Queen Elizabeth II will be laid to rest on Monday alongside her husband, Prince Philip, in the King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor Castle's St George's Chapel.
Due to Covid restrictions, only 30 guests were in attendance at the funeral of her husband, who had stood beside her for all bar the last 16 months of her reign. The sight of the queen sitting alone at his funeral added to the poignancy of the moment.
Philip, who died in April 2021, left instructions for his remains to be transferred from the Royal Vault to the memorial chapel on his wife's death.
But the Duke of Edinburgh is not the only royal she will be buried alongside. She will also join her mother, father, sister and husband.
Before his premature death, George VI enjoyed a happy family life with his wife and two daughters, referring to the tight-knit foursome as "us four".
The death of the queen means that all four will finally be laid to rest together.
The Queen Mother, also called Elizabeth, was buried in the chapel on April 9, 2002, after her death aged 101.
Princess Margaret's ashes were moved to the chapel from the Royal Vault, where they had been placed initially after her death in February 2002.
A host of other royals are interred in the Royal Vault beneath the chapel.
Construction of the memorial chapel, designed by George Pace, was completed in 1969.
It was commissioned by the queen as a permanent resting place for her father.
The king died aged 56 in February 1952 but his death had been unexpected and as a result no specific resting place had been allocated.
At the time, the king's remains were interred in the Royal Vault.
The Royal Vault is the final resting place of a long list of mostly 18th and 19th-century royals, including George III who died in 1820.
With no more space to accommodate a second vault at St George's, it was decided that another chantry chapel would be built — the first addition to St George's since it was consecrated in the 15th century.
The queen rejected the idea of the traditional marble chest tomb with life-size effigies favoured by earlier royals for her father.
Instead, the king's grave was marked with a simple stone of black Belgian marble inlaid into the floor with the inscription "George VI".
The dedication took place on March 31, 1969, in a ceremony attended by George's widow Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, the queen, Prince Philip, Elizabeth's sister Princess Margaret and all four of the monarch's children.
Despacito's dominance in numbers
Released: 2017
Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon
Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube
Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification
Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.
Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
'Cheb%20Khaled'
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