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This magnificent and
world-famous building is England's most important church and has
been the site of every coronation since that of William The
Conqueror in 1066. It was here
fifty years ago, on June 2nd 1953 that
Queen Elizabeth II was crowned.
Founded as a Benedictine
monastery over a thousand years ago, the Church was rebuilt by
Edward the Confessor in 1065 and again by Henry III between 1220 and
1272 and is renowned worldwide as
an architectural Gothic masterpiece.
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Situated in the
grounds of a former Benedictine monastery, it was re-founded as the Collegiate Church of St. Peter in
Westminster by
Queen Elizabeth I in 1560
Known as the
'House of
Kings', until 1760 the Abbey was the final resting place of 17
monarchs, including Elizabeth I and Mary I.
Many monarchs chose
to be buried close to the shrine of Edward the Confessor, whose
death in 1065 led to the invasion and conquest of England by William
the Conqueror. The bones of Edward the Confessor still lie in his
Shrine behind the High Altar.
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View from the Cloisters looking up at the Abbey
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The Abbey is
packed with tablets, statues and inscriptions commemorating kings,
queens, knights, writers, actors, musicians, scientists and
statesmen, not all of whom are buried in the Abbey. Some famous
people buried here include the poets Chaucer, Tennyson and Browning,
as well as the writers Charles Dickens and Rudyard Kipling. The
Abbey is also home to the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It is
believed that there are around 3,300 people buried in the Church and
Cloisters.
One person
commemorated in Westminster Abbey is Thomas Parr who lived for 152
years and 9 months through the reigns of ten monarchs. He was buried
in the Abbey by order of
King Charles I.
 One interesting
plaque is that to the memory of Francis Ligonier (please click on
the photo to view a close-up of the inscription) who rose from his
sick bed to confront the enemy at the battle of Falkirk in 1785. He survived the battle
only to succumb to the disease shortly
afterwards.
The Abbey has not only been the setting for Coronations, it has also witnessed numerous
other royal occasions such as state weddings and funerals, including
the funeral of Diana, Princess of
Wales in 1997.
Services have been held
at the site for more than a thousand years and Westminster Abbey
still offers worship every day of the year.
It stands just west of the Houses of
Parliament in the Greater London borough of Westminster.
For a peaceful retreat from the hustle
and bustle of everyday life in the Capital, stroll through Liddell's
Arch into Little Deans Yard, (the square behind the Abbey by
Westminster School) or pause for reflection in the cloisters.
Useful Information
Westminster Abbey
website
Westminster Abbey (right foreground) with Big Ben and The Houses of
Parliament in the centre and the London Eye (back left).
ALL PHOTOGRAPHS © Historic UK
USEFUL
LINKS
Cultural Events - including Private Tours of Buckingham
Palace, the Crown Jewels, guided tours of Clarence House (former
home of HM The Queen Mother), Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, etc.
Accommodation in London
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