It’s been one year since Queen Elizabeth’s death, and King Charles is taking the time to reflect on her impact as a mother and monarch. Despite staying out of the public eye on the one-year anniversary of her death, Charles recorded a brief audio message.
“In marking the first anniversary of Her Late Majesty’s death and my accession, we recall with great affection her long life, devoted service, and all she meant to so many of us,” he said, according to CNN.
“I am deeply grateful, too, for the love and support that has been shown to my wife and myself during this year as we do our utmost to be of service to you all,” the king added, also including an image of his beloved mother.
The Prince and Princess of Wales also paid tribute to the queen, attending a private service honoring her life. And the Duke of Sussex also paid tribute to his late grandmother while at a charity event in London on Thursday.
Less than a week after Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, Buckingham Palace released a photo of the monarch’s grave ledger. The hand-carved piece of stone was updated to contain her name, as well as those of the other members of the royal family who are also interred there.
The photo was shared last year
The image was snapped inside the King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor Castle, highlighting the queen’s final resting spot. The black stone marker is surrounded by an array of floral wreathes and etched with the names of some of the other people the late monarch now resides with.
“A ledger stone has been installed at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, following the interment of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth,” the Palace tweeted. “The King George VI Memorial Chapel sits within the walls of St George’s Chapel, Windsor.”
It is also the final resting place of some of the other members of the Order of the Garter
Queen Elizabeth joined her husband, Prince Philip, and both of her parents, George VI and Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. All four were members of the elite order, established in 1348, which is reserved for just a few of the most senior members of the royal family and limited to a mere 24 companions at a time.
Elizabeth's ledger stone also pays homage to the rest of the people she's interred with
While the queen’s beloved husband died in April 2021, Philip’s name wasn’t added to the memorial marker that was updated after both of Elizabeth’s parents died. Now it bears Philip’s birth and death years.
King Charles laid his mother to rest on September 19, 2022
The queen died on September 8, 2022. In the days that followed, the UK mourned her passing and paid tribute with several memorial events leading up to her lying-in-state at Westminster Hall. Her family had also gathered at Westminster Abbey to pay their final respects before she was taken to St. George’s Chapel.
We're sure this has been a hard month for Elizabeth's family
The queen reigned for 70 years, making her the UK’s longest-ruling monarch. The historic milestone was marked in June 2022 with a weekend-long Platinum Jubilee celebration. While her death must be painful for her family, we hope they can take some comfort in the fact that she was beloved by many.
