by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Winchester Cathedral; Credit – By WyrdLight.com, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23281174

The Kingdom of Wessex, from which the House of Wessex was derived, was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom in the south of Great Britain. Its seat of power was in Winchester and the Old Minster, the New Minster, and Winchester Cathedral, all in Winchester, now located in Hampshire, England, are mostly connected to the House of Wessex although there are several burials from the House of Denmark. The House of Wessex, sometimes known as the Anglo-Saxon kings, first reigned from 802 – 1013. From 1013 – 1014, the House of Denmark reigned. The House of Wessex was restored 1014 – 1016. One last time, the House of Denmark reigned from 1016 -1042. The final reign of the House of Wessex began in 1042 and ended with the conquest of William, Duke of Normandy in 1066.

• Unofficial Royalty: House of Wessex Index
• Unofficial Royalty: House of Denmark Index

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The Old Minster

Bricks outline the site of the Old Minster next to Winchester Cathedral; Credit – Wikipedia

A minster was a cathedral or large church connected to a monastery. The Old Minster was the Anglo-Saxon cathedral for the diocese of Wessex and then Winchester from 660 to 1093. It stood on a site north of and partially beneath its successor, Winchester Cathedral. In 901, the New Minster, a royal Benedictine abbey, was built next to the Old Minster. After the consecration of Winchester Cathedral in 1093, the Old Minster was demolished.  The remains of Kings of Wessex, Kings of England, and their consorts who had been buried in the Old Minster were exhumed and re-interred in Winchester Cathedral.

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The New Minster

The New Minster (on left) and the Old Minster (on right); Credit – Wikipedia

Before his death, Alfred the Great, King of the Anglo-Saxons wanted to build a royal Benedictine abbey next to the Old Minster. His son and successor Edward the Elder, King of the Anglo-Saxons built the New Minster following Alfred the Great’s wishes. It stood so close to the Old Minster that the voices of the two abbey choirs merged with chaotic results. The remains of Alfred the Great and his wife Ealhswith were transferred to the New Minster. Edward the Elder was buried there as was one of his sons Ælfweard of Wessex. The building of Winchester Cathedral would use the area occupied by the New Minster. This required that the monks of New Minster move to Hyde Mead just outside the northern city walls, founding Hyde Abbey. The royal remains buried at the New Minster were transferred to Hyde Abbey but they were lost when Hyde Abbey was dissolved and demolished during the Dissolution of the Monasteries during the reign of King Henry VIII.

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Winchester Cathedral

Winchester Cathedral; Credit – Wikipedia

Winchester Cathedral, originally a Roman Catholic cathedral, is now a cathedral of the Church of England in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It is one of the largest cathedrals in Europe and has the greatest overall length of any Gothic cathedral. The construction of Winchester Cathedral began in 1079 and the cathedral was consecrated in 1093. Over the centuries, there were renovations and additions but a substantial amount of the original building still remains including the crypt, the transepts, and the basic structure of the nave.

• Official Website: Winchester Cathedral

The nave looking east towards the choir; Credit – By Diliff – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33930954

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Royal Burials

One of the mortuary chests at Winchester Cathedral; Credit – By Ealdgyth – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11358612

After the consecration of Winchester Cathedral in 1093, the Old Minster was demolished.  The remains of Kings of Wessex, Kings of England, and their consorts who had been buried in the Old Minster were exhumed and re-interred in Winchester Cathedral. They were kept in six mortuary chests – painted wooden caskets – which were displayed atop the stone choir screen walls on either side of the high altar for hundreds of years. In 1642, during the English Civil War, Winchester Cathedral was ransacked and the royal remains from the mortuary chests were scattered by Roundhead soldiers. The remains were returned to the mortuary chests by local people in a haphazard manner.

The six mortuary chests waiting for examination; Credit – Winchester Cathedral

In 2012, an examination of the remains in the chests began and the project is still ongoing. The examination included DNA testing, reassembly of the skeletons, and analysis to determine the sex, age, and other characteristics of the remains. The six mortuary chests were found to hold the remains of at least 23 individuals, more than the 12 – 15 remains originally thought. One of the remains discovered is believed to be Emma of Normandy, the wife of two kings – Æthelred II, King of the English and Cnut the Great, King of England, Denmark and Norway – and the mother of two kings – Harthacnut, King of England, King of Denmark and Saint Edward the Confessor, King of England.

Remains of Emma of Normandy; Credit – Winchester Cathedral

• BBC: Winchester Cathedral’s ‘royal bones’ chests analysed
• BBC: ‘Queen’s bones’ found in Winchester Cathedral royal chests
• BBC: The riddle of Winchester Cathedral’s skeletons
• Current Archaeology: Unlocking the secrets of the Winchester Cathedral mortuary chests

Below are known royals who were interred at the Old Minster, New Minster, and/or Winchester Cathedral. It is certainly not a complete list.

642 – Cynegils, King of Wessex – remains are probably in a mortuary chest at Winchester Cathedral
672 – Cenwalh, King of Wessex – remains are probably in a mortuary chest at Winchester Cathedral
786 – Cynewulf, King of Wessex – remains are probably in a mortuary chest at Winchester Cathedral
839 – Egbert, King of Wessex – remains are probably in a mortuary chest at Winchester Cathedral
858 – Æthelwulf, King of Wessex – first buried at Steyning, England, then in Old Minster, remains are probably in a mortuary chest at Winchester Cathedral
899 – Alfred the Great, King of Wessex, King of the Anglo-Saxons – originally buried in the Old Minster, the remains of Alfred and his wife Ealhswith were moved to the New Minster four years later. Because of the building of the new Winchester Cathedral, the monks of New Minster were moved to a new abbey, Hyde Abbey, just outside the walls of Winchester. When the new church of Hyde Abbey was consecrated in 1110, the remains of Alfred, his wife Ealhswith, and his son Edward the Elder were interred before the Hyde Abbey high altar. In 1539, during the reign of King Henry VIII, Hyde Abbey was dissolved and demolished during the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the tombs were lost.
902 – Ealhswith, wife of Alfred the Great – originally buried in the Old Minster, see Alfred the Great above
924 – Edward the Elder, King of the Anglo-Saxons – son of Alfred the Great, originally buried in the New Minster, see Alfred the Great above
955 – Eadred, King of the English – buried in the Old Minster, remains are probably in a mortuary chest at Winchester Cathedral
959 – Eadwig, King of the English – originally buried in the New Minster but nothing is known about the later fate of his remains
? – Ælfgifu, wife of Eadwig – originally buried in the New Minster but nothing is known about the later fate of her remains
1035 – Cnut the Great, King of England, Denmark, and Norway – originally buried in the Old Minster, remains are probably in a mortuary chest at Winchester Cathedral
1042 – Harthacnut, King of England, King of Denmark – originally buried in the Old Minster, his remains were moved to Winchester Cathedral and were placed in a mortuary chest when the Old Minster was demolished in 1093, at a later date his remains were interred in a tomb at Winchester Cathedral, Harthacnut’s tomb was remodeled and a plaque was placed on the tomb in 1525

Harthacnut’s tomb in Winchester Cathedral; Credit – http://www.dandebat.dk/

1052 – Emma of Normandy, wife of wife of Æthelred II, King of the English and Cnut the Great, King of England, Denmark and Norway – originally buried in the Old Minster, remains are probably in a mortuary chest at Winchester Cathedral
1053 – Godwin, Earl of Wessex – remains are probably in a mortuary chest at Winchester Cathedral
circa 1069 -1075 – Richard of Normandy – second son of William I (the Conqueror), King of England, killed in a hunting accident in the New Forest, buried at Winchester Cathedral
1087 – William II Rufus, King of England – killed in a hunting accident in the New Forest, originally buried at Winchester Cathedral. In 1107, the tower at Winchester Cathedral near William Rufus’ grave collapsed and the presence of William Rufus’ remains was considered to be the cause. Around 1525, the royal remains in Winchester Cathedral were rearranged. William Rufus’ remains were transferred to one of the mortuary chests
1171 – Henry of Blois, also known as Henry of Winchester, Bishop of Winchester – son of Stephen II, Count of Blois and Adela of Normandy, grandson of William I (the Conqueror), King of England, younger brother of King Stephen of England
1375 – Cardinal Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester – legitimized son of John of Gaunt and his mistress and third wife Katherine Swynford, grandson of King Edward III of England, Lord Chancellor of England under Henry V and Henry VI

Tomb of Cardinal Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester; Credit – By Scrivener-uki – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8755532

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Coronations, Marriages, and Funerals

1042 – Funeral of King Harthacanut at the Old Minster

Death of King Harthacnut at a wedding feast; Credit – Wikipedia

On June 8, 1042, Harthacnut, son of Cnut the Great, King of England, Denmark, and Norway,  attended a wedding in Lambeth, London, England. As he was drinking to celebrate the wedding, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, “He died while standing with his drink. Suddenly he fell to the ground with violent convulsions.” Harthacnut was only 23-24 years old. There were unproven suspicions that he was poisoned and certainly there were people who would have benefitted from his death. His death also could have been caused by a stroke due to excessive drinking. A 2015 study speculated that perhaps up to fourteen Danish kings, including Harthacnut, who suddenly died at a relatively young age without being ill, possibly died of Brugada Syndrome, a genetic disorder in which the electrical activity in the heart is abnormal. It increases the risk of abnormal heart rhythms and sudden cardiac death.

Harthacnut was initially buried at the Old Minster. When the Old Minster was demolished in 1093, Harthacnut’s remains were moved to Winchester Cathedral and were placed in a mortuary chest near the shrine of St. Swithun. However, his remains were ultimately interred in a tomb below the eastern arch of the cathedral in the north aisle. In 1525, Harthacnut’s tomb was remodeled and a plaque was placed on the tomb.

1100 – Funeral of King William II Rufus of England at Winchester Cathedral

Rufus Stone on the site of the death of William II Rufus; Photo Credit – By Adem Djemil, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56115617

On August 2, 1100, King William II Rufus rode out from Winchester Castle on a hunting expedition to the New Forest, accompanied by his brother, the future King Henry I, and several nobles. According to most contemporary accounts, William Rufus was chasing after a stag followed by Walter Tirel, a noble. William Rufus shot an arrow but missed the stag. He then called out to Walter to shoot, which he did, but the arrow hit the king in his chest, puncturing his lungs, and killing him. Walter Tirel jumped on his horse and fled to France.

The next day, William Rufus’ body was found by a group of local farmers. The nobles had fled to their Norman and English lands to secure their possessions and ensure law and order following the death of the king. The farmers loaded the king’s body on a cart and brought it to Winchester Cathedral where he was buried under a plain flat marble stone below the tower with little ceremony.

In 1107, the tower at Winchester Cathedral near William Rufus’ grave collapsed and the presence of William Rufus’ remains was considered to be the cause. Around 1525, the royal remains in Winchester Cathedral were rearranged. William Rufus’ remains were transferred to one of the mortuary chests next to the mortuary chest of King Cnut the Great atop the stone wall around the high altar.

August 27, 1172 – Coronation of Henry the Young King and his wife Marguerite of France

Henry the Young King; Credit – Wikipedia

When Henry was 15, his father King Henry II decided to adopt the French practice of ensuring the succession by declaring his heir the junior king. Henry was crowned at Westminster Abbey on June 14, 1170. His wife Marguerite was not crowned at this time and this greatly infuriated her father King Louis VII of France. To appease Louis VII, another coronation which included Marguerite was held on at Winchester Cathedral. However, Henry the Young King predeceased his father and never became King of England. Instead, his brother succeeded their father as Richard I, King of England.

 April 17, 1194  – Crown-wearing of King Richard I of England at Winchester Cathedral

Effigy of King Richard I; By Adam Bishop – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17048652

On his way home from the Third Crusades, Richard was shipwrecked, forcing him to take a dangerous land route through central Europe. He was arrested near Vienna in December 1192 by Leopold V, Duke of Austria, who suspected Richard of murdering his cousin during the Crusades and had also been offended by Richard throwing down his standard from the walls of Acre in the Holy Land. In March 1193, Richard was transferred to the custody of Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor, who demanded that a ransom of 150,000 marks (100,000 pounds of silver) be delivered to him before Richard would be released. This was an enormous amount, equal to two to three times the annual income for the English Crown at that time. Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard’s mother, worked to raise the ransom.

Finally, with the ransom in the emperor’s possession, Richard was released on February 4, 1194, and returned to England, where he had not been since 1190. The crown-wearing was a public occasion almost as solemn as a coronation. It had been a regular practice several times a year for the Norman kings of England but Richard’s father King Henry II had stopped the practice. Richard was persuaded by his advisers to participate in the crown-wearing because it was a way to reassert his royal authority.

Wearing a crown on his head and the ceremonial robes that he had worn at his coronation in 1189 at Westminster Abbey, Richard walked from the priory of Winchester Cathedral to the cathedral. Three earls walked before him carrying ceremonial swords while the earls and knights of England surrounded him. Outside the cathedral, crowds of people gathered. Inside the cathedral, Richard’s 72-year-old mother Eleanor of Aquitaine and the nobility of England waited to witness Richard in his regal splendor.

February 7, 1403 – Wedding of King Henry IV of England and his second wife Joan of Navarre at Winchester Cathedral

Tomb of Henry IV and his second wife Joan of Navarre in Canterbury Cathedral; Credit: Susan Flantzer

In 1398,  the future Henry IV quarreled with Thomas de Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk, who accused him of treason. The two men planned to duel, but instead, King Richard II banished them from England. Henry went to France, and on a visit to the court of Brittany, he met his future second wife Joan of Navarre, the widow of Jean V, Duke of Brittany. Henry made a good impression upon Joan. Henry’s first wife had died in 1394. but Joan was not in a position to remarry. In 1402, after Joan’s son came of age and could rule Brittany on his own, she sent an emissary to England to arrange a marriage with Henry, now King of England. Henry was agreeable to the marriage and a proxy marriage was held on April 3, 1402, with Joan’s emissary standing in for the bride. Joan left France for England in January 1403 with her two youngest daughters and then traveled to Winchester where Henry met her and they were married at Winchester Cathedral.

