The Queen’s name has been inscribed on a new ledger stone in the Windsor chapel where she was buried on Monday. The late monarch was laid to rest with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, in the George VI Memorial Chapel – alongside her parents and sister. Buckingham Palace says the stone replaces a black slab naming George VI and Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. The names of the Queen and Prince Philip are included under a metal star of the Order of the Garter.
The fresh stone set into the floor also includes the dates of when all four were born, along with the years of their deaths next to their names. The stone has “George VI 1895-1952” and “Elizabeth 1900-2002” written on it, followed by the metal star, and then “Elizabeth II 1926-2022” and “Philip 1921-2021”.
All four royals were members of the Order of the Garter, which has St George’s Chapel, located on the grounds of Windsor Castle, as its spiritual home. The order of chivalry dating back to medieval times is made up of the monarch and other senior figures including former prime ministers and former military chiefs.
When Philip died in April 2021, his coffin was placed in the Royal Vault of St George’s so that it would be ready to move to the memorial chapel when the Queen died. The Queen’s sister Princess Margaret, who died in 2002, is not mentioned on the stone, despite her being in the chapel with her family.
She was cremated and her ashes were initially placed in the Royal Vault, before being moved to the George VI memorial chapel with her parents’ coffins when the Queen Mother died just weeks after her. The chapel is a pale stone annexe that was added to the north side of the building behind the North Quire Aisle in 1969. A peak audience of around 28 million UK viewers tuned in for the Queen’s state funeral at Westminster Abbey and committal service in Windsor on Monday. However, her burial took place in the evening in a private service attended by King Charles III and the Royal Family.
King Charles decreed on 9 September, the day after the Queen died following her 70-year reign, that a period of mourning would be observed until seven days after the funeral. He is believed to have flown to Scotland on Tuesday with the Queen Consort to grieve privately. The pair were pictured in a vehicle which arrived at RAF Northolt and was reportedly bound for Balmoral – the estate on which the King’s Scottish home of Birkhall is located. Other members of the Royal Family are not expected to carry out official engagements, and flags at royal residences will remain at half-mast until 8 am after the final day of royal mourning. Windsor Castle is currently closed to the public and will reopen on 29 September.
