Parents and the Cremation of Their Children: A Comparative Religious and Royal Perspective

This article examines the belief found in some societies that parents should not, or cannot, cremate the bodies of their children. The analysis is conducted through two primary frameworks: a comparative examination of doctrinal prescriptions in major world religions and an investigation of funeral practices within royal families on a global scale. The study finds no religious injunction prohibiting parents from conducting the funeral or cremation of their children in Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, or other major religious traditions. Furthermore, an examination of royal funeral practices across Europe, Asia and the Middle East reveals no structural or customary restrictions preventing parents from fulfilling such roles. The article concludes that this belief lacks a foundation in religious law or universal social norms and should instead be understood as a context-specific construction rather than a doctrinal or institutional rule.