The final resting place of Queen in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle is a location rich in history.
Construction commenced during the reign of King Edward IV in 1475, partly with the intention of serving as his final resting place.
Over the past 500 years, a multitude of kings, queens, and members of the Royal Family, including all the monarchs since George III, have had their funerals conducted at that location.
And it is the location where The Queen was laid to rest on Monday September 19, following her passing.
The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, who passed away on April 9, 2021 at the age of 99, will be laid to rest beside Her Majesty, his deceased spouse.
The Duke has been temporarily resting in the Royal Vault, anticipating his wife’s demise.
In order to accompany The Queen, who will be buried in this location, he will be transferred to the King George VI Memorial Chapel – constructed in 1939.
Elizabeth will be reunited with her sister, Princess Margaret, her father, King George VI, and her mother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, in the memorial chapel.
The coffin of the Queen was transported from London to Windsor after a poignant ceremony in Westminster Abbey.
Her Majesty made her final journey out of the capital atop a gun carriage through the historic procession watched by four billion people across the world.
Five days before her funeral, Queen Elizabeth’s coffin was laid in state at Westminster Hall, adorned with the Imperial Crown, Sceptre, and Orb, with the Royal Standard draped over it.
Family Royal the of member senior a of funeral ceremonial the witness to chance rare a viewers TV gave service Philip’s Prince.
Once the coffin of the Duke vanished from the view of viewers and mourners, it was deposited at the start of a 15-meter long rock-cut underground passageway that leads into the Royal Vault. The platform lift, powered by electricity, was used for this purpose.
The underground chamber was built between 1810 and 1814 beneath the area currently referred to as the Albert Memorial Chapel.
Checkered Past
Henry VIII ultimately and subsequently Henry VII, the tomb of Henry VI had a tumultuous history, starting in 1494.
It fell derelict for over two centuries, until finally finished in 1863 as a memorial to Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria.
The tomb was originally used to bury Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III, in 1818, and George himself two years later.
George IV was laid to rest in 1830 while William IV was laid to rest in 1837. Queen Victoria constructed a mausoleum for herself at Frogmore, located in Windsor Great Park, and both Edward VII and George V were laid to rest in separate tombs within St George’s Chapel. Although there was (and continues to be) ample room, it was later utilized.
The remains of Princess Margaret, along with those of the Queen Mother and her casket, are currently stored in a vault beneath a small annex-chapel that was added to St George’s in honor of George VI.
Numerous lesser members of the Royal Family have been laid to rest in the crypt throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.
Nowadays, individuals such as the former King Edward VIII, who abdicated in 1936, including the Duke of Windsor, are usually interred at the Royal Burial Ground in Frogmore.
The vault also houses one foreign monarch – the exiled George V of Hanover, a descendant of George III.
At the distant side exists a petite shrine, featuring a arched stone-walled chamber spanning approximately 25 meters by 7 meters, assuming the shape of a.
In other areas, there is a pending movement of either interment, final placement, or side-shelf placement. The latest arrival is placed on a plinth, which is closed by an iron gate, and the entrance is close to the shelves along each wall to hold coffins.
Initially illuminated by oil lamps, it was equipped with electric lighting at the start of the 20th century.
Although it has not received a ‘permanent resident’ since 1930, the vault continues to play a role in royal funerals at Windsor.
After the ceremony, the casket is typically lowered using the electrically-operated platform down to the hallway and into the burial chamber.
There it remains until it is moved to its ultimate resting place.