The royal beekeeper has taken part in a peculiar ancient tradition by telling bees that the Queen has died.
It is understood that the bees were informed of the change from Elizabeth II to Charles III through whispered tones.
The stinging news was shared with the bees at their hive homes on the grounds of Buckingham Palace and Clarence House.
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John Chapple, who is the official palace beekeeper, had to make the solemn journey to the hive locations on Friday September 9 to inform the insects of the Queen’s passing, the Mirror reports.
The bees showed their respect by having black ribbons tied in bows on the outside of their hives where thousands of the honey collecting beasties live.
The ritual took place through the 79-year-old informing the bees that the Queen had died and they would have a new master.
Afterwards the bees were urged to be good to their new boss King Charles.
This strange and quirky ancient superstition is said to have become common practice after it was believed that keeping the bees out of the loop would lead to them not being able to produce 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."
Mr Chapple looks after more than a million bees in total but has seen the numbers drop as late summer comes to an end.
It is understood that Clarence house is home to two hives whilst Buckingham Palace has five.
It is estimated that there are only 20,000 insects at the sites at the present moment but during the height of summer their ranks can swell to beyond one million.
The royal beekeeper has been in his role for 15 years and admitted that he did not realise that informing the bees was part of his role.
But he was alerted to his duty after receiving an email from the head gardener who told him to speak with the bees and let them know of the development.
The 79-year-old who is retired, says his hobby is beekeeping and he also tends the hives of other important people.
But he said his first duty was to the Queen who he was employed by 15 years and hopes it will continue with King Charles III.
Mr Chapple has been been looking after bees for more than three decades and this began because of his wife’s love of honey.
The hobby has taken him around the world where he has met wonderful people and observed sights only beekeepers get to see.
He said it had been a 'wonderful privilege' to work for the Queen and hopes his work will continue with King Charles.
The bees in his care are Dark European Honey bees, but some of them he says are London mongrels.
Other European countries also have similar traditions to tell the insects about their keeper's lives.
In some cases if the custom was omitted it was believed a penalty would occur for the owner including the end of their honey production or the death of the bees.
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