The world mourned with the royal family after Elizabeth’s II death, but where is the queen buried? Here’s what you need to know about her final resting place.
Where Is Queen Elizabeth Buried—And Can You Visit Her Grave?
Updated on Apr. 04, 2025
For 70 years, Queen Elizabeth II simply was Britain. The longest-reigning monarch in British history, she saw her nation through times of war and peace, heartbreak and celebration. So when she died on Sept. 8, 2022, the 96-year-old queen was mourned around the world. An estimated 29 million Brits and 11.4 million Americans tuned in to watch Queen Elizabeth’s funeral at Westminster Abbey. But what happened after that solemn public ceremony? Where was Queen Elizabeth buried? And can her legions of fans pay their final respects in person? The answers reflect Elizabeth’s lifelong devotion to her family and her Anglican faith.
“She made all those decisions long in advance,” says royal biographer Robert Hardman, author of Queen of Our Times: The Life of Queen Elizabeth II. “Monarchs choose what they want for their funerals, from the hymns to the readings to the burial site. It was entirely her choice.”
Reader’s Digest spoke with Hardman and renowned royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams to find out where Queen Elizabeth is buried, as well as other details about her life and death. Read on for more information about her gravesite and how you can pay your respects.
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Where is Queen Elizabeth buried?
Queen Elizabeth II is buried beneath St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, about 22 miles outside London. “There’s a private chapel inside St. George’s called the King George VI Memorial Chapel, after the queen’s father,” says Hardman. After the public state funeral, the queen’s casket was taken by military procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch, in London’s Hyde Park. There, it was transferred to a hearse and driven to Windsor Castle for a private ceremony attended by King Charles, Queen Camilla and other members of the royal family. Then, “she was laid to rest in this tiny crypt beneath the chapel,” Hardman says.
While St. George’s might be better known for happier ceremonies like the 2019 wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, it was also the setting for the 2021 funeral of the queen’s husband, Prince Philip, and it was in this chapel that the pair were reunited. “After Prince Philip’s funeral, his coffin was lowered into what’s called the royal vault at St. George’s, and there it remained until the death of the queen,” says Hardman. “After the queen’s service, their two coffins were placed together into the crypt, which is what the queen had always wanted.”
Who else is buried alongside Queen Elizabeth?
In addition to her husband, Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II shares the crypt with her parents, King George VI and the queen mother, and her sister, Princess Margaret. It was, as Fitzwilliams says, “a family reunion.”
But fitting the whole family in the small crypt required some concessions. “There’s been sort of a rule that only monarchs and their consorts get buried inside St. George’s, because there isn’t that much room,” says Hardman. “There’s a private royal cemetery outside where other members of the royal family get buried, but Princess Margaret didn’t want to be buried there. She wanted to be buried with her parents.”
The problem? There’s only room for four coffins. So, according to Hardman, before Princess Margaret died in 2022, she decided she would be cremated so her ashes could be interred at St. George’s.
Can you visit the queen’s grave?
Yes. St. George’s Chapel is open to the public year-round. “It’s a very popular part of the Windsor tour,” says Hardman. To see where Queen Elizabeth is buried, it’s best to plan ahead by booking a timed ticket for Windsor Castle. Access to the royal estate (including St. George’s Chapel) is possible on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday for about $40 (31 £); your ticket also includes all the royal state apartments, ceremonial rooms and historic rooms.
Once inside the chapel, you’ll find the King George VI Memorial Chapel on the north side of the building, marked by a modest ledger stone where Queen Elizabeth’s name has been inscribed alongside the names of her parents and Prince Philip. (Princess Margaret’s stone is nearby.) If you don’t want to see the entire Windsor estate, it’s also possible to attend one of the three daily services at St. George’s Chapel. While you obviously can’t wander around during the mass, you can still get a peek at Queen Elizabeth’s grave—for free.
What is the significance of her burial site?
Queen Elizabeth II was very fond of Windsor Castle during her lifetime. “It was a very special place for her,” says Fitzwilliams. “She spent a significant amount of time in her childhood and teen years at Windsor and was very happy there.”
The oldest and largest occupied castle in the world, Windsor Castle is one of the best-known estates of the British monarchy. Built by William the Conqueror starting around 1070, it was originally designed to guard the western approach to London, and it has been home to 40 monarchs over the centuries. “When Elizabeth was growing up, the family’s country house was Royal Lodge, which is on the Windsor estate,” says Hardman. “She had lots of happy memories of learning to ride a bicycle there and riding ponies, that sort of thing.”
As queen, Elizabeth spent many of her weekends in Windsor. “Buckingham Palace was more like the office; Windsor was home,” says Hardman. In her later years, she spent more and more time there and was regularly pictured attending Sunday church services at St. George’s Chapel, as well as riding her horses and walking her corgis on the Windsor grounds.
What does the queen wear in her coffin?
In life, the queen was known for her large collection of colorful dresses, hats and purses, but her final outfit was not revealed by the Palace. “That’s something that would be deemed private,” says Hardman. “But whatever it is, she would have chosen it herself.”
One thing that is known is that none of the British crown jewels were buried with her; they are part of the Royal Collection and were passed on to King Charles after his mother’s death. “Right at the end of the funeral, as the cameras turned away, the crown jeweler unscrewed the brackets that hold the crown, scepter and orb to the coffin and placed them on the altar,” says Hardman. “They didn’t get handed over to the king straight away. First, they go back to the Tower of London, and then they come out again for the coronation.”
Where are other prominent royal family members buried?
While “Where is Queen Elizabeth buried?” might be the No. 1 question asked by royal fans, many also wonder where the graves of other royals can be found. “Most monarchs tend to be buried either at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor or in Westminster Abbey,” says Hardman.
Westminster holds the remains of 30 kings and queens—including Queen Elizabeth I—while 11 former monarchs are interred at St. George’s, including King Henry VIII. “Queen Victoria famously wanted to have her own spot,” says Hardman, “so she built a huge mausoleum on the grounds of Windsor Castle for her and Prince Albert (her husband).”
King Charles’s former wife, Princess Diana, might have been the star of the British royal family before her tragic death in 1997, but her final resting place is the most private. She is buried on an island in an ornamental lake in her childhood home of Althorp, in Northamptonshire, north of London. Known as the Oval at Althorp House, it is surrounded by trees planted by the late Princess of Wales herself along with her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.
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Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of stories on the British royal family, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the fascinating facets of the monarchy. We regularly cover topics including the latest royal news, the history and meaning behind time-honored traditions, and the everyday quirks of everyone’s favorite family members, from Queen Elizabeth’s daily snack to Prince William’s confessions about his home life. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this piece on where Queen Elizabeth is buried, Astrid Hofer tapped her experience as a London-based journalist with more than 20 years of experience covering topics including the British royal family. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Robert Hardman, royal biographer and author of Queen of Our Times: The Life of Queen Elizabeth II; interviewed, March 2025
- Richard Fitzwilliams, royal expert; interviewed, August 2023
- Royal.uk: “St George’s Chapel”
- St. George’s Chapel: “Royal Burials”
- Westminster Abbey: “Royal Tombs”
- Reuters: “Queen Elizabeth’s funeral watched by 11.4 million people in U.S.”
- The Guardian: “More than 29m people in UK watched Queen’s funeral, TV data shows”
