Her son Charles automatically became king. The Queen had previously approved her own funeral plans – plans that King Charles III, as the current monarch, had to sign off on after her death – and as monarch, she was automatically granted a state funeral, funded by the public. That funeral will be very large and will take place on Monday, September 19. While many details of death are universal, the death of a reigning monarch is a different matter. And as the Queen has been in (mostly ceremonial) power since 1952, it’s not something the British have had to deal with for some time. Elizabeth ascended the throne in her 20s, after her father’s death. Her death leaves a series of questions, ranging from the serious and pressing to the more subtle. Salon gets to the bottom of some of our most burning questions since the Queen’s death. First, the most serious. The Queen will be buried in the King George VI Memorial, part of St George’s Chapel, which is located in the grounds of Windsor Castle. For the four days before the funeral, her coffin will lie in Westminster Hall. The hall will be open 24 hours a day so the public can pay their respects during this time, although the UK government has warned of airport-style security and very long queues. The funeral itself will take place at Westminster Abby. The day of the funeral has been declared a public holiday in the UK. It’s unclear how the divorced couple will handle custody arrangements for the dogs. Almost as pressing, especially if you’re a corgi, the dogs loved and raised by the Queen will be going to live with the Duke and Duchess of York, Andrew and Sarah, who both live at Royal Lodge on Windsor Estate, despite fact that they have been Divorced since 1996. It is unclear how the divorced couple will handle the dog custody arrangements. Even after her divorce, Sarah maintained a close friendship with the Queen. Both women loved dogs and horses, and Sarah walked dogs on the Windsor estate. In 2019, Prince Andrew stepped down from public duties following intense scrutiny over his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In 2022, Andrew paid a settlement to a woman who accused him of sexual assault and the case was dismissed by a judge. The Queen reportedly left behind two corgis named Sandy and Muick, as well as two other non-corgi dogs, a “dorgi” (corgi and dachshund mix) named Candy and Lissy, a cocker spaniel. It’s unclear if non-corgis will live with Sarah and Andrew as well. Images of Queen Elizabeth II appear on coins around the world. In 1953, the year after she came to the throne, British coins bearing her image were first available. Seven years later, she was the first British monarch to have her photo on paper bills. These coins and coins are still in circulation, as is currency in Commonwealth countries. But now that he’s gone, what will happen to them? In a statement, the Bank of England confirmed that current notes bearing Elizabeth’s image will remain legal tender. The statement also added, “A further announcement regarding existing Bank of England notes will be made once the mourning period has been observed.” According to ABC News, Canada, which also has banknotes bearing the Queen’s image, is not planning any changes. Neither Australia nor New Zealand, although Australia is designing a new $5 note featuring Charles. Charles will also appear on coins issued by the Royal Mint in Britain. Elizabeth sees right on her coin. The Charles coin, according to tradition, will face to the left. However, we won’t see the new Chuck dollars and coins until at least next year. There is an official royal beekeeper, 79-year-old John Chapple, and the day after the Queen’s death, he carried out a real task: to inform the more than a million bees he cared for that Queen Elizabeth had died. As Vanity Fair wrote, “Chapple placed black ribbons around the hives and then told the busy workers inside the news. He also explained that King Charles III was now their new master and that he would be good to them.” “You hit every cell and say, ‘The mistress is dead, but don’t go.’ Chapple, who was the palace’s beekeeper for 15 years, told the Daily Mail: ‘The person who died is the master or mistress of the hives, someone important in the family who dies and you don’t get more important than the Queen, do you? You knock on each cell and say, “The mistress is dead, but don’t go. Your master will be a good master to you.” The Daily Mail writes of the tradition of telling the bees not only of deaths in the family, but also of important events such as weddings and births: “If the custom was omitted or forgotten and the bees did not ‘mourn’, then it was believed to be a punishment. they would be paid, like bees that left their hive, stopped producing honey or died.” The British newspaper associates the custom with European countries, but it is also a tradition that can be found in many places in America, including the South and New England. Yes. Camilla has become what is known as Queen Consort. When Charles and Camilla married in a civil marriage in 2005, Camilla took the title HRH The Princess Consort. After Charles’s coronation, she will be known as Queen Camilla. Earlier this year, to mark the 70th anniversary of her accession, Queen Elizabeth said in a message that it was her “sincere wish” that Camilla would become Queen Consort when Charles became King. The Queen said, according to The Guardian, “And when, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes king, I know you will give him and his wife, Camilla, the same support that you have given me.” Charles’ first wife was the beloved Princess Diana, who died tragically in 1997, a year after their divorce. Along with Camilla’s title change, Prince William and Kate Middleton, formerly known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, are now known as the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge. Although Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have left the royal family, their children, Archie and Lilybet, are technically entitled to use the HRH title, as descendants of a son of a sovereign. So, it could be Prince Archie and Princess Lillibet. As of this writing, no new titles have been officially announced. Want a daily digest of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. Yes. After the death of the Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, in April 2021, his coffin was placed in the royal vault (not in a freezer, despite rumours). According to Yahoo! News, “This was never meant to be his final resting place.” His coffin was “placed on a marble slab” in a part of St George’s Chapel called The Quire, and then lowered into the vault beneath the chapel. As this location is not intended to be the Queen’s resting place, Philip’s coffin will be moved to rest next to the Queen. read more for the queen
