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LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 15: Lord Frost (left by wall) joins members of the public filing past the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard with the Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign's orb and sceptre, lying in state on the catafalque in Westminster Hall, at the Palace of Westminster, ahead of her funeral on Monday, on September 15, 2022 in London, England. (Photo Yui Mok - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
This Fascinating History of the Gun Carriage in Queen Elizabeth’s Funeral
By LESLIE VELIZ
History - Science
Queen Elizabeth’s coffin was moved to Westminster Hall with a gun carriage procession. The tradition of a gun carriage dates back to Queen Victoria’s funeral in 1901 and has since been used by many prominent figures, like King Edward VII, King George VI, and Winston Churchill.
The queen was carried on the gun carriage by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, and the royal navy also pulled the carriage by foot. Sgt. Major Kathryn Cooksley was a member of this service and explained, “It means the world to us because we're not only here on a professional level, we want to make Her Majesty still proud to lay her to rest for the final time.”
Cooksley added, “We want to make all the soldiers of the unit's family proud because it is a huge responsibility for them.” Queen Elizabeth’s funeral is scheduled for September 19 at Westminster Abbey and will be the first funeral held there for a monarch since 1760.