The Queen's journey to her final resting place with her adored husband

2022-09-15

Intimate goodbye in the gothic splendour of Windsor: Step by step, the Queen’s journey to her final resting place with her adored husband

While all eyes will be in London on Monday, a more personal ceremony will take place in Windsor afterwards
With no more than 800 people present, the Queen’s family, friend and staff will be able to say their goodbyes
It will take place amid the gothic splendour of St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle and will begin at 4pm
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While all eyes will be on the pomp and majesty of events in London on Monday, a simpler and far more personal ceremony will take place in Windsor afterwards.

With no more than 800 people present, it will be a chance for the Queen’s family, friends and staff to say the most intimate of goodbyes amid the gothic splendour of St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

The Coffin Procession

At 3.06pm the State Hearse will approach Shaw Farm Gate at Windsor at the entrance to the Queen’s Home Park and join the official procession into the town.

Four minutes later it will head off up the Long Walk, the famous tree-lined three-mile avenue leading to Windsor Castle.

The procession will wend its way to St George’s Chapel through the Cambridge Gate and up Cambridge Drive, through to George IV Gate and into the South and West side of the Quadrangle.

As it enters into the area immediately around St George’s Chapel it will pass through Engine Court, the Norman Arch, Chapel Hill and, finally, Horseshoe Cloister Arch.

The procession will wend its way to St George’s Chapel through the Cambridge Gate and up Cambridge Drive, through to George IV Gate and into the South and West side of the Quadrangle.

As it enters into the area immediately around St George’s Chapel it will pass through Engine Court, the Norman Arch, Chapel Hill and, finally, Horseshoe Cloister Arch

Members of the Royal Family – led by the King – will join the procession at 3.40pm at the Quadrangle as it passes into Engine Court.

The Queen Consort with The Princess of Wales, and The Duchess of Sussex with The Countess of Wessex will again follow by car.

Ahead of the coffin will be a dismounted detachment of the Household Cavalry Regiment, followed immediately by a mounted division of the Sovereign’s Escort, a Massed Pipes and Drums of Scottish and Irish regiments, the bands of the Coldstream Guards and Household Cavalry, officers of the Household Division, as well as the liveried Kings, Heralds and Pursuivants of Arms and members of the Queen’s personal staff.

In the centre of the procession the state hearse will be flanked by the Pall Bearers and an Escort Party consisting of 2 Officers and 24 Rank and File of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards.

The Queen’s Company Colour, the Royal Standard of the regiment of Grenadier Guards, and a Sovereign’s Standard of the Household Cavalry, will be positioned in front and rear of the hearse. To the rear of the coffin, members of The Queen’s, The King’s and The Prince of Wales Households will be positioned.

The haunting silence of the Queen’s final journey to Windsor will be broken by the sound of ‘minute guns’ fired by The King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery as the coffin moves to the West Steps of St George’s Chapel. The Sebastopol Bell and the Curfew Tower Bell will be tolled concurrently.

The Entry Into

St George’s Chapel

A guard of honour consisting of three officers and 110 rank and file soldiers, from the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, will be mounted in Horseshoe Cloister, while the West Steps to the Chapel will be lined by members of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.

The Windsor Castle Guard will be turned out facing the Guardroom and will present arms for the arrival of members of the Royal Family and to the state hearse.

At 3.53pm the procession will halt at the bottom of the West Steps and the bearer party will lift the coffin up the West Steps.

The ‘intimate’

Committal Service

Unlike the state funeral at Westminster Abbey – where more than 2,000 people will gather – fewer than 800 people will be present. The general congregation will be made up of Her Majesty’s household past and present.

The majority of those attending the ceremony at St. George’s Chapel will not have attended the earlier service at Westminster Abbey, emphasising just how ‘inner circle’ this event will be.

At 3.20pm governors general and prime ministers of realms – those countries where the Queen was head of state – will arrive at the chapel and escorted to their seats in the nave amid the flowering Gothic architecture.

Shortly afterwards members of the Royal Family not walking in the outdoor procession will arrive.

The majority of those attending the ceremony at St. George’s Chapel will not have attended the earlier service at Westminster Abbey, emphasising just how ‘inner circle’ this event will be

The committal service will begin at 4pm. As the coffin moves through the nave, it will pass the sarcophagus of George V and Queen Mary. He is one of ten British monarchs to be buried in the chapel, namely King George V of Hanover, Henry VI, Edward IV, Henry VIII, Charles I, George III, William IV, Edward VII, George V and George VI. Near the sarcophagus is a statue of King Leopold of the Belgians and memorial to his wife, Princess Charlotte, who died in childbirth in 1870. She was George IV’s heir. Her death led to Queen Victoria acceding the throne.

The Quire is the resting place of most of the monarchs buried at the chapel. Edward VII and Henry VI are buried to the right of the altar, while Edward IV is on the left. Underneath in the royal vault are George III, George IV and William IV. Monday’s service will be conducted by the Dean of Windsor, with prayers said by the Rector of Sandringham, the Minister of Crathie Kirk and the Chaplain of Windsor Great Park.

Instruments of state are handed on

Prior to the final hymn, the Imperial State Crown, the Orb and the Sceptre will be removed from the Queen’s coffin by the Crown Jeweller and Bargemaster and Serjeants-at-Arms. They will pass them to the Dean who will place them on the chapel altar.

At the end of the final hymn the King will place the Queen’s Company Camp Colour of the Grenadier Guards on the coffin. At the same time, the Lord Chamberlain, former MI5 director general Lord Parker, will symbolically ‘break’ his wand of office upon losing his post – then place it on the coffin.

The final, moving moments

The last sight of the Queen’s coffin will be as it is lowered into the Royal vault. It is hidden under a marble slab, measuring around 7ft by 4ft. The slab actually descends down into the Royal vault below the floor with the help of a recently-installed electric lift, but one that has manual override.

As the Queen’s coffin is lowered into the Royal Vault, the Dean of Windsor will say a Psalm and the Commendation. Hauntingly, The Sovereign’s Piper – Pipe Major Paul Burns – will play a lament from the doorway between the chapel and the Dean’s Cloister during which he will walk towards the Deanery so that the music fades. The Archbishop of Canterbury will then pronounce the Blessing, which will be followed by the singing of God Save The King.

Last moments with their beloved

The Queen has long expressed her wishes to be reunited with her adored parents, King George VI, and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, along with Prince Philip and her sister, Princess Margaret.

A ‘deeply personal’ private burial service will be conducted by the Dean of Windsor at 7.30pm of which no further details will be given. It is anticipated that the chapel will be opened to members of the public the next day to pay their respects free of charge.

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