July 25, 1554 –  Wedding of Queen Mary I of England and King Philip II of Spain at Winchester Cathedral

Philip and Mary; Credit – Wikipedia

Mary and Philip, first cousins once removed, made a political marriage. Roman Catholic Mary was 37, and she needed to marry and produce a Catholic heir to supplant her Protestant sister Elizabeth. Edward Courtney, 1st Earl of Devon, a Plantagenet descendant, was suggested. However, Mary had her heart set on marrying Philip, the only son of Mary’s first cousin Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. Philip was a widower and was eleven years younger than Mary. Parliament begged her to reconsider fearing the threat of a marriage to a foreign royal might have for English independence. When Mary insisted on marrying Philip, a rebellion broke out, led by Thomas Wyatt, to depose Mary in favor of her half-sister Elizabeth. Wyatt marched on London but was defeated and executed.

Since Philip spoke no English, the wedding ceremony at Winchester Cathedral was said in a combination of French, Spanish, and Latin. The marriage was unsuccessful. Although Mary loved Philip, he found her repugnant. Mary thought she was pregnant but there was no baby. After being in England for fourteen months, Philip returned to Spain in August 1555. Mary was heartbroken and went into a deep depression. Philip did return to England in 1557 and was happily received by Mary. Philip wanted England to join Spain in a war against France. Mary agreed and the result was the loss of Calais, England’s last remaining possession in continental Europe. Philip left England in July 1557, never to return. Mary said of these losses, “When I am dead, you will find the words ‘Philip’ and ‘Calais’ engraved upon my heart.” Mary died in 1558 and Philip married two more times and reigned as King of Spain until his death in 1598.

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Works Cited

• BBC News. 2015. Winchester Cathedral’s ‘royal bones’ chests analysed. [online] Available at: <https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-31115104> [Accessed 12 July 2021].
• BBC News. 2019. ‘Queen’s bones’ found in Winchester Cathedral royal chests. [online] Available at: <https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-48281733> [Accessed 12 July 2021].
• BBC News. 2019. The riddle of Winchester Cathedral’s skeletons. [online] Available at: <https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-48300450> [Accessed 12 July 2021].
• Current Archaeology. 2019. Unlocking the secrets of the Winchester Cathedral mortuary chests – Current Archaeology. [online] Available at: <https://archaeology.co.uk/articles/news/unlocking-the-secrets-of-the-winchester-cathedral-mortuary-chests.htm> [Accessed 12 July 2021].
• Dodson, Aidan, 2004. The royal tombs of Great Britain. London: Duckworth.
• En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Winchester Cathedral – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester_Cathedral> [Accessed 12 July 2021].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2021. British Royal Burial Sites: House of Denmark Index (1013-1014 and 1016-1042). [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/british-royal-burial-sites-house-of-denmark-index-1013-1014-and-1016-1042/> [Accessed 12 July 2021].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2021. British Royal Burial Sites: House of Wessex (871-1013), (1014-1016), and (1042-1066). [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/british-royal-burial-sites-house-of-wessex-871-1013-1014-1016-and-1042-1066/> [Accessed 12 July 2021].
• Jones, Dan, 2012. The Plantagenets. New York: Viking.
• Williamson, David, 1996. Brewer’s British royalty. London: Cassell.

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Westminster Abbey; Photo Credit – By Σπάρτακος – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26334184

• Official Website: Westminster Abbey
• Take a virtual tour inside Westminster Abbey

History of Westminster Abbey

First known as St. Peter’s Abbey, Westminster Abbey in London, England, which this writer has visited several times, was founded by Benedictine monks in 960 under the patronage of King Edgar the Peaceful (reigned 943 – 975) and St. Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury.  In the 1040s, King Edward, better known as St. Edward the Confessor (reigned 1042 – 1066), built his royal palace nearby St. Peter’s Abbey on the banks of the River Thames on land known as Thorney Island. Later the medieval Palace of Westminster sat upon the site and today the Houses of Parliament (formal name is still Palace of Westminster) is there.

A scene from the Bayeux Tapestry showing the funeral procession of Edward the Confessor with the church Edward built on the left. This is the only contemporary depiction of Edward’s church; Credit – Wikipedia

Edward the Confessor began rebuilding St. Peter’s Abbey to provide himself with a royal burial church. This church became known as the “west minster” to distinguish it from (old) St. Paul’s Cathedral (the east minster) in the City of London. See Wikipedia: Minster. The new church was consecrated on December 28, 1065. Too ill to attend the consecration, Edward the Confessor died on January 5, 1066, and was buried before the high altar of his new church the day after his death.

In 1245, King Henry III started the construction of the second and present Westminster Abbey in the new Gothic style of architecture. The second church was designed to be not only a place of worship and a monastery but also a place for the coronation and burial of monarchs. This church was consecrated on October 13, 1269, and on that day, King Henry III oversaw a grand ceremony to rebury Edward the Confessor in a magnificent new shrine, personally helping to carry the body to its new resting place. Edward the Confessor’s shrine survives and around his shrine were interred five kings and four queens.

Shrine of Edward the Confessor

Each October 13 – 20, Westminster Abbey observes Edwardtide which celebrates the life of Saint Edward the Confessor. On October 13, National Pilgrimage Day, everyone is welcome, without a ticket, “to visit the Abbey with other pilgrims and experience its beauty and space in an atmosphere characterised by prayer. Everyone will be able to pray at the Shrine of St Edward – the only shrine in this country that still contains the body of the saint.” On October 13, 2018, this writer had the experience of attending the National Pilgrimage Day. The Chapel of Edward the Confessor is usually not open to tourists and it was awe-inspiring to see the shrine surrounded by the tombs of kings and queens. In the photo above of the shrine, notice the three openings at the bottom of the shrine. These are openings where pilgrims enter to kneel to pray. Imagine all the people over the centuries who have knelt there over the centuries.

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Henry VII Chapel

King Henry VII, the first Tudor monarch, added a major addition to Westminster Abbey, the exquisitely beautiful chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary known as the Henry VII Chapel or the Lady Chapel. The tomb of Henry VII and his wife Elizabeth of York is in the main part of the chapel. Around the perimeter are small chapels where other royals are interred, some in tombs and some in vaults below the chapels. Mary, Queen of Scots was exhumed from her original burial place in Peterborough Cathedral and re-interred in one of the chapels in 1612, during the reign of her son King James I. In 1867, the vault below her tomb was opened in an attempt to find the resting place of her son James I who was ultimately found to have been interred in the vault of his great-great-grandfather King Henry VII. However, all around the coffin of Mary, Queen of Scots were the coffins of over twenty of her descendants, including the small coffins of the many Stuart children who were stillborn, died in infancy, or died in childhood.

The Interior of the Henry VII Chapel in Westminster Abbey by Canaletto, early 1750s; Credit – Wikipedia

Under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel is the Hanover vault and it is here that the members of the House of Hanover were interred until the construction of the Royal Vault at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

Statues of 20th-century martyrs above the Great West Door of Westminster Abbey. Those commemorated are Maximilian Kolbe, Manche Masemola, Janani Luwum, Grand Duchess Elizabeth of Russia, Martin Luther King, Óscar Romero, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Esther John, Lucian Tapiedi, and Wang Zhiming; Credit – Wikipedia

A recent addition to Westminster Abbey are ten statues of modern martyrs, Christians who gave up their lives for their beliefs. The statues occupy ten niches over the Great West Door which had been empty since the Middle Ages. The statues were unveiled in 1998 at a service attended by Queen Elizabeth II. The martyrs are from all over the world and from many Christian denominations and represent all who have been oppressed or persecuted for their faith.

• BBC: Martyrs of the modern era

Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna in her nun’s habit; Credit – Wikipedia

One of the statues is Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia, wife of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia. She was born Princess Elisabeth Hesse and by Rhine, a daughter of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, the sister of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia,  and the great-aunt of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. In 1909, four years after her husband’s assassination, Ella, as she was called, sold all her jewelry and with the proceeds opened the Convent of Saints Martha and Mary and became its abbess. A hospital, pharmacy, and orphanage were opened on the convent’s grounds, and Ella and her Russian Orthodox nuns spent their time serving the poor of Moscow. On July 18, 1918, the day after the execution of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, Ella’s sister Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, and their children, Ella along with five other Romanovs, a nun from Ella’s convent, and the secretary of one of the other Romanovs were executed by the Bolsheviks.

• Unofficial Royalty: July 18, 1918 – Execution of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna and Five Other Romanovs

The altar

The monastery was dissolved during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in King Henry VIII’s reign. In 1539, Henry VIII then assumed direct royal control over the abbey and granted it the status of a cathedral. By granting the abbey cathedral status, Henry VIII had an excuse to spare it from destruction. Henry VIII’s Catholic daughter, Queen Mary I, gave the abbey back to the Benedictine monks but that ended during the reign of her half-sister, the Protestant Queen Elizabeth I. In 1560, Elizabeth I assumed royal control of the abbey as her father had done and declared that Westminster Abbey was a “Royal Peculiar” – a church of the Church of England responsible to the monarch rather than a bishop – and made it the Collegiate Church of St Peter. Today, Westminster Abbey remains a Royal Peculiar and its formal name remains the Collegiate Church of St Peter.

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The Choir

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Coronations

The Coronation Chair (also called St. Edward’s Chair and King Edward’s Chair); Credit – Wikipedia

Westminster Abbey has been Britain’s coronation church since 1066. From King William I (the Conqueror) to King Charles III, all monarchs except for two have been crowned in Westminster Abbey. Twelve-year-old King Edward V was presumed murdered in the Tower of London before he could be crowned.  King Edward VIII abdicated eleven months after succeeding his father, before his scheduled coronation date.

• December 25, 1066 – King William I, crowned by Ealdred, Archbishop of York
• September 26, 1087 – King William II Rufus, crowned by Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury
• August 5, 1100 – King Henry I, crowned by Maurice, Bishop of London
• December 26, 1135 – King Stephen, crowned by William de Corbeil, Archbishop of Canterbury
• December 19, 1154 – King Henry II, crowned by Theobald of Bec, Archbishop of Canterbury
• September 3, 1189 – King Richard I, crowned by Baldwin of Exeter, Archbishop of Canterbury
• May 27, 1199 – King John, crowned by Hubert Walter, Archbishop of Canterbury
• May 17, 1220 – King Henry III, crowned by Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury
• August 19, 1274 – King Edward I, crowned by Robert Kilwardby, Archbishop of Canterbury
• February 25, 1308 – King Edward II, crowned by Henry Woodlock, Bishop of Winchester
• February 1, 1327 – King Edward III, crowned by Walter Reynolds, Archbishop of Canterbury
• July 16, 1377 – King Richard II, crowned by Simon Sudbury, Archbishop of Canterbury
• October 13, 1399 – King Henry IV, crowned by Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury
• April 9, 1413 – King Henry V, crowned by Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury
• November 6, 1429 – King Henry VI, crowned by Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester
• June 28, 1461 – King Edward IV, crowned by Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop of Canterbury
• July 16, 1483 – King Richard III, crowned by Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop of Canterbury
• October 30, 1485 – King Henry VII, crowned by Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop of Canterbury
• April 21, 1509 – King Henry VIII, crowned by William Warham, Archbishop of Canterbury
• February 20, 1547 – King Edward VI, crowned by Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury
• October 1, 1553 – Queen Mary I, crowned by Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester
• January 15, 1559 – Queen Elizabeth I, crowned by Owen Oglethorpe, Bishop of Carlisle
• July 25, 1603 – King James I, crowned by John Whitgift, Archbishop of Canterbury
• February 2, 1626 – King Charles I, crowned by George Abbot, Archbishop of Canterbury
• April 23, 1661 – King Charles II, crowned by William Juxon, Archbishop of Canterbury
• April 23, 1685 – King James II, crowned by William Sancroft, Archbishop of Canterbury
• April 11, 1689 – King William III and Queen Mary II (reigned jointly), crowned by Henry Compton, Bishop of London
• April 23, 1702 – Queen Anne, crowned by Thomas Tenison, Archbishop of Canterbury
• October 20, 1714 – King George I, crowned by Thomas Tenison, Archbishop of Canterbury
• October 11, 1727 – King George II, crowned by William Wake, Archbishop of Canterbury
• September 22, 1761 – King George III, crowned by Thomas Secker, Archbishop of Canterbury
• July 19, 1821 – King George IV, crowned by Charles Manners-Sutton, Archbishop of Canterbury
• September 8, 1831 – King William IV, crowned by William Howley, Archbishop of Canterbury
• June 28, 1838 – Queen Victoria, crowned by William Howley, Archbishop of Canterbury
• August 9, 1902 – King Edward VII, crowned Frederick Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury
• June 22, 1911 – King George V, crowned by Randall Davidson, Archbishop of Canterbury (Unofficial Royalty: Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary)
• May 12, 1937 – King George VI, crowned by Cosmo Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury (Unofficial Royalty: Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth)
• June 2, 1953 – Queen Elizabeth II, crowned by Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury (Unofficial Royalty: Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II)
• May 6, 2023 – King Charles III, crowned by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury (Unofficial Royalty: Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla)

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Royal Funerals

The coffin of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother is carried into Westminster Abbey

We can assume that those royals buried at Westminster Abbey had a funeral there or, at the very least, a burial service. However, since the reign of the House of Hanover, St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle has become the usual place for funerals of the British royal family.  The past eight British monarchs – King George III, King George IV, King William IV, Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, King George V, King Edward VIII (as Duke of Windsor), and King George VI – had funerals at St. George’s Chapel. Except for the Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII who had a private funeral, the other seven funerals were state funerals. Most members of the British royal family have private funerals at St, George’s Chapel. The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on September 19, 2022, was the first funeral of a British monarch held at Westminster Abbey since the funeral of King George II on November 13, 1760.

