From Telegraph:
“Pictured: First image of
Queen Elizabeth II's final resting place”
(Newly released photograph shows
the ledger stone installed in the King George VI Memorial Chapel in St George's
Chapel where the monarch was buried on Monday)
In life, such was their closeness
that Queen Elizabeth II, her parents and sister described themselves as
"we four". As she grew up, Prince Philip was added to the happy
family fold, between them creating formative memories that would guide the
Queen's entire life. The first image of the late Queen's final resting place,
released by Buckingham Palace today, shows her returned to the heart of her
family, surrounded by flowers and the names of the people she loved best. The
photograph shows the new ledger stone installed in the King George VI Memorial
Chapel in St George's Chapel where the monarch was buried on Monday. It carries
the names of "George VI 1895-1952", "Elizabeth 1900-2002",
"Elizabeth II 1926 - 2022" and "Philip 1921-2021". The
ashes of Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, are the only others in the
chapel, her name marked on a separate stone nearby. The black stone slab, which
is new, has been set into the floor after replacing the old stone that had the
names George VI and Elizabeth inscribed in gold lettering.
Princess Margaret The
ledger stone of the late Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, stands
separately against the wall in the right-hand corner of the family chapel. The
younger sister to Queen Elizabeth II, after her death in February 2002 she
became the first member of the Royal family to be cremated since Princess
Louise, Duchess of Argyll in 1939. This was to make sure that her
remains could be accommodated within the small internment chamber beneath the
memorial chapel. Princess Margaret’s ashes were initially placed in the
royal vault of St George’s Chapel, but transferred to her parent’s tomb, under
the King George VI Memorial Chapel, two months later in April 2002 when Queen
Elizabeth The Queen Mother was interred there following her death the previous
month.
Queen Elizabeth II's parents The
chapel was commissioned by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1962 as a final
burial place for her father, King George VI, whose unexpected death in 1952
meant that no specific resting place had been designed for him. Designed
by George Pace, the chapel was completed in 1969 and sits between the external
buttresses of the north wall of the quire of St George’s, within the walls of
the larger royal chapel. The body of King George VI was taken from the
royal vault to a tomb beneath the newly built chapel in his memory that year.
It would lie there alone for 33 years. Queen Elizabeth II, who
personally met the £25,000 cost of the project, was said to prefer a simple
flat ledger stone, inlaid into the floor, than a marble chest tomb with large
effigies, which had been commissioned for some previous monarchs.
Stone and flowers The new
ledger stone dons the names and dates of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip,
the late Duke of Edinburgh. These are separated from those of the late
Queen’s parents by the star of the garter, representing the Order of the
Garter, whose spiritual home is St George’s Chapel. The ledger stone is
surrounded by floral tributes from members of the Royal family. Whilst
royal officials have given further details about the wreaths, it is likely they
will be laced with symbolism, as were the floral adornments to the late Queen’s
coffin, which included flowers cut from the gardens of Buckingham Palace
Clarence House and Highgrove House. The stone is made of hand-carved
Belgian black marble with brass letter inlays, to match the previous ledger
stone. The size of the chapel meant it was not possible for all of her
relatives to be present during the burial. The palace will not confirm
details of the private ceremony, but it is thought to have been attended by her
four children. The late Queen's burial site will be open to the public from
next week as Windsor Castle resumes its tours. People can pay their
respects at St George's Chapel from September 29, just over a week after the
late monarch's funeral. The Queen was laid to rest together with the
Duke of Edinburgh on Monday evening in a private service attended by the King
and a small number of Royal family. The "deeply personal"
event followed the full state funeral at Westminster Abbey and committal
service in Windsor.
When Prince Philip died 17 months
ago, his coffin was interred in the Royal Vault of St George's, ready to be
moved to the memorial chapel when the Queen died. Speaking in 1997, on her
Golden Wedding anniversary, the late Queen reflected: “My husband has quite
simply been my strength and stay all these years, and I owe him a debt greater
than he would ever claim.” During her husband’s funeral, the Queen sat alone
and kept a two-metre distance during the scaled-back service, the images of
which served as a poignant reminder for all who had lost loved ones during the
pandemic. Although the congregation at the service was banned from singing,
four choristers performed pieces specially selected by the Duke that spoke to
his Christian faith and Navy connections. The Duke’s lifetime of military
service - both as a sailor and in his ceremonial connections to all branches of
the Armed Forces - played a central role in proceedings throughout. The chapel
will reopen to visitors next week on all days the castle is open to the public,
excluding Sundays when it is only open for worshippers. Entry to the castle is
£28.50 for adults on Saturdays and £26.50 on other days. The Royal family will
today continue its period of mourning for the Queen, to be observed until seven
days after the funeral.
^ This is a final and fitting
picture and way for everyone to remember the Queen. ^
https://www.yahoo.com/news/pictured-first-image-queen-elizabeth-170000150.html
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