worship.
After the service or mass, pallbearers carry the casket out of the church or place of worship and to the hearse.
Pallbearers place the casket on a special piece of equipment that lifts it to the back of the hearse.
Why do pallbearers wear white gloves?
Pallbearers wear white gloves in order to prevent damaging the casket and to show respect to the deceased person.
This protocol was introduced as early as the 1700s.
They were a symbol of purity and considered a symbol of respect and honour