• Wikipedia: Distinguishing between a state funeral and ceremonial funeral

Since 1904, there have been only six funerals of members of the royal family at Westminster Abbey. Five of the funerals were ceremonial funerals and none of the six were buried at Westminster Abbey. Ceremonial funerals, including those of senior members of the royal family and high-ranking public figures, may share many of the characteristics of a state funeral but the term ceremonial funeral is used.  A state funeral is usually reserved for the monarch, although people of great achievement, exceptional military leaders, and outstanding statesmen have had state funerals. Sir Winston Churchill‘s funeral at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London in 1965 was a state funeral. On September 19, 2022, a state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II was held at Westminster Abbey.

Below are the funerals of members of the royal family at Westminster Abbey since 1904:

• March 22, 1904 – Funeral of Prince George, Duke of Cambridge (1819 – 1904)
  • son of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge and Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel
  • male-line grandson of King George III
  • first cousin of Queen Victoria
  • served as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces (military head of the British Army)
  • buried at Kensal Green Cemetery in London, England
• September 22, 1921 – Funeral of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven (1854 – 1921)
  • born Prince Louis of Battenberg
  • son of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine and his morganatic wife Countess Julia von Hauke
  • husband of Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria
  • grandfather of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
  • served in the Royal Navy as Admiral of the Fleet and First Sea Lord
  • buried at St. Mildred’s Church in Whippingham, Isle of Wight, England
• September 5, 1979 – Funeral of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (1900 – 1979)
  • born Prince Louis of Battenberg
  • son of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine
  • great-grandson of Queen Victoria
  • uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
  • Chief of the Defence Staff
  • First Sea Lord
  • Viceroy and Governor-General of India
  • killed when his boat was blown up by the Provisional Irish Republican Army on Donegal Bay, in County Sligo, Ireland
  • buried at Romsey Abbey in Romsey, Hampshire, England
• September 6, 1997 – Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales (1961 – 1997)
  • born The Honourable Diana Spencer, later Lady Diana Spencer
  • daughter of Edward John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer and The Honourable Frances Shand Kydd
  • first wife of Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, later King Charles III
  • mother of Prince William, Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
  • died from injuries received in a car accident in the Pont de l’Alma Tunnel in Paris, France
  • buried at Althorp, the Spencer family home, on an island in the center of a lake on the grounds
• April 9, 2002 – Funeral of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother ( 1900 – 2002)
  • born The Honourable Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, later Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
  • daughter of Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne and Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck
  • wife of King George VI of the United Kingdom
  • mother of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
  • buried in King George VI Memorial Chapel at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
• September 19, 2022 – Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (1926 – 2022)
  • daughter of King George VI of the United Kingdom and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
  • wife of Prince Philip of Greece, later Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
  • mother of King Charles III
  • buried in King George VI Memorial Chapel at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
  • Unofficial Royalty: State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

On March 29, 2022, a Service of Thanksgiving for Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was held at Westminster Abbey. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh died at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England on April 9, 2021, at the age of 99, just two months short of his 100th birthday. The funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh took place on Saturday, April 17, 2021, at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor England. The Thanksgiving Service was organized because due to COVID-19 restrictions, there could be only 30 guests at the funeral. For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: Service of Thanksgiving for Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

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Royal Burials

King Henry III’s tomb in the Chapel of St. Edward the Confessor; Credit – Westminster Abbey Facebook page

There have been over 3,300 burials at Westminster Abbey and there are over 600 monuments and wall tablets. One of the United Kingdom’s most significant honors is to be buried or commemorated in Westminster Abbey. Musicians, poets, generals, admirals, politicians, doctors, and scientists were given the honor over the years. On June 15, 2018, the ashes of the theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author Stephen Hawking were interred in Westminster Abbey’s nave, alongside the graves of Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin. See Wikipedia: Burials and memorials in Westminster Abbey for information on other people interred and commemorated in Westminster Abbey.

Westminster Abbey Tomb Map; Credit – https://www.gutenberg.org

Thirty kings and queens are buried at Westminster Abbey, starting with King Edward the Confessor whose magnificent shrine stands just behind the High Altar. Five kings and four queens lie buried in his Chapel. Many royal children, especially those who died in childhood, were buried in the vaults at Westminster Abbey. By the time of King George II’s death in 1760, the royal burial vaults at Westminster Abbey were quite crowded. His successor, his grandson King George III, decided to build a new royal vault at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. Since the reign of King George III, royal burials, with a few exceptions, have been at St. George’s Chapel or the Royal Burial Ground and Mausoleums at Frogmore, near Windsor Castle. The last monarch buried in Westminster Abbey was King George II in 1760. The last royal burial in Westminster Abbey was that of Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland, son of Frederick, Prince of Wales and brother of King George III, in 1790.

• 1066 – St. Edward the Confessor, King of England: first buried before the high altar in the first Westminster Abbey, in 1269 after the rebuilding of the second Westminster Abbey, his remains were placed in a shrine
• 1075 – Edith of Wessex, Queen of England, wife of Edward the Confessor, King of England: buried on the left side of her husband’s shrine
• 1118 – Matilda of Scotland, Queen of England, first wife of King Henry I: first buried at the entrance of the Chapter House, reburied by King Henry III south of Edward the Confessor’s shrine
• 1257 – Katherine, daughter of King Henry III: died in early childhood, buried in the ambulatory between the chapels of Edward the Confessor and St. Benedict
• 1264 – Katherine, daughter of King Edward I: died in infancy
• 1265 – Joanna, daughter of King Edward I: died in infancy
• 1271 – John, son of King Edward I: died in early childhood: buried in the ambulatory between the chapels of Edward the Confessor and St. Benedict
• 1272 – King Henry III of England: first placed in a grave near the high altar that had originally contained the coffin of Edward the Confessor, transferred in 1290 to a tomb north of Edward the Confessor’s shrine
• 1274 – Henry, son of King Edward I: died in childhood, buried in the ambulatory between the chapels of Edward the Confessor and St. Benedict
• 1277/1278 – Berengaria, daughter of King Edward I: died in early childhood
• 1284 – Alphonso, Earl of Chester, Edward I’s eldest surviving son at the time of his death: died in childhood, buried in the ambulatory between the chapels of Edward the Confessor and St. Benedict
• 1290 – Eleanor of Castile, Queen of England, wife of King Edward I, first placed in a grave near the high altar that had originally contained the coffin of Edward the Confessor, later transferred to her own tomb
• 1296 – Edmund Crouchback, Earl of Lancaster, son of King Henry III: buried in the Edward the Confessor Chapel
• 1298 – Eleanor, Countess of Bar, daughter of King Edward I: buried in the ambulatory between the chapels of Edward the Confessor and St. Benedict
• 1307 – King Edward I of England: buried in a tomb in the northwest corner of Edward the Confessor’s Chapel
• 1331 (buried) – Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent, son of King Edward I: died 1330
• 1336 – John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall, son of King Edward II: buried in an alabaster-carved tomb
• 1342 – Blanche of the Tower, daughter of King Edward III: died shortly after birth, buried in St. Edmund’s Chapel
• 1348 – William of Windsor, son of King Edward III: died in infancy, buried in St. Edmund’s Chapel
• 1370 (buried) – Philippa of Hainault, Queen of England, wife of King Edward III: died 1369, buried in a tomb on the northeast side of Edward the Confessor’s Chapel
• 1377 – King Edward III of England: buried in a tomb south of Edward the Confessor’s shrine.
• 1394 – Anne of Bohemia, Queen of England, first wife of King Richard II: buried in a double tomb next to the tomb of Richard’s grandfather King Edward III
• 1397 – Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester, son of King Edward III: buried in the Edward the Confessor Chapel
• 1413 (buried) – King Richard II of England, died 1400, first buried at Kings Langley Church, moved by King Henry V to the double tomb next to the tomb of Richard’s grandfather King Edward III where Anne of Bohemia was previously buried.
• 1422 – King Henry V of England: buried in a tomb at the eastern end of Edward the Confessor’s Chapel.
• 1437 – Catherine of Valois, Queen of England, wife of King Henry V: originally buried in the Lady Chapel, during renovations in the reign of King Henry VII, Catherine’s tomb was destroyed and her remains were placed in a wooden coffin which was placed alongside the tomb of her first husband King Henry V, in 1778, her remains were buried in the Villiers Vault in the St. Nicholas Chapel
• 1472 – Margaret of York, daughter of King Edward IV: died in infancy, her coffin was originally placed to fit in the steps of Edward the Confessor Chapel but it was moved to the edge of the chapel at the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
• 1485 – Anne Neville, Queen of England: buried in an unmarked grave to the right of the High Altar, next to the door to Edward the Confessor’s Chapel
• 1495 – Elizabeth Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII: died in early childhood, buried in a tomb on the north side of the Edward the Confessor Chapel
• 1503 – Elizabeth of York, Queen of England, daughter of King Edward IV and wife of King Henry VII: buried with her husband in a magnificent tomb in the Henry VII Chapel
• 1509 – King Henry VII of England: buried with his wife in a magnificent tomb in the Henry VII Chapel
• 1509 – Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby, mother of King Henry VII: buried in a tomb in the Henry VII Chapel situated between the later graves of William III and Mary II and the tomb of Mary, Queen of Scots.
• 1511 – Henry, Duke of Cornwall, son of King Henry VIII: died in infancy
• 1553 – King Edward VI of England: buried in a tomb in the Henry VII Chapel
• 1557 – Anne of Cleves, Queen of England, fourth wife of King Henry VIII: buried in a plain marble tomb on the south side of the altar
• 1558 – Queen Mary I of England: buried in a vault in the Henry VII Chapel she would eventually share with her Protestant half-sister and successor Queen Elizabeth I, the tomb erected above only has Elizabeth’s effigy
• 1559 – Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk, daughter of Mary Tudor and granddaughter of King Henry VII: buried in a tomb in St. Edmund’s Chapel
• 1578 – Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox, daughter of Margaret Tudor and granddaughter of King Henry VII, buried in a tomb in the Henry VII Chapel
• 1578 – Lady Mary Grey, daughter of Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk and granddaughter of Mary Tudor: buried in the tomb of her mother Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk, her grave is unmarked
• 1603 – Queen Elizabeth I of England: buried in a vault in the Henry VII Chapel that she shares with her Catholic half-sister Queen Mary I, the tomb erected above only has Elizabeth’s effigy
• 1606 – Sophia Stuart, daughter of King James I: died 48 hours after birth, buried in a monument that resembles a cradle near the tomb of Queen Elizabeth I in the Henry VII Chapel
• 1607 – Mary Stuart, daughter of King James I: died in early childhood, buried in a tomb opposite her sister Sophia’s tomb near the tomb of Queen Elizabeth I in the Henry VII’s Chapel
• 1612 (buried) Mary, Queen of Scots: died 1587, originally buried at Peterborough Cathedral, in 1612, Mary’s remains were exhumed upon the orders of her son King James I and were reburied in a marble tomb with a beautiful effigy directly across the aisle from the chapel containing the tomb of Queen Elizabeth I.
• 1612 – Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, son of King James I: died at age 18, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1615 – Lady Arbella Stuart, great-granddaughter of Margaret Tudor: buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1619 – Anne of Denmark, Queen of England, wife of King James I: buried in the vault of the Dukes of Buckinghamshire in the Henry VII Chapel
• 1625 – King James I of England: buried in the vault with King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, his great-great-grandparents
• 1629 – Charles James Stuart, Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay, firstborn of King Charles I: born and died the same day
• 1640 – Princess Anne, daughter of King Charles I: died in early childhood, buried next to her brother Charles James
• 1660 – Henry Stuart, Duke of Gloucester, son of King Charles I: buried in a vault under the monument of Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1660 – Mary, Princess Royal, Princess of Orange, daughter of King Charles I, mother of King William III: buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1661 – Charles Stuart, Duke of Cambridge, son of King James II: died in infancy, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1662 – Elizabeth Stuart, Electress Palatine, Queen of Bohemia, daughter of King James I: buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1667 – James Stuart, Duke of Cambridge, son of King James II: died in early childhood, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1667 – Charles Stuart, Duke of Kendal, son of King James II: died in infancy, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1669 – Henrietta Stuart, daughter of King James II: died in infancy, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1671 – Anne Hyde, Duchess of York, first wife of King James I: buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1671 – Edgar Stuart, Duke of Cambridge, son of King James II: died in early childhood, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1671 – Catherine Stuart, daughter of King James II: died in infancy, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1675 – Catherine Laura Stuart, daughter of King James II: died in infancy, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1677 – Charles, Duke of Cambridge, son of King James II: died in infancy, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1678 – Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of King James II: died in infancy
• 1681 – Isabella Stuart, daughter of King James II: died in early childhood, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1681 (buried) Charles FitzCharles, 1st Earl of Plymouth, an illegitimate son of King Charles II: died 1680, buried in what is now the Royal Air Force Memorial Chapel
• 1682 – Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Duke of Cumberland, nephew of King Charles I and cousin of King Charles II and King James II: buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1682 – Charlotte Maria, daughter of King James II: died in infancy
• 1684 – Charlotte FitzRoy, Countess of Yarmouth, illegitimate daughter of King Charles II
• 1684: Stillborn daughter of Queen Anne
• 1685 – King Charles II of England: buried in a vault under the monument to George Monck, Duke of Albemarle in the Henry VII Chapel
• 1686 – James Darnley, an illegitimate son of King James II: died in infancy, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1687 – Mary, daughter of Queen Anne: died in early childhood from smallpox, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1687 – Anne Sophia, daughter of Queen Anne: died in infancy from smallpox, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1687 – Stillborn son of Queen Anne
• 1690 – Mary, daughter of Queen Anne: premature, lived only two hours, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1692 – George, son of Queen Anne: lived only a few minutes, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1693 – Stillborn daughter of Queen Anne
• 1694 – Queen Mary II of England: buried in a vault under the monument to George Monck, Duke of Albemarle in the Henry VII Chapel
• 1700 – Stillborn son of Queen Anne
• 1700 – Prince William, Duke of Gloucester, only surviving child of Queen Anne: died at age 11, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1702 – King William III of England: buried in a vault under the monument to George Monck, Duke of Albemarle in the Henry VII Chapel
• 1708 – Prince George of Denmark, Duke of Cumberland, husband of Queen Anne: buried in a vault under the monument to George Monck, Duke of Albemarle in the Henry VII Chapel
• 1714 – Queen Anne of Great Britain: buried in a vault under the monument to George Monck, Duke of Albemarle in the Henry VII Chapel
• 1718 – Prince George William of Great Britain, son of King George II: died in infancy, buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1723 – Charles Lenox, 1st Duke of Richmond, an illegitimate son of King Charles II: buried in the vault of Esme Stuart, Duke of Richmond in the Henry VII Chapel
• 1726 – Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans, an illegitimate son of King Charles II
• 1730 – Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Cleveland, an illegitimate son of King Charles II: buried in the Duke of Ormond’s Vault
• 1737 – Caroline of Ansbach, Queen of Great Britain, wife of King George II: buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1743 – Lady Catherine Darnley, Duchess of Buckingham, an illegitimate daughter of King James II: buried in the vault of the Dukes of Buckingham in the Henry VII Chapel
• 1751 – Frederick, Prince of Wales, son of King George II and father of King George III: buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1757 – Princess Caroline of Great Britain, daughter of King George II: buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1759 – Princess Elizabeth of Great Britain, daughter of Frederick, Prince of Wales: died at age 18, buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1760 – King George II of Great Britain: buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1765 – Prince Frederick of Great Britain, son of Frederick, Prince of Wales: died at age 15, buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1765 – Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, son of King George II: buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1767 – Prince Edward, Duke of York and Albany, son of Frederick, Prince of Wales: buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1768 – Princess Louisa of Great Britain, daughter of Frederick, Prince of Wales, died at age 19, buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1772 – Augusta of Saxe-Gotha- Altenburg, Dowager Princess of Wales, wife of Frederick, Prince of Wales and mother of King George III: buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1782 – Prince Alfred of Great Britain, son of King George III: died in early childhood, first buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel, moved to St. George’s Chapel, Windsor in 1820
• 1783 – Prince Octavius of Great Britain, son of King George III: died in early childhood, first buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel, moved to St. George’s Chapel, Windsor in 1820
• 1786 – Princess Amelia of Great Britain, daughter of King George II: buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1790 – Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland, son of Frederick, Prince of Wales: buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel

