Where is Prince Philip buried? The Queen will join her husband at The Royal Vault

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last updated 21 September 2022

The Queen's funeral will take place on Monday 19th September as the late monarch is laid to rest. But where is Prince Philip buried and will he be moved to join the Queen?

On Monday the 19th of September, the Queen will be buried alongside her husband, Prince Philip, her father George VI, the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle
The Chapel is home to many burial sites and is the final resting place for dozens of Royals
In other royal news, Prince William has said the Queen was 'everyone’s grandmother' in moving moment with royal mourners

Where is Prince Philip buried?

Prince Philip is buried in The Royal Vault at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle. After his death on the 9th of April 2021, the late Prince was laid to rest in The Vault, becoming the first royal to be buried there since Princess Alice, his mother, in 1969. Though she was later transferred to Jerusalem.

Much like his mother, The Royal Vault is not Prince Philip's final resting place - the space he occupies is only temporary. Now his wife, the Queen, has passed away, he will be moved to join her in another of St George's burial chambers.

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What is The Royal Vault - and where is it?

The Royal Vault is the chosen burial place for the Royal Family and is one of several separate burial places located beneath St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

St George’s Chapel was founded in 1475 by King Edward III and has since been at the centre of many royal ceremonies, from weddings to funerals. The Vault was constructed later, between 1804 and 1810, under the orders of King George III and has become the official, chosen burial place for the Royal Family throughout the 19th century.

However, after the death of the Queen's father, King George VI, The King George VI memorial chapel was built in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle and has since over-taken The Royal Vault as the chosen resting place for the royal family.

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Where will The Queen be buried and will Prince Philip be moved there?

The Queen will be buried alongside her father George VI, the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret in The King George VI memorial chapel in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle and Prince Philip will be moved from The Royal Vault to rest there with her.

The memorial chapel was commissioned by the Queen and built in 1969 after the death of her father, King George VI. The King was originally laid to rest in the Royal Vault when he died in 1952, and was moved to the memorial chapel upon its completion.

The tiny chapel was created using pale stone and has a black stone slab set into the floor which bares the names of the royals buried there - ‘George VI’, the Queen's father, and ‘Elizabeth’, The Queen Mother.

Princess Margaret, who died in 2002, was cremated and her ashes were placed in the George VI memorial chapel weeks after her death when the Queen Mother also died. Margaret wanted to be cremated because she found the alternative royal burial ground at Frogmore in Windsor Great Park too, in her own words, "gloomy".

The chapel is located on the north side of St George’s behind the North Quire Aisle.

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St George's chapel at Windsor — (Image credit: RDImages/Epics/Getty Images)

Is The King George VI memorial chapel open to the public?

Yes, The King George VI memorial chapel is open to the public - in fact, it is included as part of the entrance ticket when visiting Windsor Castle. However, Windsor Castle is currently closed, as is the ticket office, and no reopening date has been confirmed.

Usually, St George’s Chapel is open for visitors on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10am to 4:15pm with the last entry at 4pm. The chapel is also usually closed to visitors on Sundays as services are held throughout the day though worshippers are welcome to attend the services.

Is The Royal Vault open to the public?

No, The Royal Vault is not open to the public. The 200-year-old Royal Vault at Windsor is the private burial vault of the Royal Family but the public can attend services, for free, at St. George's chapel which sits atop The Vault.

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The Queen sits alone at Prince Philip's funeral — (Image credit: Jonathan Brady - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Who is buried at The Royal Vault?

In total, 24 royals are buried in The Royal Vault. King George III, who died in 1820, was the first King to be buried in The Vault. He is one of three kings whose remains are buried there - along with George IV and William IV.

Other members of the Royal family buried there include George III’s wife, Queen Charlotte, and their daughter Princess Amelia; George IV's daughter Princess Charlotte; and Queen Victoria's father the Duke of Kent.

King George V and Queen Mary of Teck, the Queen's grandparents, are buried in the North Nave of St George's Chapel.

Queen Victoria was laid to rest alongside her husband, Prince Albert, in the Royal Mausoleum in Frogmore Gardens. Edward, the Duke of Windsor and Wallis, the Duchess of Windsor are buried together in the Royal Burial Ground in Frogmore Park. Princess Alice, the Duchess of Gloucester, is also buried there.

Meanwhile, many historic royals were buried at Westminster Abbey, including Edward the Confessor and Mary Queen of Scots.

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Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse is a news writer for Goodtoknow, specialising in family content. She began her freelance journalism career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in Magazine Journalism, receiving an NCTJ diploma, and earning a First Class BA (Hons) in Journalism at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She has also worked with BBC Good Food and The Independent.