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Inside Buckingham Palace's historic Bow Room where Queen Elizabeth II will lie in state

The late Queen's coffin will return to Buckingham Palace on Tuesday


queen elizabeth bow room service© Photo: Getty Images
Chloe Best
Lifestyle Features Editor
September 13, 2022
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Queen Elizabeth II's coffin will return to London on Tuesday evening, and will be received at Buckingham Palace by King Charles III and the Queen Consort, along with the Prince and Princess of Wales.

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Her late Majesty's coffin will lie in state in the historic Bow Room within her official London residence for one night, before a procession takes place on Wednesday to move her to Westminster Hall.

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The Bow Room is named after the window that runs along one side. It is located in the centre of the West Wing of Buckingham Palace, and has direct access to the vast 39-acre garden via a set of double doors.

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While the room is rarely seen by members of the public, we did get a look inside on Sunday, when King Charles and the Queen Consort hosted a reception with Realm High Commissioners and their spouses.

King Charles Bow Room© Photo: Getty Images

King Charles III held a reception in the Bow Room on Sunday

Meanwhile, the public had a special look inside the incredible room during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in May, when Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby hosted ITV's This Morning live from the palace.

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It is filled with priceless royal memorabilia, including 19th century armchairs, George IV's candelabra, and King George III's dinner and dessert service, which is on display in glass cabinets lining one wall.

Queen Elizabeth Bow Room Buckingham Palace© Photo: Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth II's coffin will lie in state in the Bow Room on Tuesday

The set, known as the Mecklenberg Service, was presented to Queen Charlotte's brother, Adolphus Frederick IV, Duke of Mecklenberg-Strelitz in 1764 and remained in his family until 1919. It was returned to the Royal Family in 1947 to mark King George VI and Queen Elizabeth's silver wedding anniversary.

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Queen Elizabeth II traditionally hosted an arrival lunch for visiting heads of state in the Bow Room throughout her reign, and held a viewing of the ornate Gurkha Truncheon, that was given to the Gurkha Rifles by order of Queen Victoria in 1863, during a special meeting in 2015.

Eleanor Roosevelt Bow Room© Photo: Getty Images

The decor of the room has barely changed in 80 years

Photos taken from the meeting showcased even more of the Bow Room, which has red carpets, a set of wooden double doors on one side, and opulent marble and gold columns.

Meanwhile, a black-and-white photo taken when Eleanor Roosevelt met the royal family, including then Princess Elizabeth, in 1942, showed how the décor of the room has barely changed in 80 years.

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