The Royal Vault at Windsor Castle is the resting place for many members of the British Royal Family, with some members being reinterred there over the centuries. The current members in the Royal Vault include King George III (1738–1820), King George IV (1762–1830), King William IV (1765–1837), Queen Adelaide (1792–1849), Queen Victoria (1819–1901), King Edward VII (1841–1910), Queen Alexandra (1844–1925), King George V (1865–1936), Queen Mary (1867–1953), King Edward VIII (1894–1972), and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (1900–2002).
The Royal Vault also contains the remains of Queen Charlotte (1744–1818), Queen Caroline (1683–1737), King George VI (1895–1952), Princess Louise, Duchess of Fife (1867–1931) and Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (1930–2002).
All the members of the Royal Family listed above are interred in the Royal Vault in an Order of Service performed before their burial.
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What Royals are still in the vault?
Many of the world’s leading royal families still have numerous priceless items that are kept in vaults and are not available to the public. Among those items are the jewels, art, antiques, and other valuables of the British royal family.
In their vaults, they store some of the world’s most famous crown jewels, including the Crown of St. Edward, the Coronation Spoon and the Black Prince’s Ruby.
In addition to the British royal family, the vaults of the Spanish Royal Family have a wide array of items. Examples include one of the oldest and most valuable furnishings, which is the Olive Branch Throne of Isabel II, numerous antique pieces of furniture, and artworks like the Velazquez paintings and El Greco’s Apotheosis of the Virgin.
The Danish Royal Family is known for its many ceremonial weapons, and in the family’s vault you can find many of them, dating back to 1448. There are also silver items from Queen Margrethe, as well as a large collection of porcelain and china.
Finally, the Japanese Imperial Family still has several items stored in its vaults. Most famous among these are the eight Imperial Regalia of Japan and the shrine of the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu. Moreover, the vault contains an important collection of Japanese masterpieces, including historical documents, portraits, and landscape paintings.
What happens to the bodies in the royal Vault?
The bodies in the Royal Vault are kept in very secure and private settings. The coffins are kept in an underground chamber beneath the castle, and several measures are taken to ensure the security of the resting place.
As the Royal Vault is a particularly sacred place, tickets to view the chamber are only given to those who can prove their direct connection to the deceased through detailed genealogical research or to those who appear to have good spiritual reasons to do so.
The significance of the Vault is reinforced by the details given to the preservation of each body. An exact replica of the deceased’s life-size silhouette is created in lead and zinc and placed in an ornate black-lacquered coffin.
The body is then embalmed using traditional methods, keeping the facial features and shape of the body intact. Many royal coffins are decorated with an intricate crown and royal regalia. Finally, the coffin is then sealed and is usually lowered into the Vault through a mechanical device connected to the ceiling.
The Royal Vault is carefully managed, as the preservation of dignity for the deceased is of paramount importance. Those responsible for this solemn process are required to maintain the utmost respect for the deceased and their families.
Each burial is conducted with solemnity, with all those present united in the wish to honour the deceased.
Is Queen Elizabeth buried in the royal vault?
No, Queen Elizabeth is not buried in the royal vault. Traditionally, the British Monarchy has a long held tradition of burying their deceased monarchs in either St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle or the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore House on the castle grounds.
To date, both Queen Elizabeth and her late husband Prince Philip have been laid to rest at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Their Majesty’s coffins were both put on display in the chapel until the day of their funerals. Queen Elizabeth’s funeral took place on April 17, 2021, and was attended by members of her immediate family.
On the day of her funeral, the Queen’s coffin was taken from the chapel and placed in a royal vault beneath St George’s Chapel until such time when she will be buried alongside her husband, sometime in the near future.
The royal vault was originally built between 1720 and 1730 and has become the place where members of the Royal family keep remains of their ancestors, many of whom are interred in the church’s tombs or above-ground monuments.
How are coffins kept in the royal Vault?
The royal Vault is a highly secure facility where members of the British Royal Family have their coffins housed and interred. The Vault is located within the walls of Windsor Castle and is one of the few places in Britain where the Sovereign and other members of the British Royal Family are traditionally interred.
The coffins of the Royal Family are kept in the royal Vault for varying lengths of time depending on their wishes, though the practice varies from one dynasty to another. During their life, the members of the Royal Family may choose to be buried in the royal Vault.
Upon their death, if they have opted for burial in the royal Vault, their coffin will be placed within it.
The coffins are kept in the Vault in individual chambers and security is highly maintained to ensure the privacy of the remains. Entry to the Vault is limited and is monitored by Windsor Castle’s own security guards.
The coffins are arranged in the Vault according to their family or bloodlines, with a plaque mounted above each coffin listing the relevant details of the person and their significant dates. There is also an inscription of the Royal Arms at the entrance of the Vault.
The coffins of members of the Royal Family are interred in the royal Vault until an eventual ceremonial or private burial elsewhere.
What clothes will the Queen be buried in?
The Queen will be buried in the full regalia of a Royal funeral. This includes a white silk dress with a trimmings of white lace, along with a matching sheer shawl. She will also be wearing a crown, rings, and a diamond-encrusted brooch.
Her hands will be covered with white gloves and a sash of the Order of the Garter around her neck. The pall will be carried by eight senior members of the court—six men and two women—and lined with purple velvet.
Do bodies decompose in vaults?
