Royal funerals were the most important part of the funeral ceremonial of the old regime. After the physical farewell of the body, public ceremonies took place, which were obligatory in all the territories of the Hispanic monarchy, to express grief over the loss. The degree of magnificence of the festivities was determined by the organiser, who could be the city, the viceroy or a religious representative.

The splendour of the celebrations was particularly evident in the construction of catafalques, monumental ephemeral structures that were erected inside churches to allegorically represent the deceased king through the royal emblems, crown and sceptre. The catafalques were a perfect combination of architecture and sculpture, representing both the values of the monarch and the territories of his dominion through allegorical figures.

The wax candles placed in various parts of the catafalques expressed both the passage of time, indicated by the melted wax, and the atmosphere of commemoration typical of mourning, favoured by the scent of sanctity associated with royalty.