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Royal Weddings

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Before the 20th century, most royal weddings were small, private, family affairs. Some royal weddings were in churches and chapels and some were in palaces and castles. Westminster Abbey was the wedding venue for several royal weddings beginning with the wedding of King Henry III and Matilda of Scotland in 1100 and including the wedding of King Richard II to Anne of Bohemia in 1382. There would not be another royal wedding in Westminster Abbey until 1919 when Queen Victoria’s granddaughter Princess Patricia of Connaught married The Honorable Alexander Ramsay. From the wedding of King Henry III and Matilda of Scotland in 1100 to the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011 (photo above), there have been only sixteen royal weddings at Westminster Abbey.

• November 11, 1100 – Henry I, King of England (son of King William I) married Edith of Scotland (renamed Matilda upon her marriage)
• January 4, 1243 – Richard, Earl of Cornwall (son of King John) married Sanchia of Provence
• April 8, 1269 – Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster (son of King Henry III) married  Aveline de Forz
• April 30, 1290 – Joan of Acre (daughter of King Edward I) married Gilbert de Clare, 7th Earl of Gloucester
• November 14, 1302 – Elizabeth of Rhuddlan (daughter of King Edward I) married Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford
• January 22, 1382 – Richard II, King of England (grandson of King Edward III) married ( ) Anne of Bohemia
• February 27,  1919 – Princess Patricia of Connaught (granddaughter of Queen Victoria) married The Honorable Alexander Ramsay
• February 28, 1922 – Mary, Princess Royal (daughter of King George V) married Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood – (Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Mary, Princess Royal and Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood)
• April 26, 1923 – Prince Albert, Duke of York later George VI, King of the United Kingdom (son of King George V) married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon – (Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of King George VI and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon)
• November 29, 1934 – Prince George, Duke of Kent (son of King George V) married Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark – (Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Prince George, Duke of Kent and Princess Marina of Greece)
• November 20, 1947 – Princess Elizabeth, later Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom, (daughter of King George VI) married Lt Philip Mountbatten (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later The Duke of Edinburgh) – (Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Queen Elizabeth II and Lt Philip Mountbatten)
• May 6, 1960 – Princess Margaret (daughter of King George VI) married Antony Armstrong-Jones (later 1st Earl of Snowdon) – (Unofficial Royalty – Wedding of Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones)
• April 24, 1963 – Princess Alexandra of Kent (granddaughter of King George V) married The Honorable Angus Ogilvy
• November 14, 1973 – Princess Anne, later The Princess Royal (daughter of Queen Elizabeth II) married Mark Phillips – (Unofficial Royalty – Wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips)
• July 23, 1986 – Prince Andrew, Duke of York (son of Queen Elizabeth II) married Sarah Ferguson – (Unofficial Royalty – Wedding of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson)
• April 29, 2011 – Prince William, The Prince of Wales, then The Duke of Cambridge (grandson of Queen Elizabeth II) married Catherine Middleton – (Unofficial Royalty – Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton)

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Burials and memorials in Westminster Abbey – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burials_and_memorials_in_Westminster_Abbey> [Accessed 10 July 2021].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2021. List of British coronations – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_coronations> [Accessed 10 July 2021].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Westminster Abbey – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_Abbey> [Accessed 10 July 2021].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2018. Westminster Abbey: Royal Burials. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/westminster-abbey-royal-burials/> [Accessed 10 July 2021].
• Fox, Adam, 1984. Westminster Abbey. Andover: Pitkin Pictorials.
• Jenkyns, Richard, 2005. Westminster Abbey. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
• Unofficial Royalty. 2021. British Royal Weddings. [online] Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-weddings/british-royal-weddings/> [Accessed 10 July 2021].
• Westminster Abbey. 2021. A royal church | Westminster Abbey. [online] Available at: <https://www.westminster-abbey.org/> [Accessed 10 July 2021].

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

St. Mary Magdalene Church; Credit – By Elliott Brown – Flickr: The Church of St Mary Magdalene, Sandringham, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28380611

In 1862, the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII, purchased the 8,000-acre Sandringham Estate from William Cowper-Temple, 1st Baron Mount Temple, as a country home for him and his future wife Princess Alexandra of Denmark. Like Balmoral in Scotland, the Sandringham Estate is the private property of the British Sovereign.

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Prince Philip, Prince Edward, Prince Charles, Princess of Wales (red coat with a black hat), Peter Phillips, Prince William (holding flowers), Zara Phillips, Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth II (purple coat), Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (blue coat), Prince Harry, Princess Margaret after the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church on December 25, 1993

St. Mary Magdalene Church, located in Sandringham, Norfolk, England, is just southwest of Sandringham House. Sandringham Estate staff regularly use the church and when in residence at Sandringham, members of the British royal family attend services at St. Mary Magdalene Church which usually includes Christmas services.

Chancel of St. Mary Magdalene Church; Credit – By Andrewrabbott – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80579847

The church dates to the 16th century and was restored by architects Samuel Sanders Teulon in 1855 and Arthur Blomfield in 1890. King Edward VII commissioned Charles Eamer Kempe, a designer and a manufacturer of stained glass, to create some of the church decorations and the stained glass in the east window.

The altar presented to Queen Alexandra by the American department store owner Rodman Wanamaker; Credit – By Andrewrabbott – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80579848

The church’s silver altar and altarpiece were created by the silversmiths Barkentin & Krall and were presented to Queen Alexandra as a memorial to King Edward VII by the American department store owner Rodman Wanamaker, a patron of many important commissions in the field of liturgical arts. Wanamaker also presented Queen Alexandra with the silver pulpit and a silver 17th-century Spanish processional cross.

The pulpit presented to Queen Alexandra by the American department store owner, Rodman Wanamaker; Credit – By Andrewrabbott – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80579846

On the walls of the church are memorials to several members of the British royal family.

Memorial to Prince Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duke of Edinburgh; Credit – By Andrewrabbott – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80579763

Memorial to King George V; Credit – By Basher Eyre, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70591702

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Christenings

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Christening of Princess Eugenie of York

• Prince Albert (later King George VI), son of Prince George, Duke of York, later Prince of Wales and King George V – christened February 10, 1896
• Princess Mary (later Princess Royal), daughter of Prince George, Duke of York, later Prince of Wales and King George V – christened June 7, 1897
• Prince Alexander of Denmark (later King Olav V of Norway), son of Prince Carl of Denmark and Princess Maud of Wales, later King Haakon VII and Queen Maud of Norway – christened August 11, 1903
• Prince John, son of Prince George, Prince of Wales, later King George V – christened August 3, 1905
• The Honorable Diana Spencer (later The Princess of Wales), daughter of John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer, first wife of King Charles III – christened August 30, 1961
• Princess Eugenie of York, daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York – christened December 23, 1990
• Princess Charlotte of Wales, daughter of Prince William, The Prince of Wales – christened July 5, 2015

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Burials

Graves of Prince John and Prince Alexander John; Credit – www.findagrave.com

• Prince Alexander John (April 6, 1871 – April 7, 1871), son of The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII
• Prince John (1905 – 1919), son of King George V

Relatives of Diana, Princess of Wales

St. Mary Magdalene Churchyard; Credit – By Immanuel Giel – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70288455

The family of Diana, Princess of Wales has a connection to Sandringham Estate. Park House, located on the Sandringham Estate, just to the west of Sandringham House, was the birthplace of Diana. However, the family history goes back a little further. In the 1930s, King George V leased Park House to his friend Maurice Roche, 4th Baron Fermoy. Baron Fermoy and his wife Ruth, later a Woman of the Bedchamber and close confidante to The Queen Mother, had three children, all born at Park House, including Diana’s mother The Honorable Frances Ruth Roche. When Frances married John Spencer, Viscount Althorp, the couple took over the lease on Park House from her parents. Diana was born there seven years later, and her father retained the lease on Park House until 1975 when he became the 8th Earl Spencer and the family moved to the Spencer family home Althorp.

Because of this family connection, several members of Diana’s family are buried in the churchyard at St. Mary Magdalene Church.

• Maurice Roche, 4th Baron Fermoy (1885 – 1955), Diana’s maternal grandfather
• The Honorable John Spencer (born and died January 12, 1960), Diana’s brother
• The Honorable Elizabeth Burke Roche (March 27, 1966 – April 2, 1966), Diana’s first cousin, daughter of Edmund Roche, 5th Baron Fermoy
• Edmund Roche, 5th Baron Fermoy (1939 – 1984), died by suicide, Diana’s maternal uncle
• Ruth Roche, Baroness Fermoy (1908 – 1993), Diana’s maternal grandmother

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Resting of King George V’s Coffin

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In his final years, King George V had several medical issues exacerbated by his habit of smoking including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pleurisy. On January 15, 1936, King George V went to bed at Sandringham House complaining of a cold, gradually became weaker, and drifted in and out of consciousness. On January 20, when the king was close to death, his doctors issued a bulletin with words that became famous: “The King’s life is moving peacefully towards its close.” As the king lay dying of bronchitis, Bertrand Dawson, 1st Viscount Dawson of Penn, Physician-in-Ordinary to King George V, gave him a lethal injection of cocaine and morphine, thereby hastening his death to ensure that the announcement of the death would appear first in the morning edition of The Times and not in some lesser publication in the afternoon. Before King George V’s coffin was taken to London to lie in state at Westminster Hall, it rested at St. Mary Magdalene Church. His funeral was held at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor.

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Resting of King George VI’s Coffin

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Suffering from lung cancer, King George VI died in his sleep on February 6, 1952, at Sandringham House. His coffin rested at St. Mary Magdalene Church until it was taken to London on February 11, 1952, to lie-in-state at Westminster Hall. His funeral was held at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor.

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Works Cited

• Britain Express, 2021. Sandringham, St Mary Magdalene Church | History & Photos. [online] Britain Express. Available at: <https://www.britainexpress.com/counties/norfolk/churches/sandringham.htm> [Accessed 23 May 2021].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2021. St Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mary_Magdalene_Church,_Sandringham> [Accessed 23 May 2021].
• Mehl, Scott, 2013. Park House, Sandringham Estate. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/park-house-sandringham-estate/> [Accessed 23 May 2021].
• Mehl, Scott, 2015. Sandringham House. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/sandringham-house/> [Accessed 23 May 2021].
• Sandringhamestate.co.uk. 2021. Sandringham. [online] Available at: <https://sandringhamestate.co.uk/attractions/sandringham-church> [Accessed 23 May 2021].

