The coffin of Elizabeth’s husband, Prince Philip, who died on April 9, 2021, last year, has been stored in a Royal Vault so that he can be buried alongside the queen…reports Asian Lite News
Queen Elizabeth will be buried alongside her husband Prince Philip in a small chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle in a private ceremony after her state funeral on Monday.
Her parents were also laid to rest in St. George’s Chapel.
Elizabeth’s funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey, before the coffin is driven to Windsor Castle, just west of London.
Some facts
* Windsor Castle is the resting place of more than a dozen English and British kings and queens. Most are buried in St. George’s Chapel, including Henry VIII, who died in 1547, and Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649.
* Founded by William the Conqueror in the 11th Century, it is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world, according to the Royal Collection Trust website. It has been the home of 40 monarchs, including Queen Elizabeth.
* Work began on St. George’s Chapel in 1475 under Edward IV, and it contains relics including the Cross Gneth – which legend says includes part of the cross Jesus was crucified on – and a sword Edward III purportedly used in battle.
* Queen Elizabeth commissioned the King George VI memorial chapel, named for her father, which is next to the quire of the main chapel, in 1962. It is where he and his wife, the Queen Mother, are interred, along with their younger daughter Princess Margaret.
* The coffin of Elizabeth’s husband, Prince Philip, who died on April 9, 2021, last year, has been stored in a Royal Vault so that he can be buried alongside the queen.
Queen’s love for horses and the funeral
A rather unusual guest will be at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in London on Monday: Monty Roberts. Monty Roberts, an American horse trainer who has a 100-acre ranch in Solvang, California, will be present at a ceremony that will be attended by an estimated 500 heads of state and dignitaries and members of royal families from all over Europe.
Monty Roberts is considered a close friend of Queen Elizabeth II, USA Today reported.
“I wouldn’t want to be the one to characterize our friendship. She had at least 50% of it,” the 87-year-old trainer said on his friendship to the Queen, adding, “But if you ask me, we had an extremely close relationship.”
Queen Elizabeth II’s love for horses is widely known and that fondness for the animal was one of the major reasons that she became friends with Monty Roberts.
Over the last three decades, Monty Roberts made about a half-dozen trips each year to Britain to advise the queen about her horses. The monarch also sent him to more than 40 countries in Africa, Asia and South America to spread his methods.
“She called me on the phone directly a few times. Though most of the time I called her. That was the arrangement. I called about 200 times. Not one was rejected,” Monty Roberts said.
For the funeral, Monty Roberts will be wearing mourning clothes, as requested by the palace.
The UK’s longest-serving monarch died last week on Thursday after reigning for 70 years.
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