Emotional worshipers have spoken of the “moving” moment they saw the new, plain black slab with the late Queen’s name on it, lying next to her cherished husband Prince Philip.
Following Her Majesty’s touching private burial on Monday night, worshippers were let inside King George VI Memorial Chapel earlier this week for church services.
The Queen’s name was carved on the stone alongside those of her late husband, who passed away last year at the age of 99, her father, George VI, Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and Elizabeth the Queen.
A woman who attended a chapel service told the MailOnline that she went there for a prayer service and “was lucky enough to be able to view Her Majesty’s final resting place” as images of the updated black slab began to circulate on social media.
She recounted feeling overwhelmed with emotion when she first saw the names of the Queen and Philip combined on the Belgian marble at the King George VI memorial chapel.
The worshipper remarked: “Seeing their names written out like that and seeing them united for all of eternity was quite emotional.” And I consider myself really privileged to have been among the first people in the public to observe this.
The gold letters for George VI and the Queen Mother, together with their birth and death dates, were the only details visible on the 2002 photograph.
George VI (1895–1952), Elizabeth (2000–2002), Elizabeth II (1926–2022), and Philip (1921–2021) are listed in that sequence.
A single metal Garter Star, the emblem of the Order of the Garter, the oldest and most illustrious chivalric order in the nation, is displayed between the two couples.
The memorial chapel is located in St. George’s Chapel, which serves as the order’s spiritual home. All four were members of the order.
In a touching tribute, the wreath—which was personally chosen by King Charles and was seen by billions around the globe during last Monday’s historic funeral service—lies next to the black stone in the side chapel at St. George’s, which is scheduled to reopen to the public fully next week.
To reflect the Royal Standard, the wreath’s flowers are in pink, deep burgundy, white, and gold hues and include pelargoniums, roses, autumnal hydrangea, sedum, dahlias, and scabious.
Additionally, there is rosemary, which represents recall, myrtle, which represents a good marriage, and English oak, which represents the power of love.
‘I’m sure others will want to travel to see this in the future as it’s such a simple but beautiful motif, and so many millions of people were so moved by the Queen’s death,’ the woman who attended the service added.
“I entered there for a prayer service and was fortunate enough to be able to see Her Majesty’s ultimate resting place. As you may guess, having the opportunity to honour our beloved Queen was incredibly emotional.
“I immediately saw that the names of the Queen and Prince Philip had subsequently been added. I had recognised the stone from photographs I had seen in the media throughout the funeral time,” the visitor said.
After being informed at the outset that there would be “an chance to view the late Queen’s burial place,” attendees were struck speechless. One visitor was seen mouthing “Oh my god!” to the lady sitting next to her. That’s incredible.
The crowd was urged to remember King Charles and other members of the Royal Family during “this melancholy period” during the 30-minute ceremony, which also included prayers for them.
Worshipers were allowed forward after evensong to stroll into the old chapel and past the slab that the Queen’s casket had laid on on Monday before being lowered into the crypt.
The King assembled the wreath using flowers found in the grounds of Buckingham Palace, Clarence House, and Highgrove House, using a nest of English moss instead of floral foam to guarantee sustainability.
The myrtle in the wreath is taken from a plant that was cultivated from a sprig of myrtle that was in The Queen’s wedding bouquet in 1947, according to information shared on the official Royal Family Twitter account. This was done at The King’s request.
Alan Titchmarsh, a TV host and gardener, told the BBC, “Our history was in that wreath.” Oak leaves were present. In Great Windsor Park, there are oak trees that date back to William the Conqueror’s invasion in 1066. There are still some of them.
‘George VI 1895-1952’ and ‘Elizabeth 1900-2002’ are now listed on the newly carved stone, followed by a metal Garter Star, ‘Elizabeth II 1926-2022’ and ‘Philip 1921-2021′.
The Order of the Garter, which calls St. George’s Chapel its spiritual home, had all four of the royals as members.
When Philip passed away 17 months ago, his casket was already buried in St. George’s royal crypt and was waiting to be transferred to the memorial chapel, a 1969 addition to the north side of the structure behind the North Quire Aisle made of a light-colored stone.
Other flower tributes visible in the chapel were from the burial ceremony held on Monday and are said to have been sent by both household employees and other members of the Royal Family.
Following the funeral ceremony on Monday, the new slab was quickly installed, and on Wednesday, St. George’s Chapel reopened for regular church services.
Worshippers who were permitted entry were surprised to learn they would be permitted to see the Queen’s ultimate resting place, audibly gasping at the fortunate opportunity.
The ashes of Princess Margaret, the Queen’s sister, who passed away in 2002 and was cremated, are also kept in the royal crypt. When the Queen Mother passed away a few weeks later, her parents’ coffins were relocated alongside Princess Margaret’s to the George VI memorial chapel.
The castle is only accessible from Thursday through Monday; however, since St. George’s Chapel is a functioning house of worship, it is closed to visitors on Sundays.
The Royal Collection Trust (RCT), a registered charity and division of the Royal Household, conducts castle excursions. The Royal Family does not retain any earnings.
The Royal Collection, one of the biggest and most significant art collections in the world and one of the last major royal collections in Europe to still be intact, is maintained through funds from admissions and other commercial endeavours.
The collection, which includes thousands of items of art and antiquities, is held in trust by the sovereign for his successors and the country rather than being owned by The King personally.
About 15 royal houses and previous residences in the UK contain its treasures, the majority of which are often accessible to the public.
The fact that visitors must pay a fee in order to visit the Queen’s last resting place and pay their respects, however, may come as a surprise.
However, sources emphasised that the RCT is a charity and that the epidemic caused a £30 million loss.
Additionally, there may be worries about St George’s Chapel being inundated with mourners, especially given how tiny the family monument is and how just a little metal gate allows people to see it.
Windsor personnel may encounter lengthy wait times and traffic jams in light of the 250,000 well-wishers who stood in line for up to 14 hours to see the Queen laying in state.
However, an RCT spokeswoman emphasised that only a small number of castle tickets are offered each day in scheduled, 15-minute intervals.
George VI passed away in February 1952 at the young age of 56; the Queen always remembered this occasion in privacy at her Sandringham estate. In March 2002, her mother, who was 101, died away. Princess Margaret, the Queen’s sister, passed away the month before at the age of 71.
The Royal Vault had formerly held King George’s casket. But since it was his intention to lay in his own chapel with his loving wife, his oldest daughter erected a memorial chapel in his honour in 1969.
A black ledger with the words King George VI 1895–1952 and Elizabeth 1900–2002 identified their last resting place. When the Queen Mother passed away a few weeks later, Margaret’s ashes were first interred in the Royal Vault and then transferred to the memorial chapel.
The late Queen’s coffin was lowered down into the crypt on Monday after a historic State Funeral in London and a committal ceremony at Windsor, but it was subsequently brought back up together with that of Prince Philip, who passed away in April at the age of 99.
The little family memorial extension constructed on the north side of St. George’s Chapel was later used to bury their remains.
Inside the 10 foot by 14 foot cavern, the coffins were carefully dropped 18 feet to lay one on top of the other, supported by a metal frame. Visitors won’t be allowed to carry flowers inside the castle, according to an RCT spokeswoman.