The family firm that made Prince Philip's coffin by hand from English oak also constructed a casket for Queen star Freddie Mercury.
The Duke's lead-lined coffin was fashioned by Henry Smith, widely-regarded as the finest firm of its kind because of its precision and quality.
As well as making caskets, the company was the first in Britain to offer horse-drawn hearses, and at one point had a stable with 70 steeds.
In loving memory of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
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1921-2021 pic.twitter.com/NJift8VoGV
Henry Smith opened in London's Battersea in 1869 and continued to make caskets by hand until it closed in 2005 when the last family member retired.
It also made coffins for other famous figures including Jimi Hendrix and Diana Dors, while producers used its caskets in TV dramas including Poirot and films such as the comedy Johnny English and a number of Dracula movies.
The Duke of Edinburgh's coffin was created so long ago that no one at the Royal Family's undertaker, Leverton & Sons, knows exactly when it was put together.
Andrew Leverton said his firm had 'inherited' the coffin in 1991 – along with the Queen's – from the previous undertaker, JH Kenyon, which had, in turn, commissioned the coffins from Henry Smith.
Author and funeral historian Brian Parson said: 'Henry Smith were the last coffin makers in London.
Queen Elizabeth shared a never-before-seen photo of her with Prince Philip ahead of his funeral earlier today. pic.twitter.com/JULbq3gOUe
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'They specialised in high-end coffins and were known to be the best, so it's no surprise the Royals picked them.
'The coffin would have taken weeks to make.'
The Duke's casket – made from English oak, which is superior to the American oak most commonly used today – was placed in the Royal Vault at St George's Chapel yesterday.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