Bodies may decompose in a vault if the temperature and moisture conditions are favorable for the growth of bacteria and other organisms that cause decomposition. Most vaults are built to provide a protective seal to keep outside conditions from affecting the body inside and so, depending on environmental conditions, the body may remain preserved for several years.
However, a body may eventually decompose in a vault if bacterial growth and other conditions are not managed properly. If a vault is built and sealed properly, however, decomposition can be decreased and the body may remain preserved for several generations.
What happens to a body in a lead lined coffin?
When a body is placed in a lead lined coffin, the walls of the coffin serve to help protect the body from the outside environment. This not only helps block out odours and other decomposition products from escaping, but also helps protect the body from the natural process of decomposition.
Lead is a heavy metal, and being so dense it acts as an effective barrier against any liquids, gases, and bacteria that can cause a body to decompose. Although the lead lining won’t stop the decomposition process entirely, it will significantly slow it down, thus preserving the body for longer.
The lead lining of the coffin can also help prevent the body from being disturbed by any external factors, such as extreme temperatures or pests.
Are royal bodies embalmed?
In some royal traditions, the body of a deceased sovereign can be embalmed and preserved for public viewing. The process would vary depending on the particular customs of the monarchy in question. The practice of embalming is believed to have been done in Ancient Egypt, with Pharaohs like Tutankhamun famously preserved in this manner.
The first documented example of embalming a European royal corpse was the procedure performed on Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, in 1560. Embalming is still used in some monarchies today. In the United Kingdom, for example, the Sovereign’s body is prepared for burial, but is not formally embalmed.
For example, when Queen Victoria died in 1901, her body underwent “facial restoration” meaning her face was covered with wax to restore a lifelike appearance, but she was not embalmed. In some other European monarchies, such as Belgium, embalming has been used relatively recently on reigning monarchs, such as King Baudouin who was embalmed in 1993, and King Albert II who was embalmed in 2013.
In Japan, a process of preserving the body similar to embalming is undertaken for the Emperor, who is the head of the oldest continuing monarchy in the world.
What happens when you are buried in a vault?
When you are buried in a vault, your body is placed in a coffin, which is a rectangular box-like structure used to hold the remains of deceased people. The coffin is then placed inside a larger box called a vault.
This vault is typically made of a weather-resistant material such as concrete, steel, or masonry blocks. After it is placed in the vault, the remains are then sealed in the vault, often with a concrete- or steel-plated lid, to protect them from the elements and wildlife.
The vault is generally covered with a layer of soil, and the grave is usually marked with a headstone, monument, or plaque to honor the deceased.
Is the Queen’s coffin being lowered into the vault?
No, the Queen’s coffin is not being lowered into the vault. Instead, the coffin was transported to Westminster Hall for a four-day period of lying in state before the funeral service later this week.
The coffin will then travel by cortege from Westminster Hall to St. George’s Chapel, where it will be laid to rest in the Royal Vault at Windsor Castle. The Royal Family will accompany the coffin for its journey, where the coffin will be lowered into the vault at Windsor Castle.
Where is Queen mother buried?
The Queen Mother, also known as the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, was buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on 6 April 2002. Her coffin was draped in her personal standard (flag), and bore the insignia of the Order of the Thistle and the Order of Merit.
Her flowers included daffodils, white lilies, and primroses. The Queen Mother was the longest-lived and last surviving parent of a reigning British monarch. She was created a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in 1937 by her daughter Queen Elizabeth II, with whom she shared a very close relationship.
How does the royal burial vault work?
The Royal Burial Vault is an ancient and prestigious burial site located at the island of Huai-ting in the ancient homeland of the Royal Family of ancient Ho-kao. This unique burial site consists of a carefully constructed series of tomb-like chambers that have been sunk deep underground.
These chambers have been carved out by hand by expert craftsmen and the entire complex is intricately designed to protect the sacred remains of the deceased members of the Royal Family.
The first step in the process of preparing a Royal Burial is to house the body in a sacred coffin. The coffin is then carefully placed into the first chamber, where it is sealed with a large stone and surrounded by a series of sacred seals.
These seals are constructed from powerful magical materials and offer powerful protection against any number of supernatural forces or entities that may seek to disrupt the resting place of the Royal Family’s lineage.
The second chamber of the Royal Burial Vault involve a series of intricate traps that are designed to ward off any dangerous creatures or beings that may attempt to gain access to the burial site. The traps involve a combination of mystic enchantments and physical objects such as stone columns and heavy doors.
Any creature or being that enters the second chamber must be able to traverse these traps and reach the third chamber where the body is placed.
The third chamber is where the Royal Family will lay the body to rest. Here the body is surrounded by a magical barrier that keeps any evil force or being from gaining access to the body and infringing on the sanctity of the burial chamber.
After the body is laid to rest, members of the Royal Family perform a series of powerful rituals to ensure the powerful protection of their ancestor. Finally, the fourth chamber is where the Royal Burial Vault is sealed, which effectively renders the burial chamber off-limits to any being or creature that seeks to gain access.
What does lowered into royal vault mean?
Lowering into a royal vault essentially means placing something with great care and respect, often associated with placing a body into a crypt or underground tomb. This practice is typically associated with royalty, as only family members and honored individuals are buried in this way.
It is a show of respect for the deceased and a symbolic gesture of the importance of the individual in the community. In some cultures, the body is lowered into the royal vault draped in a cloth that once belonged to the deceased or an item of significance to the individual.
This practice dates back centuries and is still observed in some parts of the world today.
