As we near Queen Elizabeth II's funeral, having already witnessed the momentous and reverent procession through Edinburgh and also through the streets of London to where she currently rests in Westminster, questions have begun to emerge around what clothes and jewellery the late Queen will be dressed in for her burial.
And it seems, as we inch closer to the state funeral on Monday, September 19, that true to form for a Queen that loved nothing more than hiking through the highlands in waterproofs and a headscarf in her off duty time, she will be laid to rest in an outfit that shirks the pomp and circumstance of her life as reigning monarch. According to experts, she will be buried with just two sentimental pieces of jewellery.
Lisa Levinson, head of communications at the Natural Diamond Council, has told Metro: 'Her Majesty is an incredibly humble woman at heart who is unlikely to be dressed in anything but her simple Welsh gold wedding band to rest and a pair of pearl earrings.'
Levinson predicted her engagement ring, which Prince Philip created using diamonds from a tiara that belonged to his mother Princess Alice of Battenberg, will be passed on to Princess Anne.
Prince Philip's close involvement in the design of the Queen's engagement ring resulted in the creation of a platinum set sparkler with eleven natural diamonds.
These include a three-carat round solitaire diamond and five smaller stones set on each side.
Levinson added: ‘Her Majesty’s life has always been about the legacy of the royal family, in the UK and Commonwealth; her jewels form very much part of that legacy.’
Mok O’Keeffe of LGBTQ+ royalist group GayAristo told the same news outlet the late monarch was a 'modest woman', so her wedding band is the only jewel she'll need to be buried with.
'This simple act of love seems fitting for a woman who actively enjoyed the simple things in life and, because of her strong faith, believed that she would enjoy the riches of heaven,' he said.
He added: 'Many of the jewels she wore form part of the history of the country and will be passed to the future Monarch and the Queen Consort, for the remainder of their lives.
We are yet to learn what outfit the late Queen will be dressed in, though in all likeliness, it will follow the same trend for elegant, meaningful simplicity that is being observed for the choice of burial jewellery.
However, details about how her coffin will be dressed have been revealed.
The Royal Standard, a flag that represents the Sovereign and the UK, will be draped on her coffin, accompanied by the Imperial State Crown, complete with more than 3,000 encrusted gemstones.
It's understood to weigh five pounds and comprises 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, 269 pearls, and four rubies.
The Queen only wore the crown on formal occasions, including the State Opening of Parliament.
Myriad precious stones feature, such as St Edward’s Sapphire, the oldest gemstone in the collection.
The Sovereign’s orb and sceptre, made of hollow gold and complete with more than 600 precious stones, including 30 rubies and a dozen diamonds, will also be on the coffin.
Her Majesty will be buried with her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh in King George VI’s chapel in Windsor Castle.
She will also be beside her father King George VI and mother, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
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