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The touching reason why Prince Philip's final resting place will change in the future

The Duke of Edinburgh will be laid to rest on Saturday 17 April

prince philip holding queens hand
Ainhoa Barcelona
Content Managing Editor
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Prince Philip will be laid to rest in the Royal Vault of St George's Chapel, Windsor on Saturday 17 April – but this will not be his final resting place.

The Duke of Edinburgh will eventually be transferred to the church's King George VI memorial chapel, to lie alongside the Queen, his devoted wife of 73 years, when the time comes.

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The memorial chapel also houses the remains of the Queen's sister Princess Margaret, who died in 2002, and her parents, King George VI and the Queen Mother. The former King was only 56 when he passed away in Sandringham from a coronary thrombosis; his widow Elizabeth, meanwhile, lived until she was 101 and sadly died seven weeks after her daughter Margaret.

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A black stone slab is set into the floor of the private chapel and features the names George VI and Elizabeth in gold lettering and is accompanied by the couple's years of birth and death.

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queen mother memorial chapel black stone© Photo: Getty Images

The Queen's sister and parents are buried in the memorial chapel

According to her wishes, Princess Margaret was cremated instead of being buried at Frogmore in Windsor Great Park. Her ashes were kept in the royal vault at St George's Chapel, but were moved to the memorial chapel so she could be with her parents after the Queen Mother died just weeks after her.

Lady Glenconner, a lifelong friend of Princess Margaret, said in 2002: "She told me that she found Frogmore very gloomy. I think she'd like to be with the late King, which she will now be. There's room I think for her to be with him now."

queen mother memorial chapel© Photo: Getty Images

Prince Philip will eventually be laid to rest in the memorial chapel alongside the Queen

The memorial chapel was added on to the north side of St George's behind the North Quire Aisle in 1969.

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On Saturday, Prince Philip will be interred in the Royal Vault, a burial place set beneath St George's Chapel. His coffin will be placed on a marble slab in the quire and lowered into the vault by electric motor.

Former Kings George III, George IV and William IV are interred in the vault, as well as 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.

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