For all the fairy-tale trappings of the global farewell to the Queen — thousands of members of the British Armed Forces marching in precision, hundreds ofworld leadersgathered and the rare appearance of theImperial State Crown—Britain’s beloved monarch, whodiedat age 96 on September 8, was buried in a private ceremony on September 19.

For the young womannever meant to be Queen, the end brought a quiet homecoming.

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July 1936: George, Duke of York and Princess Elizabeth sitting on a bench with their corgi dogs in the grounds of their London home, 145 Piccadilly.

“She had no wish to see a statue of herself or to even have a separate burial chamber within St. George’s Chapel,” historian Robert Hardman, author ofQueen of Our Times: The Life of Elizabeth II,tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story.

“As her cousin Margaret Rhodes once said to me, ‘She wanted to make her father proud.’ "

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The George VI Memorial Chapel in St George’s Chapel, Windsor, where Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother was intered, after her funeral in Westminster Abbey.

Since her coronation in 1953,Queen Elizabetharguably spent her whole life preparing for her family and her people to carry on without her. In that way, the 10 days of pageantry was her final gift to her nation.

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This evening a Private Burial will take place in The King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor.

“She wouldn’t have wanted that pomp and ceremony for herself, but she recognized the role she played,” says royal biographer Penny Junor. “Even in death, she was still serving.”

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The State Gun Carriage carries the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard with the Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign’s orb and sceptre, in the Ceremonial Procession down The Mall following her State Funeral at Westminster Abbey on September 19, 2022 in London, England. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born in Bruton Street, Mayfair, London on 21 April 1926. She married Prince Philip in 1947 and ascended the throne of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth on 6 February 1952 after the death of her Father, King George VI. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III.

At walkabouts and vigils preceding the funeral, strain sometimes showed betweenPrince Harry, his wifeMeghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, and the rest of the royal family. Harry’s estrangement from his father,King Charles III, and older brother,Prince William, over leaving royal life in 2020 was never fully out of mind.

Those close to the King andQueen Camillahope, for the sake of his new reign, if not salvaging ties, that William, 40, and Harry, 38, will now follow their grandmother’s lead.

Queen Elizabeth Obit Cover

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“You’d think that all members of the family would unite and support the King, especially,” says a source close to Charles. “Perhaps some wounds can be healed in the process.” It would likely have been Elizabeth’s dying wish.

Adds the close source: “She knew that conflicts were a part of life, and she didn’t hold grudges. Most of all, she wanted to see her family happy.”

source: people.com