Cemetery used by the British Royal Family, surrounds the Royal Mausoleum on the Frogmore Estate
51°28′26.4″N 0°35′54.9″W / 51.474000°N 0.598583°W / 51.474000; -0.598583
Queen Victoria's
Royal Mausoleum at
Frogmore and the Royal Burial Ground (front)
The Royal Burial Ground is a cemetery used by the
British royal family . Consecrated on 23 October 1928 by the Bishop of Oxford, it is adjacent to the
Royal Mausoleum , which was built in 1862 to house the tomb of
Queen Victoria and
Prince Albert . The burial ground lies on the
Frogmore estate within the
Home Park at
Windsor , in the English county of
Berkshire .
[1]
Overview
The burial ground was established because the
Royal Vault under St George's Chapel was becoming full; by 1928, there had been 23 interments since 1810.
[2] King
George V allowed the burial ground to be made with the intention that in the future, only British sovereigns and those in the direct line of succession would be buried in the Royal Vault.
[2]
Many members of the Royal Family, generally except for sovereigns and their consorts, have been interred in the Royal Burial Ground, among them
Queen Victoria 's children (
Princess Helena , 1846–1923;
Prince Arthur , 1850–1942;
Princess Louise , 1848–1939) and one sovereign:
Edward VIII , 1894–1972. In the adjacent
Frogmore Gardens stands the
Duchess of Kent's Mausoleum built in 1861 for
Queen Victoria's mother .
Burials
Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore
Buried in 1928: previously interred at St George's Chapel
Schleswig-Holstein plot at Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore
Some members of the
British Royal family were reburied at this cemetery in 1928, having previously been interred in the Royal Vault at
St George's Chapel .
1928 Prince Harald of Schleswig-Holstein (1876–1876), son of
Princess Helena of the United Kingdom . Interred in the Royal Vault at
St George's Chapel until transferred to the Royal Burial Ground in late October 1928. His coffin is in the same grave as that of his mother.
1928
Prince Francis of Teck (1870–1910), brother of
Queen Mary . Funeral at
St George's Chapel on 5 November 1910, then interred in the Royal Vault at St George's Chapel; transferred to the Royal Burial Ground in late October 1928.
1928
Princess Louise Margaret, Duchess of Connaught and Strathearn (1860–1917), wife of
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn and
viceregal consort of Canada . Cremated on the evening of 18 March 1917 at
Golders Green Crematorium as first member of the Royal Family to be cremated, ashes put in an oak coffin for funeral at
St George's Chapel on 19 March 1917, then placed in the Royal Vault at St George's Chapel; transferred to the Royal Burial Ground in late October 1928.
1928
Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein (1831–1917), husband of
Princess Helena of the United Kingdom . Funeral at
St George's Chapel on 1 November 1917, then interred in the Royal Vault at St George's Chapel; transferred to the Royal Burial Ground in late October 1928.
1928
Lord Leopold Mountbatten (1889–1922), grandson of Queen Victoria through his mother
Princess Henry of Battenberg . Funeral at
St George's Chapel on 1 May 1922, then interred in the Royal Vault at St George's Chapel; transferred to the Royal Burial Ground in late October 1928.
1928
Princess Helena of the United Kingdom (1846–1923), daughter of Queen Victoria, wife of
Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein . Funeral at
St George's Chapel on 15 June 1923, then interred in the Royal Vault at St George's Chapel; transferred to the Royal Burial Ground in late October 1928.
1928
Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge (1868–1927), a former Prince of
Teck and brother of
Queen Mary and husband of
Margaret Cambridge, Marchioness of Cambridge . Funeral at
St George's Chapel on 29 October 1927, then interred in the Royal Vault at St George's Chapel; transferred to the Royal Burial Ground in late October 1928. His coffin is in the same grave as that of his wife.
1928
Rupert Cambridge, Viscount Trematon (1907–1928), son of
Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone . Funeral at
St George's Chapel on 19 April 1928, then interred in the Royal Vault at St George's Chapel; transferred to the Royal Burial Ground in late October 1928.
Burials 1929–1949
Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll 's grave (centre) at the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore
1929
Margaret Cambridge, Marchioness of Cambridge (1873–1929), wife of
the 1st Marquess of Cambridge . Funeral at
St George's Chapel on 30 March 1929, then interred in the Royal Burial Ground. Her coffin is in the same grave as that of her husband.
1935
Princess Victoria of the United Kingdom (1868–1935), daughter of King
Edward VII . Funeral at
St George's Chapel on 7 December 1935, then interred in the Royal Burial Ground on 8 January 1936.
1938
Prince Arthur of Connaught (1883–1938), son of
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and husband of
Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife . A former
Governor-General of South Africa . Funeral at
St George's Chapel on 16 September 1938, then interred in the Royal Vault at St George's Chapel; transferred to the Royal Burial Ground on 22 September 1938.
1940
Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll (1848–1939), daughter of Queen Victoria, wife of the
9th Duke of Argyll and
viceregal consort of Canada . Cremated at
Golders Green Crematorium , ashes put in an oak coffin for funeral at
St George's Chapel on 12 December 1939, then placed in the Royal Vault at St George's Chapel; transferred to the Royal Burial Ground on 13 March 1940.
1942
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (1850–1942), son of Queen Victoria. A former
Governor General of Canada . Funeral at
St George's Chapel on 23 January 1942, then interred in the Royal Vault at St George's Chapel; transferred to the Royal Burial Ground on 18 March 1942.