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

St. George’s Chapel; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

• Official Website: St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle

St. George’s Chapel, which this writer has visited, is located in the Lower Ward of the precincts of Windsor Castle in Windsor, England. Calling it a chapel is a misnomer as it is more cathedral-like. St. George’s Chapel is a Royal Peculiar, a church under the direct jurisdiction of the monarch instead of a bishop, and is also the Chapel of the Order of the Garter. St. George’s Chapel seats around 800 people and has been the setting for many royal funerals since the reign of King George III and many royal weddings since the reign of Queen Victoria.

https://www.britainexpress.com/counties/berkshire/windsor-castle/st-georges-map.htm

1 – Nave
1a – Memorial to The Prince Imperial, son of Emperor Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie of France, killed in the Zulu War in 1879.
2 – Beaufort Chantry – Tomb of Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester and his first wife
3 – West Nave Central
4 – Urswick Chantry – Chantry chapel for Christopher Urswick, Dean of Windsor, Memorial to Princess Charlotte of Wales is also here
5 – Tomb of King George V and his wife Queen Mary
5a – Rutland Chapel – Tomb of George Manners, 11th Baron de Roos and his wife Anne.
6 – King George VI Memorial Chapel – King George VI, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother,  Princess Margaret, The Duke of Edinburgh, and Queen Elizabeth II are buried here
7 – Hastings Chantry – Chantry chapel for William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings, executed by Richard III
8 – Tomb of King Edward IV and his wife Elizabeth Woodville
9 – Wrought Iron Gates – designed to protect the tomb of Edward IV
10 – Tudor Oriel Window – Built by King Henry VIII as a gallery for Catherine of Aragon
11 – Reredos and East Window – Built as a memorial to Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria
12 – The Garter Stalls – Stalls for the Knights of the Garter
13 – Entrance to the Royal Vault
14 – Crypt where King Henry VIII, his third wife Jane Seymour, and King Charles I are interred
15 – Roof Bosses – At the crossing are the arms of King Henry VII and the Garter Knights
16 – The Royal Stalls
17 – West Window – Stained-glass window portrays 75 royals, saints, and popes
18 – Bray Chantry – Tomb of Sir Reginald Bray
19 – Oliver King Chapel – Oliver King, Canon of Windsor, later Bishop of Bath and Wells
20 – Edward III’s battle sword measuring 6 feet 8 inches long
21 – Oxenbridge Chantry – Chantry chapel for John Oxenbridge, Canon of Windsor
22 – Tomb of King Henry VI
23 – Tomb of King Edward VII and his wife Queen Alexandra
24 – Lincoln Chapel – Tomb of Edward Clinton, 1st Earl of Lincoln and his third wife
25 – East Doors – 13th-century ironwork frames the doors which were the entry to King Henry III’s Chapel
26 – Dean’s Cloister – The site of the cloister was built in 1352

Note: The Albert Memorial Chapel is not labeled.  It is at the top of the diagram, above the number 25.

In 1348, King Edward III founded the Order of the Garter and the College of St. George at Windsor Castle. St. George’s Chapel is part of the College of St. George which now also includes St. George’s School, St. George’s House, the Military Knights of Windsor, the Chapter Library and Archives, and the Choir of St. George’s Chapel. At the time of the founding of the Order of the Garter, the church at Windsor Castle was the Chapel of St. Edward the Confessor which had been constructed by King Henry III in the early thirteenth century and stood on the site of the present Albert Memorial Chapel, part of St. George’s Chapel. The Chapel of St. Edward the Confessor was rededicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Edward the Confessor, and St. George, the patron saint of England, and became the Chapel of the Order of the Garter. A new porch was built on the chapel to serve as an entrance to the new College of St. George.  From 1475 – 1528, the 13th-century Chapel of Edward the Confessor was transformed into the cathedral-like chapel that we see today.

Heraldic banners of the members of the Order of the Garter; Credit – By Josep Renalias – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3530668

The quire of the current chapel is now the place where every June a special service is held for the members of the Order of the Garter. The heraldic banners of the current members hang above the stalls of the quire where the Knights of the Garter have a seat for life. Each stall has small enameled brass plates displaying the names and arms of each Knight of the Garter who has sat in that stall. Members of the Order of the Garter meet at Windsor Castle every June for the annual Garter Service. After lunch in the State Apartments (Upper Ward of the Castle), the Knights of the Garter process on foot in their robes and insignia, down to St. George’s Chapel for the service. If new members are to be admitted, they are installed at the service.

Tomb of Henry VI at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor; Credit – findagrave.com

Before the reign of the House of Hanover, there were only a handful of royal burials at St. George’s Chapel because the primary royal burial place had been Westminster Abbey in London. King Henry VI was interred in at St. George’s Chapel in a tomb on the south side of the altar and King Edward IV and his wife Elizabeth Woodville were interred in a tomb on the north side of the altar. Jane Seymour, the third wife of King Henry VIII, who died from childbirth complications after delivering his long-awaited son, King Henry VIII, and the beheaded King Charles I are all interred in the small vault in the floor of the Quire of St. George’s Chapel.

Coffins in the Royal Vault; Photo Credit – the-lothians.blogspot.com

By the time of King George II’s death in 1760, the royal burial vaults at Westminster Abbey were quite crowded. His successor, his grandson King George III, decided to build a new royal vault at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor. The new Royal Vault was constructed in 1804 under what is now the Albert Memorial Chapel. Between 1863 – 1873, Queen Victoria had the original chapel converted into a chapel in memory of her husband Prince Albert. Prince Albert is not buried there, but his son Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, and his grandson Prince Albert Victor (Prince Eddy), Duke of Clarence are buried there. Also during Queen Victoria’s reign, a set of steps was built at the west end of the chapel to create a ceremonial entrance to St. George’s Chapel.

Ceremonial entrance at the west end of St. George’s Chapel; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

Memorial to Princess Charlotte of Wales, the angel on the left holds her stillborn son; Photo Credit – http://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/

Only three of the Hanovers interred at St. George’s Chapel have a tomb or memorial. Princess Charlotte of Wales, who tragically died in childbirth at age 21 and most likely would have succeeded her father King George IV on the throne has a very moving memorial. Charlotte’s body is draped as she ascends to heaven along with angels, one of which carries her stillborn son.

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Albert Memorial Chapel

In the Albert Memorial Chapel, there are tombs with effigies for Queen Victoria’s hemophiliac son Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany who died at age 31 due to hemophilia complications after a fall, and for Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence (known as Prince Eddy), second in the line of succession after his father, Queen Victoria’s eldest son, the future King Edward VII. Prince Eddy died at age 28 after becoming ill with influenza and developing pneumonia. King Edward VII and his wife Queen Alexandra and King George V and his wife Queen Mary were interred in tombs with effigies in the aisles of the chapel.

King George VI Memorial Chapel; Credit – The Royal Family Facebook page

In 1969, construction was completed on an addition to St. George’s Chapel, the King George VI Memorial Chapel. King George VI, whose coffin had been in the Royal Vault since his death in 1952, was transferred there in 1969. His wife Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and the ashes of his daughter Princess Margaret were interred there in 2002.  In 2022, King George VI’s daughter and successor Queen Elizabeth II was interred in the King George VI Memorial Chapel. The coffin of her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh who died in 2021, had been temporarily interred in the Royal Vault at St. George’s Chapel and was moved to the King George Memorial Chapel at the time of the burial of Queen Elizabeth II.

Royal Christenings at St. George’s Chapel – Reign of Queen Victoria and Later

Christening of The Prince of Wales by George Hayter, 1842; Credit – Wikipedia

For the most part, royal christenings prior to the reign of Queen Victoria were small events, often held at home. During the reign of Queen Victoria, christenings were usually held at The Private Chapel at Windsor Castle or Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace. Christenings of members of the House of Windsor have been also held at intimate settings, mostly palace chapels, including the Private Chapel in Windsor Castle, the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace, the Music Room at Buckingham Palace, the Chapel Royal in St James’s Palace, and St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham. From the reign of Queen Victoria and later, only three christenings were held at a large church, St. George’s Chapel.

• The Prince of Wales, son of Queen Victoria (later King Edward VII) – christened January 25, 1842
• Prince Leopold of Battenberg, son of Princess Beatrice, grandson of Queen Victoria – christened: June 29, 1889
• Prince Harry of Wales, son of Charles, The Prince of Wales – christened: December 21, 1984

Royal Weddings at St. George’s Chapel – Reign of Queen Victoria and Later

Wedding of The Prince of Wales and Princess Alexandra of Denmark, painting by William Frith, circa 1865, Queen Victoria can be seen standing in the Royal Closet in the top right; Credit – Wikipedia

During the reign of Queen Victoria, we start to see royal weddings at St. George’s Chapel. In 1863, the wedding of Queen Victoria’s eldest son and heir, the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, and Princess Alexandra of Denmark would be the first royal wedding held at St. George’s Chapel, a tradition that has continued to this day for many members of the British Royal Family.

• The Prince of Wales, son of Queen Victoria, (later King Edward VII) and Princess Alexandra of Denmark – married March 10, 1863 – Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of King Edward VII and Princess Alexandra of Denmark
• Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria, and John Douglas Sutherland Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll – married March 21, 1871 – Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Princess Louise and John Sutherland Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll
• Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, son of Queen Victoria, and Princess Louise of Prussia – married March 13, 1879 – Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia
• Princess Frederica of Hanover, daughter of King George V of Hanover, and Baron Alfons von Pawel Rammingen – married April 24, 1880
• Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, son of Queen Victoria, and Princess Helen of Waldeck and Pyrmont – married April 27, 1882 – Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany and Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont
• Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein, daughter of Princess Helena, granddaughter of Queen Victoria, and Prince Aribert of Anhalt – married July 6, 1891
• Princess Alice of Albany, daughter of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, granddaughter of Queen Victoria, and Prince Alexander of Teck (later Earl of Athlone) – February 10, 1904
• Princess Margaret of Connaught, daughter of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, granddaughter of Queen Victoria, and Prince Gustaf Adolph of Sweden (later King Gustaf VI Adolph of Sweden) – married June 15, 1905 – Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden and Princess Margaret of Connaught
• Lady Helena Cambridge, daughter of Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge and niece of Queen Mary, and Major John Gibbs, Coldstream Guards – married September 2, 1919
• Anne Abel Smith, granddaughter of Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, and David Liddell-Grainger – married December 14, 1957
• Lady Helen Windsor, daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and Timothy Taylor – married July 18, 1992
• Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, son of Queen Elizabeth II, and Sophie Rhys-Jones – married June 19, 1999 – Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones
• King Charles III, son of Queen Elizabeth II, and Queen Camilla – Service of Prayer and Dedication following the civil marriage April 9, 2005 – Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of King Charles III of the United Kingdom and Camilla Parker Bowles
• Peter Phillips, son of Anne, Princess Royal, grandson of Queen Elizabeth II, and Autumn Kelly – married May 17, 2008
• Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, son of Charles, The Prince of Wales, and Meghan Markle – married May 19, 2018 – Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle
• Princess Eugenie of York, daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II, and Jack Brooksbank – married October 12, 2018 – Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank
• Lady Gabriella Windsor, daughter of Prince Michael of Kent, and Thomas Kingston – married May 18, 2019

Royal Funerals at St. George’s Chapel – Reign of King George III and Later

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Funeral of King George V: His coffin has just been lowered into the Royal Vault

Since the reign of the House of Hanover, St. George’s Chapel has become the usual place for funerals of the British royal family. King George III, King George IV, King William IV, Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, King George V, King Edward VIII (as Duke of Windsor), and King George VI all had funerals at St. George’s Chapel.

