It is unknown when exactly the church was founded, but some of the stories around it go back to the 7th century. According to this tale it was founded by Sebert, King of the Saxons. However, there is no historical proof for this. What is known for a fact is that it has been used as a Coronation church since 1066. It was William the Conqueror who was the first King to be crowned here. Almost every Queen or King has been crowned here, with the exception of King Edward V (15th century) and King Edward VIII (20th century). Another interesting point of fact is that King Henry III was crowned twice. Once in Gloucester because he had enemies in London. Later on he was crowned again, this time in the Abbey. In 1245 the original church was taken down and during time it was rebuild into what now is known as Westminster Abbey. When I say during time, you have to think in centuries. Several times work was stopped because of lack of funds. In 1415 it was possible to use the nave that was only partially completed. It took until 1605 to reach the West end of it. Later on, in the 18th century, the two towers were added. Approximately 2,500 people are buried in graves or have memorials in the church. Originally only Kings, Queens, members of the Royal Family and abbots were buried here. Queen Elisabeth I changed this regulation and from then on it was possible for other people to be interred here. However, it took about 150 years before other important people were really buried here. When we visited, we only saw about a third of the church, when everybody was summoned to leave via an emergency exit for safety precautions. We had to wait for about half an hour outside in one of the yards around the church. Once inside again, approximately 45 minutes later, we were summoned to leave again. This time the church was closing for the public unless we were attending the mass. I really enjoyed our visit and can recommend it to you, However, I think your children might hate it when you go there. Visit the website of Westminster Abbey for more information. If you plan to visit Westminster Abbey and several other historical buildings, museums, and / or attractions in London you might be interested in the London Pass, offering you free access to over 60 museums, attractions and historical buildings in London. |
|||||||
Westminster
Abbey is probably the most famous church in England. Westminster Abbey is the place where many
royal marriages and funerals have taken place. Although everybody in the world knows it as
Westminster Abbey, the official name is 'The Collegiate Church of St. Peter'. It has a history
for over nine centuries and therefore it is impossible to give you a complete overview of it here.
We will however give you a summary of some important facts.