The Strange Ceremony of Communicating the Death to the Bees

Of all the ceremonies surrounding the long funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, the strangest may have seemed the moment when the queen's beekeeper, John Chapple, informed the sovereign's bees of her passing, who died on September 8 at the age of 96. This rite, revealed by the Daily Mail, involved approaching each hive at Clarence House and Buckingham Palace and uttering the phrase: “The mistress has died, but do not leave. Your master will be a good master to you.” This ritual is a deeply rooted tradition around the world.