Queen’s final chapel burial site unveiled
By Connor Steel
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE are expected to visit Windsor Castle through the autumn as Buckingham Palace released a photograph of Queen Elizabeth II’s final resting place, which will be reopening for public viewing on Thursday (September 29) just 10 days after the Monarch’s State Funeral was held at Westminster Abbey.
This image was published on Sunday and shows the black ledger stone that is located in the King George VI Memorial Chapel; an area that can be found in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. Made of a hand-carved Belgian marble with brass letter inlays, it marks the burial place of Her Majesty’s coffin after a private service.
Senior Royals and other family members attended this final burial after an earlier committal service held at St George’s Chapel, which ended with the coffin being lowered into the Royal Vault. Her Majesty has since been laid to rest with her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, and her parents within the memorial chapel.
The fresh stone matches the previous version that had the names of George VI and Elizabeth in gold letters, with the only difference being the new additions to the burial site. It now reads as list form: George VI 1895-1952 and Elizabeth 1900-2002, a small metal Garter Star, and Elizabeth II 1926-2022 and Philip 1921-2021.
Having all been members of the Order of the Garter, the four late royals have returned to their spiritual home after their deaths alongside many others. St George’s Chapel has further held the funeral services for Queen Victoria in 1901 and more recently the ceremony of Prince Phillip in April 2021 under stricter Covid-19 rules.
Also found within the memorial chapel are the ashes of Princess Margaret, who sadly passed away in 2002. She was cremated and initially placed in the Royal Vault, before being moved to join her 2 parents’ coffins when the Queen Mother died just seven weeks later in March; her ceremonial funeral later held on April 9.
Anybody wishing to pay respects are advised that the chapel will be accessible on all days the castle is open to the public, except for Sundays when it is only open for worshippers. However photography is banned in all cases within the chapel and people are asked not to bring flowers or other tributes for the now late Monarch.
Out of respect the Royal Collection Trust will not be reopening their Platinum Jubilee Exhibition. But Windsor Castle will be open as normal throughout, allowing all visitors to enjoy a Dolls House and State Apartments; with the tourist attraction explored by a Globe team member earlier this year as seen via the article link here.
Tickets to visit Windsor Castle, including St George’s Chapel, cost between £14.50 and £26.50 for an adult ticket with a slight increase for those visiting on Saturdays. Admission includes a multimedia guide alongside the option to return to the attraction within twelve months, providing all tickets are stamped by staff members.
The Castle is due to open on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at the time of writing, but will be closed on both Tuesdays and Wednesdays unless it is otherwise stated. It will further close on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, whilst changes will occur at short notice as it is a working Royal residence.
Currently the Castle is open from 10am to 5:15pm under its summer opening times, with a slight change coming in the next month. From November 1 it will close at 4:15pm with last admission at 3pm; visitors also warned to wear suitable shoes and the likelihood of queuing to enter popular areas including ticket offices.
Readers can find out further information on Windsor Castle and find details of frequently asked questions by clicking the link here, whilst also seeing pages on other Royal attractions such as Buckingham Palace and Frogmore House. The website is updated regularly and allows visitors to discover history before they travel.
PICTURED BY BUCKINGHAM PALACE: Marble stone marking the Queen’s last resting burial place, currently located in St George’s Chapel and can be seen by the public from Thursday; just days after her state funeral.
