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Even British austerity couldn’t stop Elizabeth II from walking a spider over her coffin (and other details that might have escaped her).

September 20, 2022
Matt Carlson

Why wait for Joe Biden to get in? Why does the Queen’s youngest grandson have medals? The state funeral of Elizabeth II was followed by millions of people who did not miss a few curious details. Here are the facts behind some of the issues raised on social media

The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II took place Planned down to the smallest detailFrom whom the 2,000 guests receive their invitation to enter Westminster Abbey (and where they will sit), the flowers, the music and the choice of accessories – so that nothing escapes protocol.

The details were precise and did not escape the scrutiny of millions of people who followed the ceremony in person, on television or on social media. Even a spider was the subject of Twitter:

Joe Biden arrived late and had to wait to be seated

If the British are known for their punctuality, Americans… not really. Evidence of this is Joe Biden’s delay, which earned him a spot earlier than expected.

As reported Guardian, the US President and First Lady chose to travel to Westminster Abbey in their own car (rather than the bus followed by other guests) for safety reasons, but were stuck in London traffic. Also, upon arrival, rather than being immediately escorted to their seats, the couple should be kindly told to stand and wait while the parade of medals passes in front of them. Joe and Jill Biden sat 14 rows back — ten minutes later than expected.

The US President sat behind Polish President Andrzej Duda and in front of Czech Republic Prime Minister Petr Fiala. Seated to her husband’s left, Jill Biden sat next to Swiss President Ignacio Cassis. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was on the front row for the American pair.

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Why does everyone seem to have medals?

“Why is the Queen’s youngest grandson wearing medals at 14?” “What about Mike Tyndall, who was never in the army?” These were some of the questions that surfaced on social media as the royal family entered the Abbey for the ceremony. And there is an explanation: from the beginning, the medals in question were not military, but civilian.

Prince James, Viscount Severn, is the son of Prince Edward – the Queen’s fourth child – and Princess Sophia Rhys-Jones. It showcased a medal for Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, celebrated in 2012, and another for the Platinum Jubilee marked this year. Apart from the young prince, all of the Queen’s children and grandchildren were given a commemorative medal.

Former rugby player Mike Tyndall, who married Princess Anne’s daughter, wore an MBE (“Member of the British Empire”) medal of merit awarded to him for his contribution to the game, as well as the late Queen’s Diamond and Platinum Medals.

Code of accessories

If there have been differences in the relationship between Kate and Meghan in recent years, this Monday the sisters-in-law were harmonious in their choice of accessories. In fact, all the royals attending the Queen’s funeral (except Princess Anne) arrived at Westminster Abbey in accordance with protocol: black dress, traditional black hats or ‘mourning veils’. According to British media, all royal women must wear “mourning jewels”, usually pearls, which are believed to symbolize tears of sadness.

Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II (Associated Press)

The Princess of Wales wore a necklace from Queen Elizabeth II’s personal jewelery collection. The necklace, made of four rows of pearls and a clasp, was often worn by the monarch in the late 1980s. The Duchess of Sussex wore a pair of pearl earrings given to her by the Queen a few years ago.

Kate and William’s daughter Charlotte wore a diamond horseshoe brooch to symbolize the Queen’s passion for horses.

The mystery of paper

Jewels and guests aside, attention turned to a piece of paper: at the beginning of the ceremony, a bishop shuffled a pile of papers in his hands and accidentally dropped one of them. The white paper flew from her hand onto the floor of Westminster Abbey, landing visibly next to the Queen’s casket.

After the fall, social media posts about the piece of paper multiplied. The incident quickly captured the public imagination – creating a Twitter account identified as @FuneralPaper and creating an autobiography titled “#Papergate”. But some answers.”

The Queen’s dogs watched the casket arrive at Windsor

The Queen’s two corgis await the arrival of Elizabeth II’s casket at Windsor (Getty)

After the state funeral, the Queen’s two corgis, Sandy and Muick, were brought out into the street by a royal official to see Elizabeth II’s casket arrive at Windsor Castle. A symbolic moment that reminds us once again of the importance of animals to the Queen. It was announced last week that Prince Andrew will be the next keeper of the Queen’s dogs, who love the breed.

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