The royal beekeeper, John Chapple has done his duty and informed all the bees present at the Buckingham palace and Clarence house that their mistress is no more, they have a new master now- King Charles III.
In a tradition called 'telling the bees' it is required that the sad news be delivered to each hive so that the bees can also partake in the mourning, as per a Daily Mail report.
Following this age-old tradition, Chapple tied black ribbons on the hives where the royal bees reside, knocked on each hive, and whispered, "The mistress is dead, but you don't go. Your master will be a good master to you."
In this tradition that was prevalent in the US and Western Europe in the 19th century, it is believed that if you do not share important news with the bees, they stop the production of honey or leave their hive.
John has been the royal beekeeper for the past 15 years and hopes to continue even in the reign of King Charles III.
(Published 11 September 2022, 07:14 IST)