Earlier, around 800 guests attended a ceremonial service before the queen’s burial, where the king and other members of the royal family publicly bid farewell to the queen. During the service the crown jewels – the imperial state crown containing almost 3,000 diamonds, the sovereign’s orb and scepter were removed from the top of her coffin and placed on an altar. The crown, orb and scepter symbolize the monarch’s power and rule and so his removal separated the Queen from her crown for the last time after her 70-year reign. Queen’s coffin lowered into Royal Vault – live updates The Imperial State Crown was the crown she wore when she left Westminster Abbey after her coronation. Made of gold, it is set with 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, 269 pearls and four rubies. The Lord Chamberlain, the most senior official in the royal household, then broke his ‘staff of office’, which was then placed in the coffin, symbolizing the end of the Queen’s reign. The staff breaks to create symmetry with the three organs of state that had been removed from the coffin. Along with the symbolic objects, her coffin was placed on top of flowers collected from the gardens of Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Highgrove House. Image: The Lord Chamberlain breaks his ‘staff of office’ It was accompanied by a handwritten note from King Charles that read “in loving and devoted memory” and was signed Charles R – for Rex, or the king. At the end of the engagement, the king placed the color of the Queen’s Company of the Grenadier Guards on the coffin. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 4:39 Key service moments The service marked the last time the Queen’s coffin was displayed, after which it was lowered into the royal vault, where it will join the coffin of her husband, Prince Philip. The Queen’s final resting place will be the King George VI Memorial, a small annexe to the main chapel – where her mother and father are buried and where the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret, are kept.