• September 4, 1805 – Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, grandson of King George II, brother of King George III
• March 31, 1813 – Princess Augusta, Duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel, granddaughter of King George II, sister of King George III, wife of Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
• November 13, 1810 – Princess Amelia, daughter of King George III
• November 19, 1817 – Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only child of George, Prince of Wales (later King George IV), wife of Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (later King of the Belgians)
• December 2, 1818 – Queen Charlotte (born Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz), wife of King George III
• February 12, 1820 – Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, son of King George III
• February 16, 1820 – King George III
• January 20, 1827 – Prince Frederick, Duke of York, son of King George III
• July 15, 1830 – King George IV
• December 11, 1834 – Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester, great-grandson of King George II, nephew and son-in-law of King George III
• July 8, 1837 – King William IV
• October 2, 1840 – Princess Augusta Sophia, daughter of King George III
• December 10, 1844 – Princess Sophia Matilda of Gloucester, great-granddaughter of King George II and niece of King George III
• December 13, 1849 – Queen Adelaide (born Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen), wife of King William IV
• May 8, 1857 – Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester, daughter of King George III, wife of Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh
• March 25, 1861 – Duchess of Kent (born Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld), wife of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, mother of Queen Victoria
• December 23, 1861 – Prince Albert, The Prince Consort (born Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha), husband of Queen Victoria
• June 24, 1878 – King George V of Hanover, son of King Ernest Augustus I of Hanover, Duke of Cumberland, grandson of King George III
• April 5, 1884 – Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, son of Queen Victoria
• January 20, 1892 – Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence, son of the future King Edward VII, grandson of Queen Victoria
• November 3, 1897 – Duchess of Teck (born Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge), granddaughter of King George III, mother of Queen Mary (wife of King George V)
• January 27, 1900 – Prince Francis, Duke of Teck, father of Queen Mary (wife of King George V)
• February 2, 1901 – Queen Victoria
• May 29, 1910 – King Edward VII
• October 26, 1910 – Prince Francis of Teck, great-grandson of King George III, brother of Queen Mary (wife of King George V)
• February 12, 1912 – Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife, husband of Louise, Princess Royal, son-in-law of King Edward VII
• March 19, 1917 – Duchess of Connaught (born Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia), wife of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, daughter-in-law of Queen Victoria
• November 1, 1917 – Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, husband of Princess Helena, son-in-law of Queen Victoria
• November 28, 1925 – Queen Alexandra (born Princess Alexandra of Denmark), wife of King Edward VII
• November 18, 1926 – Princess Frederica of Hanover, daughter of King George V of Hanover, great-granddaughter of King George III, and wife of Baron Alfons von Pawel-Rammingen
• October 24, 1927 – Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge (born Prince Adolphus of Teck, later Duke of Teck), great-grandson of King George III, brother of Queen Mary (wife of King George III)
• April 20, 1928 – Rupert Cambridge, Viscount Trematon, son of Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone (born Prince Alexander of Teck) and Princess Alice of Albany, great-great-grandson of King George III via his father and great-grandson Queen Victoria via his mother
• March 30, 1929 – Margaret Cambridge, Marchioness of Cambridge (born Lady Margaret Grosvenor) wife of Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge
• January 10, 1931 – Louise, Princess Royal, Duchess of Fife, daughter of King Edward VII, wife of Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife
• December 7, 1935 – Princess Victoria, daughter of King Edward VII
• January 28, 1936 – King George V
• September 22, 1938 – Prince Arthur of Connaught, son of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, grandson of Queen Victoria
• December 12, 1939 – Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, daughter of Queen Victoria, wife of John Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll
• March 19, 1942 – Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, son of Queen Victoria
• August 29, 1942 – Prince George, Duke of Kent, son of King George V
• November 3, 1944 – Princess Beatrice, daughter of Queen Victoria, wife of Prince Henry of Battenberg
• March 17, 1948 – Princess Helena Victoria (born a Princess of Schleswig-Holstein), daughter of Princess Helena, granddaughter of Queen Victoria
• February 15, 1952 – King George VI
• March 31, 1953 – Queen Mary (born Princess Victoria Mary of Teck), wife of King George V
• December 14, 1956 – Princess Marie Louise (born a Princess of Schleswig-Holstein), daughter of Princess Helena, granddaughter of Queen Victoria
• January 1957 – Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone (born Prince Alexander of Teck), son of Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, brother of Queen Mary, husband of Princess Alice of Albany, last surviving great-grandchild of King George III
• August 30, 1968 – Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent (born a Princess of Greece and Denmark), wife of Prince George, Duke of Kent
• December 10, 1969 – Princess Andrew of Greece (born Princess Alice of Battenberg), great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, mother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
• June 5, 1972 – The Duke of Windsor (formerly King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom)
• September 2, 1972 – Prince William of Gloucester, son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester
• October 1972 – The Honorable Sir Alexander Ramsay, husband of Lady Patricia Ramsay, born Princess Patricia of Connaught
• January 21, 1974 – Lady Patricia Ramsay (born Princess Patricia of Connaught), daughter of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, granddaughter of Queen Victoria
• June 14, 1974 – Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, son of King George V
• January 8, 1981 – Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (born Princess Alice of Albany), daughter of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, last surviving grandchild of Queen Victoria
• April 1981 – George Cambridge, 2nd Marquess of Cambridge (born Prince George of Teck), son of Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge and nephew of Queen Mary
• April 29, 1986 – The Duchess of Windsor (born Bessie Wallis Warfield, known as Wallis Simpson), wife of the Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward VIII
• April 1988 – Dorothy Cambridge, Marchioness of Cambridge (born Dorothy Hastings), wife of George Cambridge, 2nd Marquess of Cambridge
• January/February 1993 – Sir Henry Abel Smith, husband of Lady May Abel Smith, son-in-law of Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone
• June 9, 1994 – Lady May Abel Smith (born Princess May of Teck, after 1917 Lady May Cambridge), daughter of Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone
• February 15, 2002 – Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, daughter of King George VI, sister of Queen Elizabeth II
• November 5, 2004 – Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester (born Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott), wife of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester
• January 5, 2005 – The Right Honorable Sir Angus Ogilvy, husband of Princess Alexandra of Kent
• April 17, 2021 – Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark), husband of Queen Elizabeth II – Unofficial Royalty: Funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Royal Burials at St. George’s Chapel

Tomb of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra on the south side of the altar; Photo Credit – https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/606282/tomb-of-king-edward-vii-and-queen-alexandra

• 1471 – King Henry VI: interred in a tomb on the south side of the altar
• 1479 – George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Bedford, son of King Edward IV: died in early childhood, interred on the north side of altar near his parents’ tomb
• 1482 – Mary of York, daughter of King Edward IV: died at age 14, interred on the north side of altar near her parents’ tomb
• 1483 – King Edward IV: interred in a tomb on the north side of the altar
• 1492 – Elizabeth Woodville, Queen of England, wife of King Edward IV: interred with her husband
• 1537 – Jane Seymour, Queen of England, third wife of King Henry VIII: interred in the small vault in the Quire of St. George’s Chapel
• 1547 – King Henry VIII: interred in the small vault in the Quire of St. George’s Chapel
• 1649 – King Charles I: interred in the small vault in the Quire of St. George’s Chapel
• 1698 – Stillborn son of Queen Anne: interred in the small vault in the Quire of St. George’s Chapel
• 1805 – Prince William, Duke of Gloucester, brother of King George III: interred in the Gloucester Vault on the south side of the Quire
• 1807 – Maria, Duchess of Gloucester (born Maria Walpole), wife of Prince William, Duke of Gloucester: interred in the Gloucester Vault on the south side of the Quire
• 1810 – Princess Amelia, daughter of King George III: interred in the Royal Vault
• 1813 – Princess Augusta, Duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel, sister of King George III: interred in the Royal Vault
• 1817 – Princess Charlotte of Wales, daughter of The Prince of Wales, the future King George IV: interred in the Royal Vault
• 1817 – Stillborn son of Princess Charlotte of Wales: interred in the Royal Vault
• 1818 – Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of the United Kingdom, wife of King George III: interred in the Royal Vault
• 1818 – Stillborn daughter of Prince Ernest Augustus, son of King George III: interred in the Royal Vault
• 1820 – Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, son of King George III and father of Queen Victoria: interred in the Royal Vault
• 1820 – King George III: interred in the Royal Vault
• 1820 (interred) – Prince Alfred, son of King George III: died 1782 in early childhood, first interred at Westminster Abbey, transferred to the Royal Vault in 1820 at the time of his father’s death
• 1820 (interred) – Prince Octavius, son of King George III: died 1783 in early childhood, first interred at Westminster Abbey, transferred to the Royal Vault in 1820 at the time of his father’s death
• 1821 – Princess Elizabeth of Clarence, daughter of Prince William, Duke of Clarence (the future King William IV): died in infancy, interred in the Royal Vault
• 1827 – Prince Frederick, Duke of York, son of King George III: interred in the Royal Vault
• 1830 – King George IV: interred in the Royal Vault
• 1832 – Princess Louise of Saxe-Weimar, 15-year-old niece of Queen Adelaide: interred in the Royal Vault
• 1834 – Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester, nephew and son-in-law of King George III: interred in the Gloucester Vault on the south side of the Quire
• 1837 – King William IV: interred in the Royal Vault
• 1840 – Princess Sophia, daughter of King George III: interred in the Royal Vault
• 1844 – Princess Sophia of Gloucester, great-granddaughter of King George II and niece of King George III: interred in the Gloucester Vault on the south side of the Quire
• 1849 – Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, Queen of the United Kingdom, wife of King William IV: interred in the Royal Vault
• 1857 – Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester, daughter of King George III and wife of Prince William, Duke of Gloucester: interred in the Gloucester Vault on the south side of the Quire
• 1876 – Prince Harald of Schleswig-Holstein, son of Princess Helena and grandson of Queen Victoria: lived only eight days, interred in the Royal Vault
• 1878 – King George V of Hanover, grandson of King George III: interred in the Royal Vault
• 1881 – Victoria von Pawel Rammingen, daughter of Princess Frederica of Hanover: interred in the Royal Vault
• 1884 – Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, son of Queen Victoria: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Albert Memorial Chapel in 1885
• 1892 – Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence, elder son of The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to the Albert Memorial Chapel
• 1897 – Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck, granddaughter of King George III and mother of Queen Mary: interred in the Royal Vault
• 1900 – Prince Francis, Duke of Teck, husband of Prince Mary Adelaide, father of Queen Mary: interred in the Royal Vault
• 1910 – King Edward VII: first interred in the Royal Vault, later interred in a sarcophagus on the south side of the altar
• 1925 – Alexandra of Denmark, Queen of the United Kingdom, wife of King Edward VII: first interred in the Royal Vault, later interred in a sarcophagus on the south side of the altar
• 1926 – Princess Frederika of Hanover, daughter of King George V of Hanover and wife of Baron Alfons von Pawel-Rammingen: interred in the Royal Vault
• 1930 (interred) – Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, son of King George III and grandfather of Queen Mary: died 1850, first interred at St. Anne’s Church in Kew, London, transferred to the Royal Vault in 1930
• 1930 (interred) – Princess Augusta, Duchess of Cambridge, wife of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge and grandmother of Queen Mary: died 1889, first interred at St. Anne’s Church in Kew, London, transferred to the Royal Vault in 1930
• 1936 – King George V: first interred in the Royal Vault, later interred in a sarcophagus in the North Nave Aisle in 1939
• 1952 – King George VI: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to the King George VI Memorial Chapel in 1969
• 1953 – Victoria Mary of Teck, Queen Mary of the United Kingdom, wife of King George V: first interred in the Royal Vault, later interred in a sarcophagus in the North Nave Aisle
• 2002 – Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, wife of King George VI: interred in the King George VI Memorial Chapel
• 2002 – Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, daughter of King George VI: ashes first interred in the Royal Vault February 15, 2002, transferred to the King George VI Memorial Chapel April 9, 2002, at the time of her mother’s burial
• 2021 – Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Queen Elizabeth II: interred in the Royal Vault April 17, 2021.
• 2022 – Queen Elizabeth II: interred September 19, 2022 in the King George VI Memorial Chapel. At the same time, the coffin of her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was transferred from the Royal Vault and also interred in the King George VI Memorial Chapel.

• Unofficial Royalty: St. George’s Chapel, Windsor: British Royal Burials

Temporary Royal Burials at St. George’s Chapel

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A view inside the Royal Vault at St. George’s Chapel – the bench in the middle was used as a temporary place for coffins waiting to be interred elsewhere

Frogmore within the grounds of the Home Park, adjacent to Windsor Castle, is the site of three burial places of the British Royal Family: the Royal Mausoleum containing the tombs of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, the Duchess of Kent’s Mausoleum where Queen Victoria’s mother Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess of Kent is interred and the Royal Burial Ground.

• Unofficial Royalty: Royal Burial Ground and Mausoleums at Frogmore: Royal Burials

Since its consecration on October 23, 1928, most members of the British Royal Family except for monarchs and their spouses have been buried at the Royal Burial Ground. Some royal family members who had previously been interred in the Royal Vault at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle were transferred to the Royal Burial Ground shortly after its consecration, freeing up some burial space in the Royal Vault. Other royal family members were temporarily interred in the Royal Vault at St. George’s Chapel for various reasons and then interred at a later date at the Royal Burial Ground.

• 1861 – Princess Victoria, Duchess of Kent, mother of Queen Victoria, first interred in the entrance to the Royal Vault, transferred to her mausoleum, Frogmore later in 1861
• 1861 – Prince Albert, The Prince Consort, husband of Queen Victoria: first interred in the entrance to the Royal Vault, transferred to the Royal Mausoleum, Frogmore in 1862
• 1901 – Queen Victoria: placed in the Albert Memorial Chapel for two days, then transferred to Royal Mausoleum, Frogmore
• 1910 – Prince Francis of Teck, brother of Queen Mary:  first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1928
• 1912 – Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife, husband of Louise, Princess Royal, Duchess of Fife: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Private Chapel, Mar Lodge Mausoleum in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland later in 1912
• 1917 – Louise Margaret of Prussia, Duchess of Connaught, wife of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught: the first member of the Royal Family to be cremated, ashes first buried in the Royal Vault, transferred to the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1928
• 1917 – Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, husband of Princess Helena: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1928
• 1922 – Lord Leopold Mountbatten, son of Princess Beatrice, grandson of Queen Victoria: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1928
• 1923 – Princess Helena, daughter of Queen Victoria: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1928
• 1927 – Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, brother of Queen Mary: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1928
• 1928 – Rupert Cambridge, Viscount Trematon, son of Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone (brother of Queen Mary), and Princess Alice of Albany, Countess of Athlone (daughter of Prince Leopold): first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1928
• 1931 – Louise, Princess Royal, Duchess of Fife, daughter of King Edward VII: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Private Chapel, Mar Lodge Mausoleum in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland later in 1931
• 1935 – Princess Victoria, daughter of King Edward VII: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1936
• 1938 – Prince Arthur of Connaught, son of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1939
• 1939 – Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, daughter of Queen Victoria: ashes first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1940
• 1942 – Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, son of Queen Victoria: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1942, two months later
• 1942 – Prince George, Duke of Kent, son of King George V: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1968, the day before the burial of his wife Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent
• 1944 – Princess Beatrice, daughter of Queen Victoria: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Whippingham Church, Isle of Wight in 1945
• 1948 – Princess Helena Victoria, daughter of Princess Helena, granddaughter of Queen Victoria: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore later in 1948
• 1956 – Princess Marie Louise, daughter of Princess Helena, granddaughter of Queen Victoria: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore later in 1957
• 1957 – Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone, husband of Princess Alice of Albany and brother of Queen Mary: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore later in 1957
• 1969 – Princess Andrew of Greece, born Princess Alice of Battenberg, great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria and mother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to the Convent of Saint Mary Magdalene on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem in 1988

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• College of St George. 2021. College of St George – Windsor Castle – Home. [online] Available at: <https://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/> [Accessed 15 May 2021].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2021. St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_George%27s_Chapel,_Windsor_Castle> [Accessed 15 May 2021].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2021. State funerals in the United Kingdom – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_funerals_in_the_United_Kingdom> [Accessed 15 May 2021].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2018. St. George’s Chapel, Windsor: Royal Burials. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/st-georges-chapel-windsor-royal-burials/> [Accessed 15 May 2021].
• 1989. St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. North Way: Pitkin Pictorials Ltd.

