Queen Elizabeth II had a long, fruitful life that came to an end at the beginning of September. The 96-year-old monarch was Britain’s longest reigning, making her death an expected tragedy but one that affects so many more citizens.
The nearly two weeks of mourning helped to cement that, with Elizabeth finally being laid to rest on Monday at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor. Saturday revealed a new large ledger stone on the final resting place of the queen, placing her name alongside her parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and late husband Prince Philip.
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According to CNN, the new slab is “hand-carved” out of Belgian black marble and the lettering is brass. A garter separates the two couples on the stone, while their birth dates and death dates are placed under their names.
The garter is a reference to the Order of the Garter, a senior order of chivalry dating back to medieval times and the rule of Edward III in the 1300s. All four were members of the group and members are chosen personally by a sovereign in “recognition of an individual’s service to the nation.” Other members include fellow royal family members, former prime ministers, and a slew of other senior figures of U.K. society. St. George’s Chapel is the “spiritual home” of the order.
Elizabeth’s funeral represents a lot of history andfirsts for the nation. 26 million people in the U.K. tuned in to watch the queen’s funeral, the first televised for a British monarch. This means it is also the first monarch to die under the watchful eye of the internet and the tabloid industry.
CNN adds that Prince Philip was placed at St. George’s after his death in April 2021, but not placed in the memorial chapel until now. Once Queen Elizabeth passed, her late husband was removed from the Royal Vault below St. George’s and relocated to lie with the queen.
When Windsor Castle reopens on Sept. 29, the general public will be able to visit Queen Elizabeth’s resting place and take in the impressive stone for themselves. Most Royal residences and buildings around England reopened this week after closing on Sept. 8 with respect to the queen.
The Royal Collection Trust noted that Thursday saw the “Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace, the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Queen’s Gallery in Edinburgh, Scotland” would all be reopened.
