(London) Hundreds of royal admirers lined up outside Windsor Castle on Thursday to pay their last respects to Queen Elizabeth II, as the chapel where the late sovereign is buried was opened to the public for the first time since his death.
Posted at 9:23 a.m.
Many want to visit the Queen’s Tomb, which is marked by a hand-carved Belgian black marble slab inside the King George VI Memorial Chapel, part of St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. The queen’s name is inscribed on the register stone, alongside the names of her husband, mother and father.
Among the first to arrive was Anne Daley, 65, from Cardiff, who arrived at the castle at 7.30am, well before the 10am opening time. She was also one of the first to line up as tens of thousands of people marched through Westminster Hall for four days to view the Queen’s coffin ahead of her funeral.
Mme Daley said she was moved thinking of the Queen’s death on September 8, as well as that of her husband, Prince Philip, who died last year.
“The castle seems empty, dark. Nobody lives there. We lost the queen, we lost the duke, we lost the corgis,” she said, referring to Elizabeth II’s beloved dogs.
“It’s like when you sold your house and the whole story is gone. »
To visit the chapel, royal admirers must purchase a ticket to Windsor Castle.
The Memorial Chapel is within the walls of St. George’s Chapel, where many members of the Royal Family are buried. It has also been the site of several royal weddings, including Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018.