The Queen will make her closing journey right now, because the world watches the state funeral in Westminster Abbey, earlier than Her Majesty’s coffin is taken to Windsor Fortress for burial alongside her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh. He has been interred within the Royal Vault since his loss of life final April.
The Royal Vault is a burial chamber deep under the altar of St George’s Chapel, throughout the grounds of Windsor Fortress. The vault is roughly 16 ft (5 metres) under the bottom.
The vault itself is a stone-lined chamber, 70 ft (21 metres) lengthy and 28 ft (eight metres) broad. The doorway is closed off by an iron gate.
Inside the chamber, there may be sufficient house to carry 44 our bodies. 32 coffins are organized on cabinets constructed into the stone partitions, whereas the remaining 12 are within the centre of the vault.
Throughout funerals, a slab of flooring in St George’s Chapel is lifted out to supply entry to the underground vault. The coffin is then lowered by means of the opening within the ground through an electrical elevate.
As soon as the elevate reaches the underside of the shaft, the coffin is manually moved down a hall into the vault, earlier than being interred both on one of many cabinets or the central plinth.
King George III ordered the Royal Vault inbuilt 1804, and development was accomplished in 1810. He grew to become the primary British King to be interred within the vault following his loss of life in 1820.
No, Queen Elizabeth II won’t be laid to relaxation within the Royal Vault, although her coffin will relaxation there quickly for a couple of hours on Monday earlier than being moved to its closing resting place – the King George VI Memorial Chapel, which can be inside St George’s Chapel – so very close to the Royal Vault. This closing burial service might be a non-public household occasion on Monday night.
The chapel was named for the Queen’s father, and inbuilt 1969, subsequent to the north quire aisle of the chapel.
At present, solely George VI, the Queen Mom and their daughter, Princess Margaret – the Queen’s sister – are buried within the chapel.
On Monday, the Queen might be laid to relaxation there. Prince Philip’s coffin might be moved from the Royal Vault to relaxation beside his spouse’s.