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

By Wilfridselsey – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56272459

The Royal Chapel of All Saints is located on the grounds of Royal Lodge in the 5,000-acre Windsor Great Park in Windsor, England. Windsor Great Park was the private hunting ground of Windsor Castle for many centuries. The chapel is a Royal Peculiar, a Church of England parish or church that is under the direct jurisdiction of the monarch rather than a bishop. It serves as an informal parish church for the residents and staff of Windsor Great Park. Services at the chapel are often attended by members of the British Royal family, and Queen Elizabeth II regularly worshiped at the Royal Chapel of All Saints for reasons of privacy.

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The Earl and Countess of Wessex and their daughter Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor attended Sunday services at the Royal Chapel of All Saints two days after the death of The Duke of Edinburgh

The decision to build a new chapel came when the small chapels at Royal Lodge and Cumberland Lodge in Windsor Great Park could no longer accommodate the royal occupants and their growing royal household staff. The Royal Chapel of All Saints was designed by Jeffry Wyatville, an English architect and garden designer, and then built on the site of a porter’s lodge. First used on Palm Sunday in 1825, the Royal Chapel of All Saints is located less than a hundred yards from Royal Lodge. In contrast to St. George’s Chapel at Windsor, the Royal Chapel of All Saints Chapel is simpler and more intimate, with a maximum capacity of 180 people.

King George IV resided at Royal Lodge during the refurbishment of Windsor Castle in the 1820s and regularly worshipped at the Royal Chapel of All Saints. In the 1860s, Queen Victoria had the chapel remodeled in the Gothic Revival style with the design by Samuel Sanders Teulon and Anthony Salvin. The renovations included a new chancel and an east window in memory of Queen Victoria’s mother, the Duchess of Kent. Queen Victoria often attended services at the chapel.

In 1905, a window was dedicated at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in memory of Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein, the son of Princess Helena, daughter of Queen Victoria, and Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein. While serving during the Boer War in 1900, Prince Christian Victor died of enteric fever in Pretoria, South African Republic, also known as the Transvaal Republic, now in South Africa. His parents lived at the nearby Cumberland Lodge

In 1931, King George V granted Royal Lodge to the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth) as a country house. The Duke and Duchess of York attended services at the nearby Royal Chapel of All Saints along with their young daughters, the future Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret. They continued to visit the chapel after they became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II. After the death of King George VI in 1952, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother continued to use Royal Lodge as a country house until her death. She enjoyed spending time at the chapel which was just a short distance from her home.

Recent Royal Events

The Royal Chapel, Windsor Great Park by Sir Hugh Casson, 1990; Credit – Royal Collection Trust

Resting of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother’s Coffin

The Queen Mother’s coffin at rest in the Royal Chapel of All Saints; Credit – https://img.17qq.com/images/gmmodpgmcpv.jpeg

The coffin of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother rested at the Royal Chapel of All Saints from March 31, 2002 until April 1, 2002 when her coffin was taken to London. The Queen Mother died on March 30, 2002, at Royal Lodge, her home in Windsor Great Park. Walking behind The Queen Mother’s coffin as it was carried the short distance from Royal Lodge to the Royal Chapel of All Saints were three members of her staff dressed in black livery. One staff member carried a potted jasmine, an Easter gift from King Charles III, then the Prince of Wales, to his grandmother. Later in the day, Queen Elizabeth II and members of the royal family attended a prayer service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints. The Queen Mother’s coffin, draped in her royal standard and adorned with a wreath of pink camellias, rested before the altar.

Wedding of Princess Beatrice of York and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

Photo Credit – https://www.instagram.com/theroyalfamily/ Photograph by Benjamin Wheeler

On Friday, July 17, 2020, Princess Beatrice of York married Mr. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a small private ceremony held at the Royal Chapel of All Saints Chapel. There were approximately twenty guests including the bride and groom’s parents and siblings, and the bride’s paternal grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The wedding took place following all relevant government COVID-19 guidelines. Originally scheduled to take place on May 29, 2020, at the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace in London, England, followed by a private reception in the gardens of Buckingham Palace, the wedding was postponed and the original plans modified because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Princess Beatrice of York and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Royal Chapel of All Saints – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Chapel_of_All_Saints> [Accessed 8 May 2021].
• Heychurches.co.uk. 2021. Royal Chapel of All Saints « HEYCHURCHES.CO.UK. [online] Available at: <https://heychurches.co.uk/02169082/Royal_Chapel_of_All_Saints> [Accessed 8 May 2021].
• Royal Lodge Chapel of All Saints, W., 2021. Royal Lodge Chapel of All Saints, Windsor Great Park, Windsor: perspective view with deer shown grazing in the foreground | RIBA. [online] RIBApix. Available at: <https://www.architecture.com/image-library/RIBApix/image-information/poster/royal-lodge-chapel-of-all-saints-windsor-great-park-windsor-perspective-view-with-deer-shown-grazing/posterid/RIBA32113.html> [Accessed 8 May 2021].
• The Guardian. 2002. Gun salutes honour Queen Mother. [online] Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/apr/01/queenmother.monarchy5> [Accessed 8 May 2021].
• Town & Country. 2020. Where Did Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi Get Married?. [online] Available at: <https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a33348976/princess-beatrice-edoardo-mapelli-mozzi-wedding-venue-royal-chapel-all-saints/> [Accessed 8 May 2021].

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Queen’s Chapel, St James’s Palace; Credit – By Steve Cadman – https://www.flickr.com/photos/stevecadman/411794867/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50925591

The Queen’s Chapel is located on Marlborough Road which runs between The Mall and Pall Mall in London. It is across from St. James’s Palace, adjacent to Marlborough House, and a very short distance from Buckingham Palace. The Queen’s Chapel is a royal peculiar, a Church of England parish or church under the direct jurisdiction of the monarch rather than the jurisdiction of a bishop.

The Queen’s Chapel was begun in 1623, as a consequence of the proposed marriage between Charles, Prince of Wales, the future King Charles I of England and son of King James I of England, and Infanta Maria Anna of Spain, daughter of King Felipe III of Spain. In 1622, King James I received an offer of marriage from King Felipe IV of Spain, brother of Maria Anna, to strengthen the relations between England and Spain. Active marriage negotiations began but ultimately Maria Anna did not wish to marry a Protestant and Charles would not convert to Catholicism. Officially, the wedding never took place due to political reasons and because of the reluctance of King Felipe IV to make a dynastic marriage with the House of Stuart.

Inigo Jones, the architect of the Queen’s Chapel; Credit – Wikipedia

Since England was Protestant, Maria Anna would have needed a Roman Catholic chapel for worship, and so planning for a chapel accessible from St. James’s Palace in London began during the marriage negotiations. Special dispensation was given to construct the chapel as at that time the construction of Roman Catholic churches was prohibited in England. The Queen’s Chapel was designed by Inigo Jones, the first significant English architect of the early modern period. Parts of the design for the Queen’s Chapel were inspired by the Pantheon of ancient Rome and Jones intended the church to evoke the Roman temple. The foundation stone was laid on May 30, 1623.

Henrietta Maria of France, Queen of England; Credit – Wikipedia

While King Charles I did not marry Infanta Maria Anna of Spain, he did marry another Roman Catholic princess, Henrietta Maria of France, the youngest of the six children of King Henri IV of France and his second wife Marie de’ Medici, and the sister of King Louis XIII of France. In 1625, Henrietta Maria arrived in England with over 400 attendants including 29 priests and a bishop. Parliament was outraged to discover that secret terms of the marriage contract permitted the daily celebration of the Catholic Mass. Charles I insisted on the rapid completion of the Queen’s Chapel to accommodate Henrietta Maria’s religious needs.

During the English Civil War (1642–1651), Parliament passed an ordinance demanding that the Royal Chapels be “cleansed from all Popish Reliques and superstitions.” The Queen’s Chapel was looted and much of the interior suffered damage. During the Commonwealth of England (1649 – 1660), when England was governed as a republic, the Queen’s Chapel was used as a stable.

Catherine of Braganza, Queen of England; Credit – Wikipedia

in 1660, upon the Restoration of the monarchy, the son of the beheaded King Charles I returned to England to reign as King Charles II of England. The Roman Catholic Catherine of Braganza, daughter of King João IV of Portugal, had first been suggested as a bride for the future King Charles II in 1645 during the reign of Charles II’s father King Charles I of England, and again in 1660 when the monarchy was restored in England. Already there were rumors of Catherine’s inability to have children – her marriage to Charles II turned out to be childless – but the newly restored King Charles II was eager to have her £300,000 dowry. Catherine arrived in England in 1662. According to the marriage treaty, Catherine was to be provided with “a private Chapel in her residence with the right to practice her Catholic religion,” and Charles II commenced work on the restoration of the Queen’s Chapel for Catherine’s use.

Maria Beatrice of Modena, Queen of England; Credit – Wikipedia

King Charles II’s brother, James, Duke of York, the future King James II of England, had secretly converted to Catholicism sometime after his first marriage to Anne Hyde who had also converted to Catholicism. After Anne’s death in 1671, King Charles II allowed his brother James to make a second marriage with the fifteen-year-old Catholic Maria Beatrice of Modena in 1673. Maria Beatrice’s deeply pious Catholicism could be expressed within the seclusion of the Queen’s Chapel where she and her husband James could practice their Roman Catholicism without public scrutiny. When the childless Charles II died in 1685, his brother succeeded him as King James II of England.

The Queen’s Chapel in 1688; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1688, the Catholic King James II was overthrown in the Glorious Revolution. He was replaced by his Protestant daughter Mary from his first marriage and her Protestant husband and first cousin Willem III, Prince of Orange who reigned jointly as King William III and Queen Mary II. Almost immediately, the Queen’s Chapel was purged of all traces of Roman Catholicism. The interior was stripped of its statues, relics, side altars, and paintings. William and Mary were unsure what to do with the Queen’s Chapel. They may have considered its demolition or its conversion to another purpose. Ultimately, it was decided to grant the use of the Queen’s Chapel to French Protestants who had settled in London to escape religious persecution in France.

The German Chapel in 1819; Credit – Wikipedia

By 1781, there was no longer a need for a French Protestant chapel. Instead, a group of Hanoverian Lutherans whose families had come from Hanover when King George I became king was granted the use of the Queen’s Chapel. The name of the chapel changed to the German Chapel.

In 1809, a fire destroyed the royal apartments adjacent to the German Chapel. Instead of rebuilding the royal apartments, King George III decided to connect Pall Mall with The Mall by building Marlborough Road right through the site of the destroyed royal apartments. This cut off the chapel from St. James’s Palace and placed a physical barrier, Marlborough Road,  between the royal residence and the chapel. The chapel now appeared to be connected not to St. James’s Palace but rather to Marlborough House, the London townhouse of the Dukes of Marlborough.

Alexandra of Denmark, Princess of Wales, later Queen Alexandra; Credit – Wikipedia

The German Chapel continued to exist under the patronage of Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert, born a Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Germany, but this lasted only until Prince Albert died in 1861. After the death of George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough in 1817, the ownership of Marlborough House had been taken over by The Crown. After their marriage in 1861, The Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII) and his Danish wife Princess Alexandra made Marlborough House their home. Because the Queen’s Chapel was so close to Marlborough House, Alexandra used it as a private chapel. After 1881, the Queen’s Chapel became a Danish community church. After Queen Victoria died in 1901, the name of the chapel was changed to the Marlborough House Chapel and the Danish Church had exclusive use.

The chapel was closed in 1938 for its first major restoration since William III and Mary II had purged its Catholic past. The original name, the Queen’s Chapel, was restored in 1939. Restoration work stopped during World War II and was not fully completed until 1951. Although used regularly for weekly Sunday services for the public from Easter until October, the Queen’s Chapel no longer plays a major role in the life of the British royal family.

Recent Royal Events

Queen Elizabeth II after the funeral service for Margaret (Bobo) MacDonald

Margaret “Bobo” MacDonald, who died on September 22, 1993, was a member of the royal household since 1930 and was the nanny, dresser, and confidante of Queen Elizabeth II. From 1930 onward, Bobo was closer to Elizabeth than anyone outside her family. In her later years, Bobo held a unique position in Buckingham Palace. She had her own suite, no duties, and enjoyed a closer personal friendship with Queen Elizabeth II than nearly anyone else, including some of the members of the royal family. She was given a funeral on September 30, 1993, at the Queen’s Chapel attended by Queen Elizabeth II.

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The coffin of Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon lying in rest at the Queen’s Chapel

Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, daughter of King George VI and sister of Queen Elizabeth II: After her death at King Edward VII’s Hospital, London, on February 9, 2002, Princess Margaret’s coffin was initially taken to Kensington Palace. Her coffin then rested at the Queen’s Chapel February 12, 2002 – February 14, 2002, to enable her family and friends to pay their respects privately before the coffin was transferred to St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle for the funeral.

The Sub-Dean of the Chapels Royal, Reverend Willie Booth, kneels in prayer at the coffin of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother in the Queen’s Chapel

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, wife of King George VI and mother of Queen Elizabeth II: After her death on March 30, 2002, at her home, Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, her coffin rested in the Royal Chapel of All Saints, Windsor Great Park until April 2, 2002, when it was taken to the Queen’s Chapel at St. James’s Palace where it rested to enable members of the royal family to their respects privately before the coffin was transferred to lie in state at Westminster Hall on April 5, 2002.

Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster, son of Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, married Claire Alexandra Booth on June 22, 2002, at the Queen’s Chapel

Lady Rose Windsor and her husband leave the Queen’s Chapel after their wedding

Lady Rose Windsor, daughter of Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, married George Gilman on July 19, 2008, at the Queen’s Chapel

Works Cited

• En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Queen’s Chapel – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen%27s_Chapel> [Accessed 1 May 2021].
• Leyden, Kyle, 2015. Consorting with the Enemy: The Queen’s Chapel at St James’s Palace. [online] VITRUVIUS HIBERNICUS. Available at: <https://kyleleyden.wordpress.com/2015/01/24/consorting-with-the-enemy-the-queens-chapel-at-st-jamess-palace/> [Accessed 1 May 2021].
• Timms, Elizabeth, 2018. The Queen’s Chapel, St James’s. [online] Royal Central. Available at: <https://royalcentral.co.uk/features/the-queens-chapel-st-jamess-102570/> [Accessed 1 May 2021].
• Unofficial Royalty. 2021. Unofficial Royalty. [online] Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/> [Accessed 1 May 2021]. (various articles)

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

The original Private Chapel at Windsor Castle, lithograph by Joseph Nash, 1848; Credit – Wikipedia

The original octagonal-shaped Private Chapel at Windsor Castle was created for Queen Victoria by architect Edward Blore in the 1840s. It had previously been a music room, with an intricately carved screen separating it from St. George’s Hall. The Private Chapel had niches with marble sculptures, pews, and a large Gothic chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Some of Queen Victoria’s children were christened and confirmed there, her daughter Helena was married there, and Queen Victoria regularly worshipped there.

Windsor Castle on fire; Credit – www.windsorexpress.co.uk

On November 20, 1992, at 11:33 AM, a fire began in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle when a spotlight left too close to curtains by a painter, ignited the curtains. The location of the fire was shown on a map of the castle by an indicator light and the chief officer of the castle’s fire brigade immediately sounded the public fire alarm. The fire was initially in the Brunswick Tower, but soon many other indicator bulbs lit up, as the fire spread to neighboring rooms, including the Windsor Castle State Apartments which are the rooms the public is allowed to visit. By 12:20 PM, the fire had spread to St. George’s Hall, built in the 1360s and the largest of the State Apartments, and the roof of St. George’s Hall would later collapse.

• Unofficial Royalty: November 20, 1992 – Fire Seriously Damages Windsor Castle

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh chaired the Restoration Committee. The restoration of the damaged areas took five years and was completed six months ahead of schedule on November 20, 1997, exactly five years after the fire and on the 50th wedding anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh, at a cost of £37 million (US $59.2 million), £3 million below budget. Queen Elizabeth II personally contributed £2 million towards the restoration. 70% of the cost of restoration was to be met by charging the public an entry fee to the Windsor Castle precincts, and for an admission fee to Buckingham Palace. Buckingham Palace had never been open to the public. Since 1993, it has been open during August and September and on some dates throughout the year.

The original Private Chapel was irreparable, and a plaque now marks the place where the fire started. The Lantern Lobby was created in the space where the original Private Chapel had previously stood, creating a formal passageway between the State Apartments and the private apartments.

The area where the new Private Chapel (artist’s drawing above) was created previously was a passageway between the public and private areas of Windsor Castle. It is much smaller than the original Private Chapel and has a capacity of only thirty people. Instead of pews, red giltwood chairs, originally commissioned by King George IV for the state dining room, are used. The new altar was made by Queen Elizabeth II’s nephew David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon who is a furniture designer and maker. In a clip from the BBC documentary The Duke: In His Own Words, Prince Philip shows a camera crew around the Private Chapel in Windsor Castle where his coffin rested before his funeral. The clip can be seen in the link below.

• Daily Mail: Prince Philip gives a guided tour around the Private Chapel in Windsor Castle where his coffin is rested before his funeral

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The stained glass window in the restored Private Chapel is based on an idea by the Duke of Edinburgh

Royal Events at the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle

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The christening of Queen Victoria’s son Prince Alfred

In addition to the events listed below, there were a number of confirmations, particularly of Queen Victoria’s children and grandchildren, held at the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle. Queen Elizabeth II and her eldest two children, King Charles III and Princess Anne, were also confirmed there.

• Prince Alfred, son of Queen Victoria – christened August 6, 1844
• Prince George of Wales (later King George V), grandson of Queen Victoria – christened July 7, 1865
• Princess Helena, daughter of Queen Victoria – married July 5, 1866, to Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein
• Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein, grandson of Queen Victoria – christened May 21, 1867
• Prince Albert of Schleswig-Holstein, grandson of Queen Victoria – christened March 31, 1869
• Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, granddaughter of Queen Victoria – christened June 20, 1870
• Princess Marie of Edinburgh, granddaughter of Queen Victoria – christened December 15, 1875
• Princess Margaret of Connaught, granddaughter of Queen Victoria – christened March 11, 1882
• Prince Arthur of Connaught, grandson of Queen Victoria – christened February 16, 1883
• Prince Alexander of Battenberg, grandson of Queen Victoria – christened December 18, 1886
• Prince Henry of York (later The Duke of Gloucester), grandson of King Edward VII – christened: May 17, 1900
• Prince George of Wales (later The Duke of Kent), grandson of King Edward VII – christened January 26, 1903
• Prince William of Gloucester, grandson of King George V – christened February 22, 1942
• Prince Michael of Kent, grandson of King George V – christened August 4, 1942
• Prince Richard of Gloucester, grandson of King George V – christened October 20, 1944
• Prince Edward, son of Queen Elizabeth II – christened May 2, 1964
• Zara Phillips, granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II – christened July 27, 1981
• Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II – christened April 24, 2004
• James Mountbatten-Windsor, Viscount Severn, grandson of Queen Elizabeth II – christened April 19, 2008
• Prince Archie of Sussex, great-grandson of Queen Elizabeth II – christened July 6, 2019
• Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Queen Elizabeth II – coffin lay in rest April 9 – April 17, 2021

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• Flantzer, Susan, 2019. British Royal Christenings: House of Windsor. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/house-of-windsor-christenings/> [Accessed 25 April 2021].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2019. British Royal Christenings: Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, Their Children, and Select Grandchildren. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/christenings-of-queen-victoria-prince-albert-their-children-and-select-grandchildren/> [Accessed 25 April 2021].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2013. November 20, 1992 – Fire seriously damages Windsor Castle. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/november-20-1992-fire-seriously-damages-windsor-castle/> [Accessed 28 April 2021].
• Flood, Rebecca, 2021. Inside the private chapel at Windsor Castle where Archie Harrison is due to be christened in top-secret ceremony. [online] The Sun. Available at: <https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/9450387/archie-harrison-christening-chapel-windsor-castle-meghan-markle-prince-harry/> [Accessed 28 April 2021].
• HELLO!. 2021. Prince Philip designed Queen’s private chapel where his coffin has been resting. [online] Available at: <https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/20210417111237/prince-philip-coffin-lying-in-rest-private-chapel-windsor-castle-he-designed/> [Accessed 28 April 2021].
• Hill, Ben, 2021. Philip gives tour of private chapel at Windsor where he lies before funeral. [online] The US Sun. Available at: <https://www.the-sun.com/news/2697086/prince-philip-tour-private-chapel-windsor-castle/> [Accessed 28 April 2021].
• Royal Collection Trust. 2021. The fire at Windsor Castle. [online] Available at: <https://www.rct.uk/visit/windsor-castle/the-fire-at-windsor-castle#/> [Accessed 28 April 2021].

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

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The original Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace, circa 1910-1911

The building at the core of today’s Buckingham Palace was originally Buckingham House, a large townhouse built for John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham in 1703. It was acquired by King George III in 1761 as a private residence for his wife Queen Charlotte and became known as The Queen’s House. During the 19th century, it was enlarged by John Nash, one of the foremost architects of the Regency and Georgian eras, and then by Edward Blore, a landscape and building architect.

The original Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace was created for Queen Victoria in what had originally been a conservatory. Queen Victoria disliked the octagonal chapel that had formerly been one of King George III’s libraries. Edward Blore was commissioned to convert one of the conservatories created by John Nash into a chapel. The roof had to be raised and many alterations were needed. In 1843, William Howley, Archbishop of Canterbury consecrated the new Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace.

Buckingham Palace: The Private Chapel 1843-4 by Douglas Morrison; Credit – Royal Collection Trust

The purpose of a Private Chapel is to provide a place for members of the royal family to worship when in residence. During the reign of Queen Victoria, six of her nine children and one of her grandchildren were christened at the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace, and during the reign of King George V, four of his grandchildren were also christened there. In addition, several royal weddings were held at the Private Chapel.

During World War II, one non-British, but royal christening, was held at the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace. On May 10, 1940, the German army invaded the Netherlands. A few days later, the Dutch royal family fled to London. Princess Irene, born on August 5, 1939, the second of four daughters of the future Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, had yet to be christened. King George VI and his wife Queen Elizabeth arranged for Princess Irene to be christened on May 31, 1940, the same day as her christening had been scheduled in the Netherlands, in the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace in London, with Queen Elizabeth serving as one of Princess Irene’s godparents. Less than four months later, the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace was destroyed.

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth survey the damage after the September 13, 1940 bombing of Buckingham Palace; Credit – https://www.royal.uk/80th-anniversary-bombing-buckingham-palace-during-blitz

During The Blitz, the German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom during World War II, Buckingham Palace and its grounds were bombed on sixteen separate occasions with nine direct hits. One of those direct hits occurred on September 13, 1940, while King George VI and his wife Queen Elizabeth were in residence. Their daughters Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret had been sent to Windsor Castle for their safety. A water main was ruptured, most of the windows on the southern and western sides of Buckingham Palace were blown out, the Private Chapel was destroyed, and four workers were injured with one later dying. Originally, King George VI had wanted the Private Chapel rebuilt but because of all the reconstruction needed in the country after World War II, the plan was shelved.

In 1962, at the suggestion of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the ruined Private Chapel was redeveloped as a gallery for the Royal Collection. The Queen’s Gallery opened to the public in 1962 to exhibit works of art from the Royal Collection. At that time, a very small Private Chapel was built near The Queen’s Gallery for the royal family’s personal use.

The 1997 renovated Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace; Credit – http://www.johnsimpsonarchitects.com/pa/Buckingham-Palace-cp.html

In 1997, a competition was held for the appointment of an architect (John Simpson Architects Ltd.) to expand and modernize the Queen’s Gallery in honor of Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee. At that time, the Private Chapel was renovated in a manner that is reminiscent of architect John Nash’s work.

Since the bombing of the original private chapel in 1940 and the construction (1962) and renovation (1997) of a new private chapel, which is much smaller than the original private chapel, royal christenings occurring at Buckingham Palace have occurred in the larger Music Room. Those christened in the Music Room include Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince William.

Christenings at the Private Chapel, Buckingham Palace

The Christening of Prince Arthur in the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace by Eugene-Louis Lami; Credit – The Royal Collection

Photograph, above, of a painting depicting the christening of Prince Arthur at the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace. Towards the center of the composition are Prince Albert, Queen Victoria, the Princess Royal, the Prince of Wales, Princess Alice, and Prince Alfred.

(Links are to Unofficial Royalty biography articles.)

• Princess Alice, daughter of Queen Victoria- christened June 2, 1843
• Princess Helena, daughter of Queen Victoria – christened: July 25, 1846
• Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria – christened: May 13, 1848
• Prince Arthur, son of Queen Victoria – christened: June 22, 1850
• Prince Leopold, son of Queen Victoria – christened: June 28, 1853
• Princess Beatrice, daughter of Queen Victoria – christened: June 16, 1857
• Prince Albert Victor, son of the future King Edward VII – christened March 10, 1864
• Princess Elizabeth, daughter of the future King George VI – christened: May 29, 1926
• Princess Margaret, daughter of the future King George VI – christened: October 30, 1930
• Prince Edward of Kent, grandson of King George V – christened: November 20. 1935
• Princess Alexandra of Kent, granddaughter of King George V – christened: February 9, 1937
• Princess Irene of the Netherlands, daughter of the future Queen Juliana of the Netherlands – christened: May 31, 1940

Weddings at the Private Chapel, Buckingham Palace

The Marriage of Princess Louise of Wales with the Duke of Fife at Buckingham Palace, 27th July 1889 by Sydney Prior Hall; Credit – Royal Collection Trust

The painting above depicts the couple kneeling at the altar, Behind them, from right to left: The Prince of Wales; Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine; Queen Victoria; The Princess of Wales and her brothers King George I of Greece, and Crown Frederik of Denmark

 (Links are to Unofficial Royalty wedding articles.)

• Princess Louise of Wales (later Princess Royal) married (July 27, 1889) Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife
• Princess Maud of Wales married (July 22, 1896) Prince Carl of Denmark, future Haakon VII, King of Norway
• Prince George, Duke of Kent married (November 29, 1934) Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark at Westminster Abbey followed by a Greek Orthodox ceremony at the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace
• Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester married (November 6, 1935) Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott:  The wedding was originally set to be held at Westminster Abbey but was changed because Alice’s father died from cancer on October 19, 1935, less than a month before the wedding date. It was deemed more appropriate to have the wedding at the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace.

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Works Cited

• En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Buckingham Palace – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckingham_Palace> [Accessed 25 April 2021].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2019. British Royal Christenings: House of Windsor. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/house-of-windsor-christenings/> [Accessed 25 April 2021].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2019. British Royal Christenings: Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, Their Children, and Select Grandchildren. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/christenings-of-queen-victoria-prince-albert-their-children-and-select-grandchildren/> [Accessed 25 April 2021].
• Flantzer, S., 2012. Weddings of British Monarchs’ Children: Tudors – Windsors. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-weddings/british-royal-weddings/weddings-of-british-monarchs-children/> [Accessed 25 April 2021].
• Healey, Edna, 1997. The Queen’s House – A Social History of Buckingham Palace. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, Inc.
• Westendatwar.org.uk. 2021. 13 September 1940 | Buckingham Palace | Bomb Incidents | West End at War. [online] Available at: <http://www.westendatwar.org.uk/page_id__39_path__0p2p.aspx> [Accessed 24 April 2021].