Why King Charles' Letter On Queen's Coffin Was 'Important': Royal Expert

King Charles III had a "poignant" moment during his mother Queen Elizabeth II's funeral Monday.

In a moving gesture, the new monarch placed a handwritten note on top of Queen Elizabeth II's coffin during the service at Westminster Abbey in London.

"I think the letter was a poignant moment, and I think it reminds us that Charles is grieving for his mother," royal expert and family historian Myko Clelland told Us Weekly Monday. "Anyone who's lost a parent can maybe sympathize. It must be incredibly difficult."

The envelope left on the casket read, "In loving and devoted memory. Charles R."
The "R" in King Charles' title refers to "Rex," which is Latin for king.

Upon observing the 73-year-old's actions, Clelland said he could detect "a bit of pride" in the new monarch as a small smile flashed across King Charles' face when everyone was saying goodbye after the funeral.

"I think [he had pride for] his mother and the great things she's done, and I can imagine it's probably quite daunting to step into such big shoes, but Charles has had a lot of preparation," the MyHeritage.com genealogist shared. "All of these things — these chances to say goodbye — I think they bring an incredible amount of closure and they do help in this process. I think all of those little touches are important for Charles as well as for the nation."

Clelland also noted that King Charles now has "so much more responsibility," and the period of public mourning, coupled with his new role as king, has been a "very difficult time" for him.

"He has to lead the nation through this farewell ... we've seen moments where Charles has had tears in his eyes, we've heard his voice break a little bit in certain speeches, and there's a clear, huge amount of love and respect for Elizabeth that you can see go through all of that," the royal expert added.

Aside from the letter, the Queen's casket was adorned with additional symbolism.

A wreath of flowers containing flowers and foliage cut from the gardens of Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Highgrove House was placed on top of the coffin at the request of King Charles III, according to Buckingham Palace. It sat in a nest of English moss and oak branches.

The foliage included rosemary for remembrance, English oak for the strength of love and myrtle for a happy marriage, a nod to Queen Elizabeth II's seven-decade marriage to Prince Philip, who died in April 2021 at age 99.

The myrtle was cut from a plant grown from a sprig of myrtle that featured in the Queen's wedding bouquet when she married Prince Philip in 1947.

Queen Elizabeth was laid to rest at the King George VI Memorial Chapel at St. George's Chapel in Windsor on Monday evening.

The Queen's coffin joined those of her parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. The coffin of Prince Philip will be relocated, so the Queen can be laid to rest alongside her husband, CNN reported.