St George’s Chapel which lies within Windsor Castle was started in 1475 and completed by Henry VIII about 50 years later. It is outside the formal structure of the Church of England and known as a ‘Royal Peculiar’. It is also the home of the Order of the Garter, founded in 1348.
The Royal Vault which lies beneath thwe Altar was not completed until the reign of Queen Victoria in 1863. Despite this, Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert are interred in a Royal Mausoleim in nearby Frogmore. The vault does, however, include the coffins of over 20 royals, including George III and IV and William IV. It was most recently used to hold the coffin of the Duke of Edinburgh, who it is thought will eventually be moved to the nearby George VI Memorial Chapel.
Those who watched the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral serivce on 17 April 2021 saw his coffin begin its descent to the vault from the Quire, via an electrically driven catafalque.