There is no reason why the vault under St. George's chapel would smell of the bodies interred there. Some of the bodies are along the walls and some on the floor. The deceased are in lead lined coffins and sealed air tight.
It's traditional for British Royals to be buried in lead-lined coffins because they are airtight and thus better at stopping moisture from seeping into the coffins, which in turns slows the rate - and smell - of decomposition.
Following royal tradition, which dates back as far as the 1600s, the queen's coffin was lined with lead, which ensures that her remains stay intact for up to a year. This is because the lead makes the coffin airtight, stopping moisture from getting in and therefore slowing down the decomposition of the body.
It can even preserve the body for up to a year. The first royal to be laid to rest in the Royal Vault was Princess Amelia, daughter of King George III, in 1810. According to Windsor Castle, the Royal Vault contains around 15 princes and princesses, as well as three kings and several queens, among other royals.
The Royal Vault, a designated burial location for the Royal Family of the United Kingdom, is located beneath St. George's Chapel. The vault, which dates back to the 15th century when it was constructed on King George III's instructions, has been used for the interment of members of the Royal Family.
The royal vault houses the remains of 24 royal family members and former monarchs beneath St George's chapel. The gothic-style stone mausoleum is the final resting place of King George III, King George IV and King William IV.
After the funeral service at Westminster Abbey, the Queen's coffin will be returned to the state gun carriage for the procession to Wellington Arch and will then be transferred from the carriage to the hearse which will leave London for Berkshire.
Although the Royal Vault had intended to be just a temporary residence for Prince Philip's body, that doesn't mean he was frozen or stored in a morgue. The Royal Vault, Buckingham Palace says, is one of two major burial vaults in St. George's Chapel, which also houses several royal tombs.
The monarchs and their families in the chapel are not in soil to decompose in the way most people who are buried in cemeteries do. According to a report in The Guardian, it can take 10-15 years for a body to breakdown to a skeleton if buried in soil.
The Queen was lowered into the royal vault at St George's Chapel in Windsor after her state funeral. The Queen's coffin will be interred in the King George VI memorial chapel – her final resting place.
While it's not refrigerated, it is underground — the Royal Vault is a burial chamber underneath St. George's Chapel in Windsor, carved out between 1804 and 1810. But like all members of the Royal Family, Philip's coffin was lined with lead, which prevents moisture from getting in and slows decomposition.
Queen Elizabeth II will be buried in an English oak coffin featuring brass handles that were designed more than 30 years ago, and lined with lead. It is estimated the coffin weighs between 250kg and 317kg.
Then in one of the most moving parts of the entire service, the coffin was slowly lowered into the Royal Vault as the Dean of Windsor recited Psalm 103 and pronounced all of the styles and titles of the Queen. The psalm includes the traditional line: "Go forth upon thy journey from this world, O Christian soul".
Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth reportedly wore Guerlain L'Heure Bleue, a spicy citrus with a powdery dry down. It's been a classic for the fragrance house ever since the scent was created in 1912.
Unlike other products that mask and deodorize odors, Neutrolene neutralizes and eliminates odors. We use Neutrolen every day and can testify to how good it is. We use it at scene directly on bodies as well as in the morgue to control ongoing smells.
The largest manufacturer of caskets claims that its caskets "burp." They're meant to allow excessive gas to burp out of the casket so that pressure doesn't build up.
Lead-lined coffins slow the body's decomposition by keeping moisture out of the casket. Lead does not decay and so remains airtight, preventing decomposition, but also any smells and gases from being released; not something you want if multiple Royals are sharing a vault or may be moved in the future.
Technically, the Queen won't be buried as the only soil on her coffin will be from a ceremonial bowl of earth and scattered by King Charles during her funeral. Queen Elizabeth has been placed in a lead-lined casket that will lie inside a stone crypt.
32 coffins are arranged on shelves built into the stone walls, while the remaining 12 are in the centre of the vault. During funerals, a slab of flooring in St George's Chapel is lifted out to provide access to the underground vault. The coffin is then lowered through the hole in the floor via an electric lift.
The last burial in the Royal Vault was Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, in 2021. His mother Princess Alice of Battenberg was also buried in the Royal Vault, but her body was transferred to Jerusalem in 1988.
The Royal Vault is below the chapel and, as a private chamber for the Royal Family, is not open to the public. The family has buried 44 members at the location, 10 of whom are former monarchs.
She will be buried in the castle's King George VI Memorial Chapel, alongside her father, her mother, and her sister's ashes.
The Archbishop of Canterbury will give a blessing, and the national anthem is sung. The service is expected to end at around 4.30pm. The burial service will be a deeply personal family occasion and entirely private. It will be conducted by the dean of Windsor.
Where will Queen Elizabeth II be buried? Her Royal Majesty will be laid to rest in the King George VI Memorial Chapel within St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.