Queen Elizabeth II was laid to rest on September 19, buried alongside her husband Prince Philip. They are now interred in St. George’s Chapel, located in Windsor. Her funeral was highly publicized, followed by a private family ceremony. Buckingham Palace has recently shared a photo showing the final appearance of the space that acts as Queen Elizabeth’s final resting place and the changes made to reflect this.
St. George’s Chapel dates all the way back to the reign of King Edward III in the 14th century. It is classified as a church under the direct jurisdiction of the monarchy and has been so governed for almost a thousand years. For years, it shared the duty of royal burial site with Westminster Abbey but by the 1800s ended up housing more deceased royals. Over the decades, it has undergone expansions and changes, and it has most recently been transformed in response to the queen’s passing.
Buckingham Palace shares a photo of Queen Elizabeth’s final resting place
A ledger stone has been installed at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, following the interment of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.
The King George VI Memorial Chapel sits within the walls of St George’s Chapel, Windsor. pic.twitter.com/5GdsGoTb27
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 24, 2022
Queen Elizabeth had been lying in state before being laid to rest at St. George’s Chapel. The property has been changed over the decades to chronicle the long line of royals housed there. With Queen Elizabeth’s passing, her final resting place was designated as an annex off the main King George VI Memorial Chapel. “A ledger stone has been installed at the King George VI Memorial Chapel,” Buckingham Palace shared in a Twitter post from September 24, “following the interment of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. The King George VI Memorial Chapel sits within the walls of St George’s Chapel, Windsor.”
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The ledger reads “George VI 1895 – 1952,” then “Elizabeth 1900 – 2002,” followed by “Elizabeth II 1926 – 2022” and finally “Philip 1921 – 2021.” As this is a ledger stone, it is not a gravestone to one particular coffin or something of a similar nature; rather, it is a carved slab that marks a bigger place of burial for important people, hence the collection of names. The symbol separating the couples is a garter star.
The past and future of Queen Elizabeth’s resting place
The castle chapel is the final resting place of many members of the royal family beside Queen Elizabeth II, across different buildings and annexes. The Quire was the first area of St. George’s Chapel to be completed and houses the infamous Henry VIII along with his third wife Jane Seymour, and King Charles I. The Altar has several other kings as well. The King George VI Memorial Chapel so far only has five members of the royal family, including Queen Elizabeth II. After Prince Philip died, he had been in the Royal Vault until the passing of the queen so they would be interred together.
Britain is still in a period of national mourning. While lines had stretched around blocks for people the world over to pay their respects for the queen, Windsor Castle is closed. On Thursday, tourism resumed in the Queen’s Gallery, along with some other areas of Buckingham Palace. The public will be able to see the queen laid to rest in the chapel on September 29, when the castle reopens.
