When will people be able to visit the Queen's final resting place at Windsor Castle?

The Queen's coffin is driven up the Long Walk at Windsor to St George's Chape. Credit: PA

Mourners will be able to visit the Queen's final resting place in St George's Chapel from next week when Windsor Castle reopens to the public after the royal period of mourning comes to an end.

People wishing to pay their respects to the late monarch, who was buried alongside Prince Philip in a corner of the chapel on Monday, can do so from September 29.

The Queen’s name has been inscribed on the ledger stone, which replaces a black slab set into the floor, next to those of her parents, George VI and Elizabeth, and Philip, in the George VI Memorial Chapel.

Emma, the monarch's fell pony with the Queen's headscarf on her saddle, stands as the Ceremonial Procession at Windsor Castle. Credit: PA

The stone now lists “George VI 1895-1952” and “Elizabeth 1900-2002” followed by a metal Garter Star and then “Elizabeth II 1926-2022” and “Philip 1921-2021” in gold lettering.

All four royals were members of the Order of the Garter, which has St George’s Chapel as its spiritual home.

The Queen’s sister Princess Margaret, who died in 2002, was cremated and her ashes were initially placed in the Royal Vault, before being moved to the George VI memorial chapel with her parents’ coffins when the Queen Mother died weeks later.


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When Philip died 17 months ago, his coffin was interred in the Royal Vault of St George’s, ready to be moved to the memorial chapel – a pale stone annexe added on to the north side of the building behind the North Quire Aisle in 1969 – when the Queen died.

The Queen was laid to rest with the Duke of Edinburgh on Monday evening in a private service attended by the King and the royal family.

The intimate ceremony followed the splendour of her state funeral at Westminster Abbey and committal service in Windsor.

The chapel will reopen to visitors later next week on all days the castle is open to the public, excluding Sundays when it is only open for worshippers.

The old stone at George VI Memorial Chapel in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Credit: Tim Ockenden/PA

The royal family is continuing its period of mourning for the Queen until seven days after the funeral. Members of the royal family are not expected to carry out official engagements, and flags at royal residences will remain at half-mast until 8am after the final day of royal mourning.

King Charles had travelled extensively in the days after his mother’s death, as he toured the UK in his role as the nation’s new monarch but on Tuesday, he is believed to have flown to Balmoral, where the late Queen died peacefully on September 8, with the Queen Consort to grieve privately.