Queen Elizabeth’s Hearse: All The Details Of How Mercedes Benz E-Class Was Customized For Her

Queen Elizabeth's casket was carried from Balmoral to Edinburgh Sunday in a black five-door Mercedes-Benz E-Class hearse that was customized for the task.

According to Fox News, the vehicle was provided by the William Purve Funeral Directors service. Its website crashed after its name was seen on the window of the vehicle. However, the car was not originally black as William Purve's fleet is known for being in silver color.

A spokesperson for the Edinburgh-based company said that the person can confirm that the hearse is one of their "Silver E-Class Mercedes-Benz fleet which is wrapped in black to comply with Royal protocol." The spokesperson added that the hearse, and their team, are part of a "meticulously planned and heavily rehearsed operation which is overseen by Palace officials."

The coffin was draped in the Scottish version of the Royal Standard, decorated with wreath of seasonal flowers, and was placed in an oak casket at the back of the black hearse.

According to Drive, the car is based on a Mercedes-Benz E-Class and was built by Germany's Binz International. The company has been in business since 1936. It originally built horse-drawn ambulances and hearses. But it started converting luxurious Mercedes-Benz vehicles in the 1950s. During that era, Binz started working with Mercedes-Benz. They created four-door estate versions of the W191 170S of the early 1950s as well as ambulance conversions of the W136 delivery van.

The model that was used for the British monarch's procession features an extended wheelbase. It allows it to maintain two rows of passenger seating. To maintain its appearance and quality, Binz even uses the same body panel supplier as Mercedes-Benz.

On Tuesday evening, the Queen's coffin will be flown from Edinburgh to London where it will be transferred to a State Hearse. That in turn will transport it to Buckingham Palace. The exact model or the brand of the vehicle that will be used has not yet been revealed. But in 2002, the Queen Mother's coffin was transported by a Jaguar hearse that was built by Britain's Wilcox Limousines.

Coffin of Prince Philip, Queen's husband, was carried during his services last year by a custom Land Rover Defender that he helped in designing. He is said to have once asked his wife to "just stick me in the back of a Land Rover and drive me to Windsor."