The British royal beekeeper continued a centuries-old tradition by notifying the bees at Buckingham Palace of the death of Elizabeth II, several British media report.
On Friday, the day after the Queen’s death, the royal beekeeper John Chapple visited Buckingham Palace. He placed a black ribbon on each of the palace hives, before officially announcing to the bees that their owner had died and that they now had a new master, King Charles III.
John Chapple
The royal beekeeper asked the bees to be obedient and kind to the new ruler.
“I knock on every hive and say, ‘Your mistress is dead, but don’t go. Your master will be good to you,’ Mr Chapple told the Daily Mail.
John Chapple
According to an old superstition, omitting this strange ritual could cause the bees to stop producing honey, leave their hive and die.