Finally at Rest: Queen Elizabeth II Buried With Late Husband Prince Philip
Forever by his side. Queen Elizabeth II has been laid to rest next to her late husband, Prince Phillip, who died last April.
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“A Private Burial took place in The King George VI Memorial Chapel later that evening, conducted by the Dean of Windsor,” the royal website announced on Monday, September 19, in the official recap of the state funeral held hours earlier. “The Queen was buried together with The Duke of Edinburgh, at The King George VI Memorial Chapel.”
The burial followed a funeral service at Westminster Abbey in London and a committal service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor. While world leaders, military members and more attended the ceremonies, the final burial was a closed event just for her loved ones.
The long-reigning sovereign — who served 70 years on the British throne — died on September 8 at her Balmoral Castle in Scotland at age 96.
“On Thursday, the world lost an extraordinary leader, whose commitment to the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth was absolute,” Prince William wrote in a statement at the time. “So much will be said in the days ahead about the meaning of her historic reign.”
The Prince of Wales continued: “I, however, have lost a grandmother. And while I will grieve her loss, I also feel incredibly grateful. I have had the benefit of the queen’s wisdom and reassurance into my fifth decade. … She was by my side at my happiest moments and she was by my side during the saddest days of my life. I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real.”
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The chosen resting place was sweetly significant for the former queen, whose relationship with the Duke of Edinburgh spanned seven decades.
Elizabeth first met Phillip in 1934 when she was 8-years-old while attending a wedding for Princess Marina and Prince George. Five years later, the pair reconnected at ages 13 and 18, respectively, while they were at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth. Their second encounter is where they fell in love and began exchanging letters.
After getting engaged in July 1947, the pair tied the knot that November at Westminster Abbey in London. They would go on to welcome four children: King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
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“He is someone who doesn’t take easily to compliments but he has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years,” the former monarch said during a speech on her golden wedding anniversary in 1997. “And I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know.”
Philip, for his part, spoke about what he believed had helped create a long-lasting bond between the pair. “I think the main lesson that we have learned is that tolerance is the one essential ingredient of any happy marriage,” he said while celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary in 1997. “It may not be quite so important when things are going well, but it is absolutely vital when the going gets difficult. You can take it from me that the queen has the quality of tolerance in abundance.”
