Royal Funerals and Mourning

[LadyFinn]

King George V lies in State
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The coffin of the late King George V is carried into the chapel at Windsor for his funeral 1936
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The representatives from foreign countries who took part in the funeral procession of the King George V through the streets of Windsor.
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The funeral procession the King George V
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The new King Edward VIII of England takes part in the funeral procession of his late father King George V
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The funeral procession the King George VI on February 15th 1952
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Men standing by the Casket of King George VI as he was lying in state in the St. Mary Magdalene Church.
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Guardsmen pallbearers are carrying te coffin of King George VI from the train that bore it from Sandringham to London.
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[radin87]

Yes, it is the same as Malaysia.
The mourning period is 40 days.

[PrinceOfCanada]

In the UK, the Throne passes to the new Sovereign at the moment of the previous Sovereign's death. Coronation is not actually required. Typically in the UK, the new Sovereign will wait at least one year, as it would seem inappropriate to have a jubilant celebration (the coronation) during the traditional (Victorian, I think) 1 year of mourning.

[Jim]

According to the records in the site for St. George's chapel the coffin of Princess Beatrice was transferred to St. Mildred's Church, Whippingham,
Isle of Wight on 27 August 1945. The burial service was private with only her son and I believe Princess Marie Louise attending.

[David Smith]

Is there a book covering royal tombs and/or funerals? Burial sites of European monarchs - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia is a listing of royal burial sites. The Find-A-Grave web site (see Find A Grave - Windsor Castle (St. George's Chapel) for an example) provides photos of several royal tombs.

[No1_Saint]

These can be one of the largest and most grand occasions ever. I respectfully look forward to the funeral of HM Queen Elizabeth the Second. It will be amazing.

I thought it might be nice to see how different royal families mourn significant members of their rank. The Maori Queen's funeral was spectacular and was almost a week of public mourning and rites.

Green is the traditional colour of mourning for Maori. The majority of the funeral rites were conducted on the sacred courtyard of her official home of Turangawaewae Marae in Ngaruawahia. Royalty from Tonga, Cook Islands, Hawaii and Fiji arrived in official delegations and paid respects to Te Arikinui Te Atairangikaahu.

Here are some pictures.

Close female relatives of the Maori Queen sit in vigil during the entire mourning process. Her eldest child and daughter Heeni takes the place of chief mourner to the left.

Former prime minister of New Zealand pay their respects.
Maori elders ritually welcome visitors to the marae atea (sacred courtyard)

http://cache3.asset-cache.net/xc/716...1F19EEEB4B00E7

Prime Minister Helen Clark was afforded a special place during her official welcoming.

Te Ata's oldest son...Tuheitia was raised up as the new Maori King besides his mother's closed coffin. Maori monarchs are elected in secret by the council of chiefs. The people did not know who their new monarch would be until he walked into the sacred courtyard in procession.

The royal barge that transported her to the sacred mountain of Taupiri where all 5 predecessors are buried.

http://cache4.asset-cache.net/xc/716...C3DB1D2EA1C136

A small flotilla of war canoes accompanied her down the Waikato river.

[Catherine Helvin]

I once heard that Princess Diana's coffin weighed some 40 stone. How did they arrive at that figure, and is this a typical weight for a royal coffin?

[LordMountbatten]

Queen Victoria even mourned the death of her much love husband, Prince Albert, for the rest of her life.

[No1_Saint]

Originally Posted by Catherine Helvin

I once heard that Princess Diana's coffin weighed some 40 stone. How did they arrive at that figure, and is this a typical weight for a royal coffin?

Traditionally royal coffins are lead lined, hence the seemingly excessively heavy coffin.

[buckbeakbabie]

Originally Posted by norwegianne

King Olav died in January 1991, and King Harald received the blessing from the bishops in Nidarosdomen in June the same year. However, he swore to uphold the Constitution four days after his father's death.

How long the period of mourning lasts, varies, I think. There is the heavy period of mourning, which I've read lasts for about three months, where in the Royal Family doesn't undertake any official engagements.

