Why Britain's royals needed a new final resting place outside Windsor Castle
In short: By 1928, the historic Royal Vault beneath St George's Chapel had reached capacity after over a century of use. To preserve space for future sovereigns and direct heirs, King George V authorized a new cemetery at Frogmore, transforming how the British royal family manages its final, private resting places.
Located within the Home Park at Windsor in Berkshire, the Royal Burial Ground was established to address the overcrowding of the Royal Vault at St George's Chapel, which had accommodated 23 interments between 1810 and 1928. The site was formally dedicated in October 1928. This new space allowed the monarchy to reserve the limited capacity of the chapel's vault specifically for reigning monarchs and those in the immediate line of succession, shifting the burial customs for other members of the royal family.
The cemetery serves as the final resting place for a wide range of royal relatives, including children of Queen Victoria and various dukes and duchesses. Notably, it is the burial site of Edward VIII, the only sovereign interred there. The grounds also contain the graves of individuals who were initially laid to rest in the Royal Vault but were later relocated to Frogmore during the cemetery's opening in 1928, such as Prince Francis of Teck and Princess Louise Margaret, Duchess of Connaught and Strathearn.
The site is marked by a notable statue of Christ, a reproduction of an 1821 work by Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen. Commissioned by Queen Alexandra to honor Queen Victoria, the bronze figure was cast in Copenhagen in 1903. While the burial ground remains a permanent site for many, it has seen rare exceptions; for instance, the remains of Queen Maria of Yugoslavia were exhumed in 2013 and moved to Serbia. Today, the cemetery continues to function as a private space for the family, with recent interments including Katharine, Duchess of Kent, in 2025.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore
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