Thousands of people are expected to turn out along the route from London to Windsor to say goodbye to the Queen after the state funeral today.
After the funeral service at Westminster Abbey, the Queen's coffin will be returned to the state gun carriage for the procession to Wellington Arch and will then be transferred from the carriage to the hearse which will leave London for Berkshire. The Queen's coffin will enter the grounds of Windsor Castle before finally arriving at St George's Chapel for the service at 4pm.
The Queen will be put to rest alongside the love of her life, Prince Philip, as she is lowered into the Royal Vault, one of the burial chambers that sees monarchs rest in peace.
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Edward VII, George V and George VI were originally buried in the Royal Vault, but their bodies were moved to tombs in the chapel itself a few years after their deaths. King George VI’s body was moved into a specially constructed annex of the chapel, the King George VI Memorial Chapel, in 1969, which is where the Queen will be buried along with Prince Philip, who was interred in the Royal Vault following his death in 2021 at the age of 99. His body will be moved and placed next to his wife of 73 years in the King George VI Chapel.
Constructed between 1804 and 1810 on the instruction of King George III, the Royal Vault is a burial chamber located beneath St George's Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle. Burial in the Royal Vault has become less frequent in recent times due to a lack of space in the chamber. Before Prince Philip's burial on April 17, 2021, his mother Princess Alice, was interred in the vault in 1969 before her tomb was transferred to Jerusalem in 1988. The first royal placed in the vault was Princess Amelia, the youngest daughter of King George III in 1810.
Before Prince Philip, the most recent burial whose body remains in the Royal Vault is Princess Frederika of Hanover, who was interred in 1926. She was a great-granddaughter of George III, who originally ordered the construction of the vault 122 years earlier.
Since its construction in the 15th century, many Royals have been buried in St. George’s Chapel. The tombs of King Henry VIII and Charles I are in the Quire and Edward IV, Henry VII, and Queen Alexandra are buried in the Quire Aisles.
The Queen Mother was directly interred in the King George VI Chapel in 2002, next to her husband, and although Princess Margaret’s ashes were originally kept in the Royal Vault they were also moved to the chapel a few months later.
Since the 1930s, burial of senior members of the Royal Family in St. George’s Chapel was resumed and junior members were interred in the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore House. Edward, the Duke of Windsor and Wallis, the Duchess of Windsor are buried together in Frogmore Park. Princess Alice, the Duchess of Gloucester, is also buried there.
As well as George V and George VI some other senior royals, such as Queen Mary, were also transferred to St. George’s Chapel. Other members of the Royal family buried there include George III’s wife, Queen Charlotte, and their daughter Princess Amelia; George IV's daughter Princess Charlotte; and Queen Victoria's father the Duke of Kent. Queen Victoria was laid to rest alongside Prince Albert in the Royal Mausoleum in Frogmore Gardens.
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