The Most Symbolic Moment of the Queen’s Funeral

Yesterday, as I sat, mesmerized, in front of the TV for several hours, soaking in every moment of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, I was particularly struck by the items secured to the top of the coffin.

In fact, throughout the week, as the Queen’s coffin lay in state and people filed past, offering their condolences, I couldn’t help noticing the splendid crown, scepter, and orb sitting on top.

At first I thought, “Wow! Is the crown going to be buried with her?” And then my next thought: “What a security nightmare! That stuff has to be priceless!”

I’ve seen the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London a few times before, and up close and personal, they are even more splendid than they looked on TV. That crown alone must weigh 10 pounds!

According to The Wall Street Journal, the crown alone is priceless.

I kept thinking that, surely, before the casket goes driving through the city in front of thousands of people, they would remove those items and return them to the Tower. No way would they allow these priceless treasures to be exposed to potential theft.

But yesterday, as the casket was walked through the streets of Westminster, returned to Buckingham Palace, then loaded onto a hearse (designed by Her Majesty herself, I heard!), and driven to Windsor Castle, the crown, scepter, and orb remained firmly fastened to the casket for the world to see.

I was astonished and not the least bit curious. Would these really go into the vault with the Queen’s casket to be locked away forever?

My curiosity was satisfied toward the very end of the service at St. George’s Chapel, when, just prior to the lowering of the casket, a tuxedoed man (apparently the “crown jeweler”) walked over to the items and started unfastening the (very secure!) screws that had held them in place throughout the Lying in State period.

“OK, so now they are loosened. Now what?” I wondered.

What took place next took my breath away.

One by one, the scepter, the orb, and the crown, all of which were received by Queen Elizabeth at her coronation, were removed from the top of the casket and placed in the hands of two uniformed men. One man held the scepter and orb, and the other held the crown.

The men then turned to face the altar, and handed each, one by one, to the Dean of Windsor who then took them and placed them on the altar.

I was watching the BBC broadcast at this point, and I’m so glad I was because the words of the commentator made me stop and take notice.

As the orb, which I really didn’t know much about at all, was removed, he said this:

“The orb. The globe of the world, which she received with the words: ‘Receive this orb, set under the cross, and remember that the whole world is subject to the power and empire of Christ our Redeemer.’”

Incredible. Here is the truth of the gospel, played out in front of our eyes.

Finally, the crown was given to the Dean of Windsor who placed it on the altar.

Friends, in that moment I started to cry, not just because of the powerful truth of the symbolism here, and not just because our Walkabout group had talked about this exact thing on the day we visited Windsor and our devotional was on God, Our King. (I’ll have to write another post on the lessons we learned on this.)

I cried because the truth of who God is, who Christ is, was plain for all the world to see. I cried because now Queen Elizabeth has removed her crown and is worshiping her Creator and Savior Jesus Christ, and she knows that He alone is worthy of all honor, glory, and majesty.

And I cried because the words of Revelation 4 immediately sprang to mind, giving me chills.

“And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

‘Worthy are you, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they existed and were created.’”

Even the Queen of England will surrender her crown and cast it before the throne of Jesus Christ. That heavy, spectacular, sparkling, priceless crown has now been surrendered for an even more beautiful one that she has given back to Christ her Savior. The thought makes me weepy!

I’ll be thinking about the Queen’s funeral for a long, long time. Yes, there was pageantry and beauty (did you SEE Kate?!) and maybe even a little drama (hello, Megan).

But mostly, I’ll be thinking about the profound symbolism that the world got to see, if they had eyes to see it. The incredible truth that Jesus, our only and ultimate King, is the one in front of whom all earthly kings and queens will one day bow. Forever. Amen.

“Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousand, saying with a loud voice,

‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might

and honor and glory and blessing!’

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,

‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!’”

Revelation 5:11-13