The Royal Burial Ground is a cemetery used by the British Royal Family. It surrounds the Royal Mausoleum on the Frogmore Estate in the Home Park at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It was consecrated on 23 October 1928.^[1]

Queen Victoria's Royal Mausoleum in Frogmore and the Royal Burial Ground (front)

Since 1928, most members of the Royal Family, except for sovereigns and their consorts, have been interred here. Among those interred here are three of Queen Victoria's children (Princess Helena, 1846–1923; Prince Arthur, 1850–1942; Princess Louise, 1848–1939) as well as one former monarch (Edward VIII, 1894–1972, later the Duke of Windsor).

Burials

Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore

Reburied in 1928

Schleswig-Holstein plot at Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore

• 1928 Prince Harold 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.
• 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 (1860–1917), wife of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught. Cremated on the evening of 18 March 1917 at Golders Green Crematorium as first member of the Royal Family, 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 1929-1950

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. Interred in the Royal Burial Ground on 9 December 1935.
• 1938 Prince Arthur of Connaught (1883–1938), son of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught. 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. 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 (1850–1942), son of Queen Victoria. 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 1950-1980

• 1956 Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein (1872–1956), daughter of Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein and granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Funeral at St George's Chapel on 14 December 1956, then interred in the Royal Burial Ground.
• 1957 Major-General 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, 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, 1st 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, 1st 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. 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, 1st 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. Interred in the Royal Burial Ground in October 1972.
• 1974 Princess Patricia of Connaught (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, 1st Duke of Gloucester (1900–1974), son of King George V, husband of Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester. Interred in the Royal Burial Ground on 14 June 1974.

Burials 1980 to present

• 1981 Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (1883–1981), last surviving grandchild of Queen Victoria, wife of Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone. 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.
• 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. 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. 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.

Buried, then later transferred

• Queen Maria of Yugoslavia (1900–1961), great–granddaughter of Queen Victoria, wife of King Aleksandar I of Yugoslavia. Died in London, funeral on 2 July 1961, then interred in the Royal Burial Ground. Remains were exhumed on 26 April 2013 and transferred to Serbia on 28 April.^[2]

Public access

Frogmore House, its gardens, and the Royal Mausoleum are usually open to the public upon about six individual days each year, usually around Easter and the August Bank Holiday. The mausoleum is also open on the Wednesday nearest Queen Victoria's birthday, 24 May. The Royal Burial Ground may be viewed from around its perimeter upon those days which 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. Talks are underway for the Royal Burial Ground to be opened once a year, but this is in the very early stages.

References