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On September 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British monarch, passed away at the Balmoral Castle at the age of 96.
The Queen's committal service will be led by the Dean of Windsor in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle following the Queen's State Funeral at Westminster Abbey on September 19.
Following the State Funeral, the Queen's body will be put in a hearse that will be taken to St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle where she will be buried. The body of her late husband Prince Philip, who is currently laid to rest at the Royal Vault, will be brought to rest beside her. Prince Philip passed away, aged 99 on April 9, 2021.
The late Queen's son, newly-crowned King Charles, and other members of the Royal Family will attend the burial and service, which will be held in complete privacy.
What is the Royal Vault?
As many as 24 Royal Family members are buried inside the Royal Vault that is located under St. George's Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle.
The Royal Vault was constructed on King George III's command in 1804 and was completed in 1810. In 1820, after the King's death, he became the first British King to be buried in the vault. Since then, members of the Royal Family can be buried inside the vault. Prior to building the vault, the Royals were laid to rest at Westminster Abbey.
According to The Express UK, the Royal Vault is 16 feet (five meters) below the surface. The stone-lined chamber is 70 feet (21 meters) long and 28 feet (eight meters) wide, and an iron gate blocks the entry to the vault.
The vault is big enough to accommodate as many as 44 coffins with the last 12 coffins located in the center of the vault. Meanwhile, the other 32 are positioned on shelves set into stone walls.
To place a royal family member's body in the vault, it is lowered through an opening on the floor of St. George's Chapel. That was exactly what was done at the time of Prince Philip's funeral in 2021.
Since it was built, the Royal Vault has served as a temporary and permanent resting place for the royals. Some were moved from their original resting place to be buried next to their family in the vault. Others, like Prince Philip, were placed there temporarily while they await their final resting place.
Where will Queen Elizabeth be buried?
The late Queen Elizabeth will not be buried in the Royal Vault but rather in King George VI Memorial Chapel, an annexe to St. George's Chapel in Windsor. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, whose body will be brought out from the Royal Vault, will be buried next to each other.
The church, Westminster Abbey, is where almost all the royal weddings and funerals are customarily held and will now host Queen Elizabeth's funeral. A second procession to the Wellington Arch and through Buckingham Palace will take place following the service before the casket is transferred to the Royal Hearse.
The hearse will then transport the coffin to St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. The Queen's parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (later known as the Queen Mother) and her sister Princess Margaret are also buried here.
The committal service will be followed by a second service that will be conducted along the Long Walk.
The burial of Queen Elizabeth is expected to draw up to 750,000 people from across the world. The mourners will include royalty, heads, presidents, and prime ministers of states and other world leaders. US President Joe Biden and his wife, First Lady of the US, Jill Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the French President Emmanuel Macron are among some of the leaders expected to attend Queen Elizabeth's funeral.
