The Note on Top of the Queen's Coffin Was from King Charles

As Queen Elizabeth's coffin arrived at Westminster Abbey for her funeral today, viewers spotted a small note on top.

The card, as it turns out, was from King Charles III to his late mother. In it, the new sovereign wrote: "In loving and devoted memory. Charles R."

R stands for rex, Latin for "king." Queen Elizabeth II was Elizabeth R., the R standing for regina, Latin for queen.

"Over the last ten days, my wife and I have been so deeply touched by the many messages of condolence and support we have received from this country and across the world," the king said in a statement yesterday. "In London, Edinburgh, Hillsborough and Cardiff we were moved beyond measure by everyone who took the trouble to come and pay their respects to the lifelong service of my dear mother, The late Queen."

"As we all prepare to say our last farewell, I wanted simply to take this opportunity to say thank you to all those countless people who have been such a support and comfort to my family and myself in this time of grief," he added.

The tradition of leaving a card on top of a coffin has happened at other royal funerals. At Prince Philip's funeral, Queen Elizabeth II wrote a note for her late husband's coffin. While cameras did not capture the full contents of the letter, it did read "In loving memory," and the queen signed it as "Lilibet," her childhood nickname. At Princess Diana's funeral, Prince Harry wrote a heartbreaking note to his mother, saying "Mummy."

Also resting on Queen Elizabeth's coffin for her funeral today were the Imperial State Crown, the sceptre and orb, the Royal Standard, and a sustainable wreath of flowers.

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