1948
Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein (1870–1948), daughter of
Princess Helena of the United Kingdom . Funeral at
St George's Chapel on 17 March 1948, then interred in the Royal Burial Ground.
Burials 1950–1979
1956
Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein (1872–1956), daughter of
Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein and
Princess Helena of the United Kingdom and also granddaughter of
Queen Victoria . Funeral at
St George's Chapel on 14 December 1956, then interred in the Royal Burial Ground.
1957
Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone (1874–1957), brother of
Queen Mary and husband of
Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone . A former Prince of
Teck , a former
Governor-General of South Africa and a former
Governor General of Canada . Funeral at
St George's Chapel on 19 January 1957, then interred in the Royal Burial Ground. His coffin is in the same grave as that of his wife.
1968
Prince George, Duke of Kent (1902–1942), son of King
George V , husband of
Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent . Funeral at
St George's Chapel on 29 August 1942, then interred in the Royal Vault at St George's Chapel; transferred to the Royal Burial Ground on 29 August 1968, the day before his wife's funeral.
1968
Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent (1906–1968), wife of
Prince George, Duke of Kent . Interred in the Royal Burial Ground on 30 August 1968.
1972
Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor (1894–1972), eldest son of King
George V and formerly King
Edward VIII . A former
Governor of the Bahamas . Funeral at
St George's Chapel on 5 June 1972, then interred in the Royal Burial Ground.
1972
Prince William of Gloucester (1941–1972), son of
Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester . Interred in the Royal Burial Ground on 2 September 1972.
1972
Sir Alexander Ramsay (1881–1972), husband of
Princess Patricia of Connaught and former
Fifth Sea Lord . Interred in the Royal Burial Ground in October 1972.
1974
Lady Patricia Ramsay (1886–1974), daughter of
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught , and wife of
Sir Alexander Ramsay . Interred in the Royal Burial Ground in January 1974.
1974
Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (1900–1974), son of King
George V , husband of
Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester . A former
Governor-General of Australia . Interred in the Royal Burial Ground on 14 June 1974.
1975
Patrick Plunket, 7th Baron Plunket (1923–1975), Courtier, equerry to King
George VI and Queen
Elizabeth II .
[3] Interred in the Royal Burial Ground in June 1975.
Burials 1980–present
1981
Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (1883–1981), last surviving grandchild of
Queen Victoria and daughter of
Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany , wife of
Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone and
viceregal consort of Canada and of South Africa. Funeral at
St George's Chapel on 8 January 1981, then interred in the Royal Burial Ground. Her coffin is in the same grave as that of her husband.
1981
George Cambridge, 2nd Marquess of Cambridge (1895–1981), son of
the 1st Marquess of Cambridge . Interred in the Royal Burial Ground on 23 April 1981. His coffin is in the same grave as that of his wife.
1986
Wallis, Duchess of Windsor (1896–1986), wife of
Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor . Funeral at
St George's Chapel on 29 April 1986, then interred in the Royal Burial Ground, next to the grave of her husband.
1988
Dorothy Cambridge, Marchioness of Cambridge (1899–1988), wife of
The 2nd Marquess of Cambridge . Interred in the Royal Burial Ground in April 1988. Her coffin is in the same grave as that of her husband.
1994
Lady May Abel Smith (1906–1994), daughter of
Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone , and wife of
Sir Henry Abel Smith . Interred in the Royal Burial Ground on 9 June 1994; her husband's ashes were buried there at the same time. Both are buried in the same grave.
1994
Sir Henry Abel Smith (1900–1993), husband of
Lady May Abel Smith and former
Governor of Queensland . Cremated, ashes interred in the Royal Burial Ground at the time of his wife's funeral there on 9 June 1994. Both are buried in the same grave.
2004
Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester (1901–2004), wife of
Prince Henry, 1st Duke of Gloucester and
viceregal consort of Australia . Funeral at
St George's Chapel on 5 November 2004, then interred in the Royal Burial Ground.
2005
Sir Angus Ogilvy (1928–2004), husband of
Princess Alexandra of Kent . Funeral at
St George's Chapel on 5 January 2005, then interred in the Royal Burial Ground.
Formerly buried at the Royal Burial Ground
Statue
The statue overlooking the ground is a copy of the Danish
Neoclassical sculptor
Bertel Thorvaldsen's Christ, originally conceived in 1821. The Frogmore copy was cast in 1903 at the bronze foundry
Lauritz Rasmussen in
Copenhagen . It was commissioned by the Danish-born
Queen Alexandra in memory of her mother-in-law,
Queen Victoria .
Public access
The Duchess of Kent's Mausoleum
Frogmore House and its gardens are usually open to the public on about six days each year, usually around
Easter and the August Bank Holiday.
The Royal Burial Ground may be viewed from around its perimeter on the days that the gardens are open to the public. The
Duchess of Kent's Mausoleum may also be viewed externally, but is never open to the public.
The
Royal Mausoleum , the resting place of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert, is structurally unsound and has been closed to the public since 2007. It was reported in August 2011 that repairs might not be completed for a further ten years.
[5]
The Royal Mausoleum formerly was open on the Wednesday nearest to Queen Victoria's birthday, 24 May, and occasionally on other days when the grounds were open. Restoration of the mausoleum began in June 2018, to create a dry moat around it and to replace the roof to protect it from the long-standing problem of water infiltration.
[6]
References
External links