Royal bees were 'informed’ of the death of Queen Elizabeth II
The succession to the British crown involves a series of rituals linked to the tradition and customs of the UK monarchy.. Some of them, inclusive, are quite unusual.
After the death of Elizabeth II, the royal beekeeper announced to his hives the death of their owner, respecting an ancient tradition that wants insects to be kept informed of major events in the lives of their masters.
As the British mourn the Queen's death, the royal team was busy complying with the succession protocol in all its phases.
John Chapple, apicultor real, for example, was given a mission to inform the several hundred thousand Windsor family bees that the queen was dead..
“The person who died is the owner of the hives”, he told the DailyMail newspaper. The beekeeper went to Buckingham Palace and Clarence House to respect an ancient tradition.
According to this custom respected in many European countries, bees must be kept informed about important events in the lives of their owners, like births or marriages.
If they weren't warned of death, the belief is that they would make their owners pay for it, stopping honey production or leaving the hive.
John Chapple explained that, in each hive, he announces that “the lady is dead, but don't go away. Your master will be a good master to you”. Then, asks bees to be kind to their new owner, and covers each hive with a black ribbon.
“Charles shouldn't care about that., he is used to talking to his plants and shaking hands with every tree he puts on the ground to encourage them to grow.”, said the royal beekeeper. (with agency Sputnik Brazil)
Posted Sunday, 11 September 2022 at 16:14
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