St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

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

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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Works Cited

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