Does anyone know if the period of mourning would extend to things such as the state opening of parliament in the UK? They couldn't delay that for 3 months, could they? Would the new sovereign perform necessary duties like that, and just cancel all the other royal engagements?

What about things like Remembrance Sunday?

(I have a lot of 'what if' questions, apparently...)

[Jacknch]

I would imagine that if such events as the State Opening of Parliament fell during the period between the death and the funeral, it would be delayed until after the funeral. With regard to Rememberance Sunday, I cannot imagine that it would be postponed or delayed at all. I'm not sure whether there is a recent precedent here in the UK where a monarch or senior royal has died at a time where a major national event is about to take place.....anyone else know?

By the way, I do like "what if" questions so keep them coming!

[buckbeakbabie]

I actually just found out that Queen Elizabeth II didn't open Parliament on two occasions - when she was expecting Princes Andrew and Edward. She empowered Lords Commissioners to do it for her. A new monarch could do similar. And I suppose another member of the Royal family could do Remembrance Sunday...

It's interesting to think about, because I'm not sure how patient the world's media is nowadays. I'd imagine they'd be clamouring for the new King, and wanting to see him perform the 'big' official duties. The whole concept of mourning is very different now to what it was in the 1950s... I wonder if it wouldn't be that things along the lines of the State Opening of Parliament would be done by the new King, but minor official engagements would be cancelled for a period of months. But that's just a theory, really...

(Yes, what if questions are so much fun...)

[vkrish]

Can someone tell me who attended the funeral of Queen Maud from BRF? Did George VI attend?
I know usually the monarch doesnt attend foreign funerals. But this is his own aunt by blood, and his grandfather's only surviving cjild. He could have attended it.
The Queen has attended all funerals of her uncles/aunts, even those ny marriage..

[wbenson]

This contemporary article doesn't list George VI as attending, only the Duke of Kent.

[An Ard Ri]

Funeral of HRH Infante Carlos of Spain,Duke of Calabria and Count of Caserta.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgmDrWHYW4c

[CyrilVladisla]

[QUOTE=magnik;709149]The funeral of Queen Victoria took place 2nd February 1901
The Funeral at Windsor of Queen Victoria. The Royal Windsor Website.com by ThamesWeb
The video expressed: This video is unavailable.
Please try:

YouTube - The Funeral of Queen Victoria 1901

[principessa]

After we have seen an "amazing" (I can't decide, which word could be telling my words) state funeral for Queen Elizabeth I wonder how mourning and funerals of other monarchs in the world looks like? Is there always a lying-in-state? Are there always attending heads of state? And so on.

[Friedrich Karl II]

Originally Posted by principessa

After we have seen an "amazing" (I can't decide, which word could be telling my words) state funeral for Queen Elizabeth I wonder how mourning and funerals of other monarchs in the world looks like? Is there always a lying-in-state? Are there always attending heads of state? And so on.

IIRC pope John Paul II's funeral was much smaller thing. There might had been some lying-in-state thing but not such as the queen had.


I cant't remember what Olav V's funeral was altough I watched some parts on TV. But I think that that was smaller event. And I don't think that Rainier III's funeral was very big event either.


So it seems that the queen's funeral was really big thing. But considering how notable event Otto von Habsburg's funeral was, I would imaginate them having quiet massive event if their empire would had lasted to this day.

[Mbruno]

I understand that, following the interments of the late Count and Countess of Barcelona, all sepulchres in the Pantheon of the Kings at the Royal Monastery del Escorial will be filled. Has a decision been made yet where King Juan Carlos and the present King of Spain and their consorts will be buried?

[Blog Real]

Originally Posted by Mbruno

I understand that, following the interments of the late Count and Countess of Barcelona, all sepulchres in the Pantheon of the Kings at the Royal Monastery del Escorial will be filled. Has a decision been made yet where King Juan Carlos and the present King of Spain and their consorts will be buried?

Nothing about it has been released yet. But they can be buried in the Royal Monastery del Escorial, some time ago there was talk of an expansion, but then nothing more was said.