'The Queen steered nation with hope... a reassuring presence'

ONE YEAR ON, WE REMEMBER ELIZABETH II

- Catherine Pepinster

WINDSOR Castle has long been a top draw for tourists fascinated by the British monarchy. Now one of the most important stopping places on any visit is the dark stone slab in St George’s Chapel, simply marked Elizabeth II, 1926-2022.

It is there she was laid to rest beside her husband, Prince Philip, and her parents. A year on from her death, long queues of visitors from around the world wait to pay their respects to the woman who was know simply as The Queen.

Some people kneel before the grave, some say a prayer, some even quietly weep. According to members of the clergy of St George’s, Elizabeth’s grave has become an extraordinarily popular place of pilgrimage as people pay tribute to her remarkable life of service.

Above all, the Queen could be relied upon. She was always there, the epitome of stability. And as her reign was the longest of a monarch in this country’s history – she died in her Platinum Jubilee year – you have to be in your late 70s or older to recall a time when she wasn’t on the throne.

So when it was announced at 6.30pm on Thursday, September 8, the Queen had died at Balmoral at the age of 96, it was a shock in all its finality, as even the most expected death can be.

Yet there was no surfeit of emotion, no wailing or hysteria.