The bizarre reason the royal beekeeper had to inform the Queen’s bees that she has died

Virgin Radio

14 Sep 2022, 12:55

Un-bee-lievable? People are buzzing over the news that the royal beekeeper had to tell the palace bees that the Queen has passed due to an ancient superstitious tradition.

The strange but well-established ritual includes telling the bees in whispered tones that HRH has died and they have a new master, King Charles III, who they 'need to be good' to.

Black ribbons tied in bows were then placed on the five hives in the grounds of Buckingham Palace and two hives at Clarence House, the homes of an estimated 20,000 and a million bees over the summer months.

Official palace beekeeper, John Chapple, made the bizarre journey to inform the bees - from Dark European Honeys to London mongrels - after the Queen's death was confirmed.

The unusual and ancient superstition came about because it was believed that not informing the bees about a new owner would lead to then not producing honey, abandoning the hive or dying.

Mr Chapple told MailOnline: "I’m at the hives now and it is traditional when someone dies that you go to the hives and say a little prayer and put a black ribbon on the hive.

"I drape the hives with black ribbon with a bow.

"The person who has died is the master or mistress of the hives, someone important in the family who dies and you don’t get any more important than the Queen, do you?

"You knock on each hive and say, ‘The mistress is dead, but don't you go. Your master will be a good master to you."

The official palace beekeeper, who has worked with the bees for 15 years, was instructed of the duty via an email from the head gardener.

Retired Mr Chapple, who has looked after bees for over 30 years, said it had been a 'wonderful privilege' to work for the Queen and hopes his bee-keeping will continue with King Charles.

“It’s a very old and well-established tradition, but not something that’s very well-known,” said Mark Norman, a folklorist and author of Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was believed that if the duty wasn't carried out, it would lead to death, departure and failure to make honey. Today, some beekeepers carry out the tradition as 'a mark of respect', Norman said.