The Vigil of the Princes (or Vigil of the Princesses) refers to occasions when members of the British royal family have "stood guard" during the lying in state of one of their relatives during or as part of a British state or ceremonial funeral. This occurred for

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Que ...

in 1936,

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was the l ...

in 2002, and for

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

in 2022. During the first two of these occasions, only male members of the British royal family joined the vigil. In 2022 however,

Anne, Princess Royal Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of ...

, took part alongside her three brothers in vigils for their mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

King George V

King Edward VIII Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire and Emperor of India from 20 January 1 ...

, the

Duke of York Duke of York is a title of nobility in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of English (later British) monarchs. The equivalent title in the Scottish peerage was Du ...

, the

Duke of Gloucester Duke of Gloucester () is a British royal title (after Gloucester), often conferred on one of the sons of the reigning monarch. The first four creations were in the Peerage of England and the last in the Peerage of the United Kingdom; the curren ...

, and the

Duke of Kent Duke of Kent is a title that has been created several times in the peerages of peerage of Great Britain, Great Britain and the peerage of the United Kingdom, United Kingdom, most recently as a Royal dukedoms in the United Kingdom, royal dukedom ...

, took guard at the lying-in-state of their father

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. Born duri ...

on 27 January 1936. (A fifth son, Prince John, had predeceased his father in 1919.) The vigil took place after

Westminster Hall The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parli ...

was closed to the public for the evening. No photographic record of this event is known and public viewing of the vigil was prohibited, though an

oil painting Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments with a medium of drying oil as the binder. It has been the most common technique for artistic painting on wood panel or canvas for several centuries, spreading from Europe to the rest of ...

made of it later by

Frank Beresford Frank Ernest Beresford (30 August 1881 – 25 May 1967) was a British painter from Derby, England. He is best known for his painting, ''The Princes' Vigil''. Biography Beresford was born in Derby in 1881 and had a long artistic education. He f ...

was the official painting of the King's lying-in-state; it was exhibited for the first time at the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...

exhibition of 1936 at

Burlington House Burlington House is a building on Piccadilly in Mayfair, London. It was originally a private Neo-Palladian mansion owned by the Earls of Burlington and was expanded in the mid-19th century after being purchased by the British government. Toda ...

. The painting, named ''The Princes' Vigil: 12.15 am, January 28, 1936'', was subsequently purchased by George V's widow Queen Mary to give to their son Edward VIII on his birthday. In the painting, the King is depicted wearing the uniform of the

Grenadier Guards "Shamed be whoever thinks ill of it." , colors = , colors_label = , march = Slow: " Scipio" , mascot = , equipment = , equipment ...

, of whom he was the Colonel-in-Chief, the Duke of Gloucester wears the full dress uniform of the

10th Royal Hussars The 10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army raised in 1715. It saw service for three centuries including the First World War and Second World War but then amalgamated with the 11th Hussars (Prince A ...

(the regiment in which he served), while the Duke of Kent is in Ceremonial Day Dress uniform of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

. The Duke of York is not seen fully in the painting, although at the end of the catafalque opposite the King is a figure in full Foot Guards uniform; at this point in time, the Duke of York served as Colonel of the Regiment of the

Scots Guards The Scots Guards (SG) is one of the five Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. Its origins are as the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland. Its lineage can be traced back to 1642, although it was only placed on the ...

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother

At 16:40 UTC on 8 April 2002, the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

, the

Earl of Wessex Earl of Wessex is a title that has been created twice in British history – once in the pre-Conquest Anglo-Saxon nobility of England, and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. In the 6th century AD the region of Wessex (the lands of the We ...

, and Viscount Linley, took guard at the lying-in-state of their grandmother,

Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was the l ...

. The four relieved the guard of the

Royal Company of Archers The Royal Company of Archers, The King's Bodyguard for Scotland is a ceremonial unit that serves as the Sovereign's bodyguard in Scotland—a role it has performed since 1822 during the reign of King George IV when the company provided a perso ...

, and were themselves relieved by the

Yeomen of the Guard The King's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard is a Sovereign's Bodyguard, bodyguard of the British monarch. The List of oldest military units and formations in continuous operation, oldest British military corps still in existence, it was ...

after their 20-minute vigil. Both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York wore naval uniform, while the Earl of Wessex and Viscount Linley wore black

morning dress Morning dress, also known as formal day dress, is the Formal attire, formal Western dress code for day attire, consisting chiefly of, for men, a morning coat, waistcoat, and formal trousers, and an appropriate gown for women. Men may also wear ...

; the Earl of Wessex joined the

Royal Marines The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...

, but chose to leave before completing basic training, while Lord Linley has never served in the forces. Present during the Changing of the Guard were the Prince of Wales' two sons,

Prince William William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. Born in London, William was educat ...

and

Prince Harry Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, (Henry Charles Albert David; born 15 September 1984) is a member of the British royal family. He is the younger son of Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. He is fifth in the line of succ ...

Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II had four children:

King Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to a ...

;

Prince Andrew, Duke of York Prince Andrew, Duke of York, (Andrew Albert Christian Edward; born 19 February 1960) is a member of the British royal family. He is the younger brother of King Charles III and the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince ...

; and

Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, (Edward Antony Richard Louis; born 10 March 1964) is a member of the British royal family. He is the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the youngest sibl ...

, as well as four grandsons and four granddaughters. The official plan for the Queen's funeral,

Operation London Bridge Operation London Bridge was the funeral plan for Queen Elizabeth II. The plan included the announcement of her death, the period of official mourning, and the details of her state funeral. The plan was created as early as the 1960s and revise ...

