Members of the British royal family are usually buried in the Henry V11 Chapel, Westminster Abbey, or in the Royal Mausoleum at Frogmore, Windsor, or in St George’s Chapel, Windsor. However, in July 1837, when William IV was buried in St. George’s Chapel, the behaviour of those attending - “not a tear shed, chattering and sniggering, and a long and tedious service” according to Terry Philpot, author of "31 London Cemeteries To Visit Before You Die" - so offended his brother, Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex, that he declared he did not want to be buried in “that stinking hole”, so he made arrangements for a plot at Kensal Green. He thus became the first member of the British royal family to be buried outdoors in a public cemetery.
His funeral, on 6 April 1843, was a lavish one, though an interesting description of the events of the day in The Tablet (the Catholic newspaper) suggests otherwise:
“The half-public, half-private, half-royal and half-simple character of the funeral did not by any means answer the expectations of the spectators, nor was the attendance by any means so numerous as had been calculated upon. The military and day itself made up the splendour of the spectacle; the rest was solemn and stately, but not magnificent or imposing.” (http://archive.thetablet.co.uk/article/6th-may-1843/12/funeral-of-the-duke-of-sussex)
The Duke’s coffin was lowered on the hydraulic lift in the Anglican chapel to rest temporarily in the catacombs until his mausoleum was completed. His tomb is a “massive ledger slab on a base, surrounded by 14 cylindrical posts, all of grey Aberdeen granite. The coped upper slab has an inscription in sunken capital letters. The surrounding posts, topped with circular caps, formerly had linking bronze chains between them”. (https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1389385) It is sited in prime position on Centre Avenue, close to the Anglican Chapel.
The Duke’s post-mortem royal patronage established the cemetery’ attraction as a burial place, and assured its popularity, as well as giving it social cachet which then attracted many other notables.
Across the Avenue is the tomb of his sister, Princess Sophia, fifth daughter and twelfth child of George III and Queen Charlotte. Whereas the Duke’s monument is low lying, solid and sombre, Princess Sophia’s is elevated, intensely decorated, topped off with an ornate Florentine sarcophagus.
“The sarcophagus is in an Italian quattrocento manner, with lions'-paw feet and winged lion-heads at the angles. The body is decorated with rinceaux (vine-scroll bands), and the upper sides are embellished with garlands, fillets and the Princess's cipher. On each end is a heraldic plaque bearing the royal arms. The lid is topped with a crown finial. The sarcophagus stands atop a tall plinth in the form of a tomb chest, with an egg-and-dart cornice and raised and fielded panels. The north panel reads: 'Come unto me all ye that / labour and are heavy laden / and I will give you rest / St Matthew chap.XI verse 28'; that to the east reads : 'Her Royal Highness / The Princess Sophia / 5th daughter of / His Majesty / King George III / Born November 3rd 1777 / Died May 27th 1818'. The plinth in turn stands upon a base of plain granite blocks, with leaded lettering identifying the stonemason as 'Edward Pearce / 163 & 165 Euston Rd'.” https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1080633
The last royal funeral came in 1904. HRH George William Frederick Charles, Duke of Cambridge KG was the first-born legitimate grandson of George III, but was ranked subservient to his cousin Victoria, whose early marriage and nine healthy children quickly put him and his line out of any hope of succession. The royal duke served for 39 years as Commander-in-Chief of the British Army, as a resolute opponent of military reform.
Suitably monolithic and solid for a military commander, the mausoleum is “Pink and grey granite. Arched doorway on south face flanked by plinths, set below cavetto cornice; battered side walls with roll mouldings to corners; stepped roof with curved finial; marble posts with chains to border of plot. He is buried here with his morganatic wife Sarah Fairbrother, a pantomime actress subsequently known as Mrs Fitzgeorge”. https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1389235
Mrs Fitzgeorge predeceased the Duke, dying in 1890, so was the first into the plot, which is located about 60 feet away from that of the Duke's longstanding mistress, Louisa Beauclerk, who had died in 1882.
His funeral, on 6 April 1843, was a lavish one, though an interesting description of the events of the day in The Tablet (the Catholic newspaper) suggests otherwise:
“The half-public, half-private, half-royal and half-simple character of the funeral did not by any means answer the expectations of the spectators, nor was the attendance by any means so numerous as had been calculated upon. The military and day itself made up the splendour of the spectacle; the rest was solemn and stately, but not magnificent or imposing.” (http://archive.thetablet.co.uk/article/6th-may-1843/12/funeral-of-the-duke-of-sussex)
The Duke’s coffin was lowered on the hydraulic lift in the Anglican chapel to rest temporarily in the catacombs until his mausoleum was completed. His tomb is a “massive ledger slab on a base, surrounded by 14 cylindrical posts, all of grey Aberdeen granite. The coped upper slab has an inscription in sunken capital letters. The surrounding posts, topped with circular caps, formerly had linking bronze chains between them”. (https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1389385) It is sited in prime position on Centre Avenue, close to the Anglican Chapel.
The Duke’s post-mortem royal patronage established the cemetery’ attraction as a burial place, and assured its popularity, as well as giving it social cachet which then attracted many other notables.
Across the Avenue is the tomb of his sister, Princess Sophia, fifth daughter and twelfth child of George III and Queen Charlotte. Whereas the Duke’s monument is low lying, solid and sombre, Princess Sophia’s is elevated, intensely decorated, topped off with an ornate Florentine sarcophagus.
“The sarcophagus is in an Italian quattrocento manner, with lions'-paw feet and winged lion-heads at the angles. The body is decorated with rinceaux (vine-scroll bands), and the upper sides are embellished with garlands, fillets and the Princess's cipher. On each end is a heraldic plaque bearing the royal arms. The lid is topped with a crown finial. The sarcophagus stands atop a tall plinth in the form of a tomb chest, with an egg-and-dart cornice and raised and fielded panels. The north panel reads: 'Come unto me all ye that / labour and are heavy laden / and I will give you rest / St Matthew chap.XI verse 28'; that to the east reads : 'Her Royal Highness / The Princess Sophia / 5th daughter of / His Majesty / King George III / Born November 3rd 1777 / Died May 27th 1818'. The plinth in turn stands upon a base of plain granite blocks, with leaded lettering identifying the stonemason as 'Edward Pearce / 163 & 165 Euston Rd'.” https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1080633
The last royal funeral came in 1904. HRH George William Frederick Charles, Duke of Cambridge KG was the first-born legitimate grandson of George III, but was ranked subservient to his cousin Victoria, whose early marriage and nine healthy children quickly put him and his line out of any hope of succession. The royal duke served for 39 years as Commander-in-Chief of the British Army, as a resolute opponent of military reform.
Suitably monolithic and solid for a military commander, the mausoleum is “Pink and grey granite. Arched doorway on south face flanked by plinths, set below cavetto cornice; battered side walls with roll mouldings to corners; stepped roof with curved finial; marble posts with chains to border of plot. He is buried here with his morganatic wife Sarah Fairbrother, a pantomime actress subsequently known as Mrs Fitzgeorge”. https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1389235
Mrs Fitzgeorge predeceased the Duke, dying in 1890, so was the first into the plot, which is located about 60 feet away from that of the Duke's longstanding mistress, Louisa Beauclerk, who had died in 1882.
