Millions are set to visit the Queen lying-in-state in Westminister Hall. The process is planned to last four days before the state funeral on Monday at Westminster Abbey.
Some while paying their respect have asked how Her Majesty's coffin can be on public display for so long. One undertaker has taken to TikTok to explain the process.
Mortician 'AskTheUndertakr' ordinarily uses the social media platform to answer the public's questions about what happens after we die. According to the Mirror, he has now taken on the royal question and explained what likely happens when a member of the family dies.
It's already been confirmed Queen Elizabeth's coffin is to be lead-lined, which experts have said is to ensure everything stays intact.
Lead-lining is a Royal tradition dating back centuries, as it helps preserve the body for up to a year. But this is likely not the only method used.
"Because of the wealth and the stature and influence that the Royal Family has, they would secure the best embalmers, the best facilities, the best of everything," the undertaker explains. No expense would be spared when it comes to the care and preparation of the Queen's body."
Embalming is a process which has also long been used by Royals, involving preservative fluids being injected into bodies to delay decomposition. "I have every reason to believe that it was only a very short time after her death that the embalming would have occurred," the undertaker added.
"They would have done everything possible to ensure that the Queen's body is well-preserved and restored to an almost near-perfect condition. Everything possible in the embalmer's tool kit, so to speak, to ensure her body will be able to lie in state for the ten-day period and without any ill-effects."
He added: "I also believe that they probably have some cooling devices or something underneath. Perhaps in the bottom of the casket or underneath the stand where she will be laid in state to help with cooling et cetera.
"Again, no expense would be spared. The embalming process would be done by probably the best embalmer in England, in Europe, and it would be done in every possible way so that there is perfection or as close to perfection as one can achieve.
"The embalming process would be very slow. It would probably have gone on for hours." While the Queen's father George VI was also embalmed, previous long-reigning Royal Queen Victoria famously refused to have the process done.
Victoria’s undertakers had to scatter charcoal on the floor of the coffin to combat the smell and absorb the moisture, according to the website History Extra. Luckily, Victoria did not want a period of lying in state or that could have been uncomfortable for the public.
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