In September 8, 2022, Queen Elisabeth II died at the age of 96. As tradition dictates, the Queen's bees must have been made aware of her death. Royal beekeeper John Chapple draped the hives with black ribbon, knocked on each one and announced to them The mistress is dead, but don't go away. Your new master will be good to you. This announcement is the legacy of an ancestral tradition known in Europe and the United Kingdom which requires the owner of a hive to speak to his bees and announce important events in his life (deaths, weddings, etc.). This tradition was born out of a fear that if not followed, the bees could stop producing honey, leave the hives or even die suddenly.