, called for the Queen's children to stand vigil over their mother's coffin, as well as for the grandsons and granddaughters to do the same in another ceremony and separate time. During the return of the Queen's coffin to London from Scotland, a 24-hour "lying-at-rest" was undertaken at

St Giles' Cathedral St Giles' Cathedral ( gd, Cathair-eaglais Naomh Giles), or the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in the Old Town, Edinburgh, Old Town of Edinburgh. The current building was begun in the 14th century and extended ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, during which a permanent guard was provided by the

, The King's Bodyguard for Scotland. At 19:40 BST on 12 September 2022, the detachment of four members of the Royal Company were joined by the King, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex and Forfar, who stood vigil over the coffin for ten minutes. The King wore a

kilt A kilt ( gd, fèileadh ; Irish: ''féileadh'') is a garment resembling a wrap-around knee-length skirt, made of twill woven worsted wool with heavy pleats at the sides and back and traditionally a tartan pattern. Originating in the Scottish Hi ...

made from the

Royal Stuart tartan The Royal Stewart or Royal Stuart tartan is the best-known tartan retrospectively associated with the royal House of Stewart, and was also the personal tartan of Queen Elizabeth II. The sett was first published in 1831 in the book ''The Scottish ...

while the Princess Royal and Earl of Wessex and Forfar were wearing military uniforms and the Duke of York wore black morning dress with medals. Anne, Princess Royal, made history as the first woman to participate in the ceremony. As part of the late Queen's lying-in-state in London, at 19:30 BST on 16 September 2022, her four children stood vigil for the second time. All were in military uniform, with the King and the Duke of York both wearing ceremonial day dress of the Royal Navy, the Princess Royal wearing the full dress uniform, including the staff of a Gold Stick, of the

Blues and Royals The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons) (RHG/D) is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry Regiment. The Colonel of the Regiment is Anne, Princess Royal. It is the second-most senior regiment in ...

, of which she is the Colonel of the Regiment, and the Earl of Wessex and Forfar in the No.1 dress uniform of the

Royal Wessex Yeomanry The Royal Wessex Yeomanry (RWxY) is a Reserve armoured regiment of the British Army Reserve consisting of five squadrons. Formerly part of 43 (Wessex) Brigade, the regiment joined 3rd (UK) Division in July 2014, to provide armoured (main battle ...

, the

Army Reserve A military reserve force is a military organization whose members have military and civilian occupations. They are not normally kept under arms, and their main role is to be available when their military requires additional manpower. Reserve ...

regiment of which he is Royal Honorary Colonel. The following day, her eight grandchildren,

William, Prince of Wales William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. Born in London, William was educat ...

;

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, (Henry Charles Albert David; born 15 September 1984) is a member of the British royal family. He is the younger son of Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. He is fifth in the line of succe ...

;

Peter Phillips Peter Mark Andrew Phillips (born 15 November 1977) is a British businessman and the son of Anne, Princess Royal, and Captain Mark Phillips. He is the eldest nephew of King Charles III, and 17th in the line of succession to the British throne. ...

;

Zara Tindall Zara Anne Elizabeth Tindall (''née'' Phillips; born 15 May 1981) is a British equestrian, an Olympian, and the daughter of Anne, Princess Royal, and Captain Mark Phillips. She is the niece of King Charles III and is 20th in the line of succe ...

;

Princess Beatrice Princess Beatrice, Mrs Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi (Beatrice Elizabeth Mary; born 8 August 1988) is a member of the British royal family. She is the elder daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York. She is a niece of Charle ...

;

Princess Eugenie Princess Eugenie, Mrs Jack Brooksbank ( ; Eugenie Victoria Helena; born 23 March 1990) is a member of the British royal family. She is the younger daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York. She is a niece of King Ch ...

;

Lady Louise Windsor Lady Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor (born 8 November 2003) is the elder child of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Forfar, both members of the British royal family. She is a granddau ...

; and Viscount Severn, stood vigil over their grandmother's coffin. At the King's request both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex were in uniform, with both wearing the No.1 dress of the Blues and Royals while Peter Phillips and Viscount Severn each wore black morning dress with medals and the women wore dark formal dresses. Unlike the vigil that occurred in 2002, the royal family did not relieve any of the guards standing at attention at the Queen's coffin. At each vigil, the royal family took sides of the coffin, while the guards on duty remained in place at the corners and members of the royal family standing one step above the guards. Each vigil lasted 15 minutes or less, while the Changing of the Guard occurred every twenty minutes.

Notes

References

External links

;For Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
2002: Grandsons' Vigil for the Queen Mother
– ITN Archive (YouTube video) ;For Queen Elizabeth II
The Queen's children hold a Vigil in Edinburgh
– The Royal Family (YouTube video)
Royals stand vigil over Queen's coffin
– Sky News (YouTube video)
The Queen's children hold a Vigil at Westminster Hall
– The Royal Family (YouTube video)
In Full: Queen's children hold final vigil for their mother
– Sky News (YouTube video)
The Queen's grandchildren hold a Vigil at Westminster Hall
– The Royal Family (YouTube video)
In full: Queen's grandchildren hold vigil around the monarch's coffin
– Sky News (YouTube video) {{Ceremonies of the British monarch British ceremonial units British monarchy State ritual and ceremonies Funerals in the United Kingdom

King George V

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother

Queen Elizabeth II

See also

Notes

References

External links