The death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 9, 2022, shocked and saddened the world. The longest-reigning monarch in British history was honored with a state funeral, a national mourning period, and a global tribute. But there was another, more intimate, way of paying respect to the Queen that few people knew about: telling the bees.
Telling the bees is a long-standing tradition among British beekeepers, dating back to Celtic mythology. The custom involves informing the bees of a death in the family and assuring them that they will be well taken care of by the new owner. The ritual is based on the belief that bees are sensitive to human emotions and can sense when their owner has passed away. If the bees are not told of the death, they may leave the hive, stop producing honey, or die themselves.
The Queen was an avid beekeeper and had seven bee hives at Buckingham Palace and Clarence House. She inherited them from her father, King George VI, who started keeping bees in 1940 as part of the war effort. The Queen enjoyed visiting the hives and tasting the honey, which was used in the royal kitchens and given as gifts to foreign dignitaries.
The Palace beekeeper, John Chapple, had the solemn duty of telling the bees of the Queen’s death. He visited the hives on September 10 and spoke to them gently, informing them that their beloved mistress had gone and that King Charles III would be a good master to them. He also draped the hives with black ribbons as a sign of mourning, following the practice of his predecessors.
“It’s a mark of respect for any beekeeper that’s passed away,” Chapple said. “It’s a very old custom. You always tell the bees when you’re going away on holiday or if there’s been a birth in the family or anything like that.”
The tradition of telling the bees has been handed down from generation to generation among British beekeepers. Some people might think it’s silly or superstitious, but many beekeepers see it as a beautiful way of honoring the bond between humans and bees.
“The relationship between bees and humans goes back thousands of years,” said Dr. Luke Dixon, an urban beekeeper and author. “Bees are seen as messengers between this world and the next. They have a special connection with people.”
The Queen’s bees were not the only ones who mourned her death. Millions of people around the world expressed their sorrow and gratitude for her life and legacy. The Queen may be gone, but her memory will live on in the hearts of her subjects and her bees.
Relevant articles:
– Queen Elizabeth II’s bees informed of her death, as part of a long-standing beekeeping tradition, ABC News, 13 Sep 2022
– Telling the bees is real beekeeping, not royal, tradition, VERIFY, 16 Sep 2022
– Royal beekeeper tasked to inform queen’s bees of her death, New York Post, 15 Sep 2022
– The Queen’s Bees Were Told Of Her Death In A Centuries-Old Tradition, BuzzFeed News, 16 Sep 2022