The mystery of Prince Philip’s coffin which was made for him many decades ago
By Charlie Proctor 14th April 2021
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Pool / i-Images
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, will be laid to rest on Saturday in a coffin which was made for him over many decades ago.

The coffin is made from English oak and is lined with lead.

The exact circumstances surrounding the coffin’s construction remains a mystery, with there being no record of exactly when the funerary box was made.

According to the Daily Mail, the coffin is so old that nobody at the Royal Undertakers actually knows for certain how long ago it was made.

Leverton and Sons ‘inherited’ the coffin back in 1991 when they became the official Royal Funeral Directors.

Prior to this, another undertaker had possession of the coffin, which in turn had been handed to them from another now defunct funeral director.

As such, there is no record of exactly how old the coffin is, except for the fact it was constructed more than three decades ago.

The Queen has a matching coffin which was created at the same time.

It is tradition that members of The Royal Family are buried in lead-lined coffins.

This helps preserve the body for longer as the coffin becomes airtight, preventing moisture from getting in.

Princess Diana’s coffin weighed a quarter of a tonne, due to the amount of lead lining.

The lead makes the coffin airtight, stopping any moisture from getting in. This allows the body to be preserved for up to a year.

The coffin of Diana, Princess of Wales, weighed a quarter of a tonne due to the amount of lead lining.