The Royal Peculiar

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Where does an English king go to get his crown?

Where does a princess envision the wedding of her dreams?

Where do prominent generals, admirals, politicians, doctors and scientists aspire to be laid to rest?

Winchester Abbey.

Originally a Benedictine monastery, Westminster Abbey, maintains the status of a Church of England “Royal Peculiar”, is one of the United Kingdom’s most notable religious buildings and the site where all coronations have been held since William the Conqueror in 1066.

A church on this site has been dated back to 1080, however, construction of the present church was begun, on orders of King Henry III, in 1245.  In addition to the coronations, other notable events have been held at the abbey, including sixteen royal weddings (most recently, Prince William to Kate Middleton in 2011), the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales and countless burials.

Following the audio guide, I was led past incredible sculpture and the 600 plus memorials in the Nave to the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, in St. George’s chapel, which holds an unidentified British soldier, killed during World War I on a European battlefield.  This young soldier was interred in Westminster Abbey in 1920 around the same time an unknown French soldier was interred at the Arc de Triomphe in France.  These were the first two graves to honor the unknown dead from the First World War.

Also in the Nave, be prepared to take note of the memorial to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt;  the 14th century portrait of Richard II, the oldest surviving portrait of an English monarch;  the tablet commemorating Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scout movement;  the Abbot’s Pew, a small oak gallery erected in the 16th century;  memorials to Methodist John Wesley and a collection of 18th century busts of British officers.

Continuing on, through the choir, I was directed into the North transept where the Altar and Sanctuary are located with the latter as the location of coronations.  Surrounding the sanctuary are chapels dedicated to St. Andrew, St. Michael, St. John the Evangelist, St. John the Baptist, St. Paul, St. Nicholas, St. Edmund and St. Benedict.

In the rear of the sanctuary is the Confessor’s Chapel and Henry VII’s Chapel.  Henry VII’s 16th century chapel contains the tomb of Henry VII and his Queen.  Be sure to take a look upward at the fan vaulting and richly appointed sculpture as well as the banners and carved stalls of the Knights of the Order of the Bath. Also, be sure not to miss Innocents Corner, the burial place of Sophie and Mary (James I daughters) who were only two and three years old at their passing and the small sarcophagus of Edward IV who was murdered in the Tower of London.  The royal tombs of Elizabeth I and her predecessor, Mary Tudor, Charles II, William II and Queen Anne are also located within the chapel.  Another point of interest is the Royal Air Force Chapel dedicated to the fallen in the Battle of Britain.

Though I had been able to get a few photos during the initial part of my visit, it was here in Henry VII’s chapel that I was informed that my phone had to be turned off.  Apparently, photography and filming are not allowed in Winchester Abbey.  As a devout admirer of sculpture and architecture as well as photography, it was disheartening to not be able to capture the beautiful images I was seeing in order to share with others.

Continuing on, I made my way into Poet’s Corner.  Also located in the North Transept, there are numerous memorials to poets and writers including Sir Walter Scott, William Shakespeare, John Dryden, Geoffrey Chaucer, Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, Robert Burns, Charles Dickens, Lord Tennyson, Rudyard Kipling and T.S. Eliot.  A tombstone belonging to William Gladstone is also located in this area as well as three chapels containing the tombs of many of the famous from the 18th and 19th centuries.  The south and east walls are lined with statues of poets.

As I walked through the Cloisters, dating from the 13th and 14th century, I admired the long vaulted corridors and the beautifully manicured courtyard in the center.  The cloisters contain many tombs, the entrance to Dean’s Yard and the oldest garden in England, College Garden.  There are also rooms located on the western side of the cloisters which include the Deanery, Jericho Parlor and the Jerusalem Chamber, the place of Henry IV’s death in 1413.

The last stop on my tour was to the octagonal Chapter House, the meeting place of the King’s Great Council in 1257 and of Parliament from the mid-14th to mid-16th centuries.  Here, you can observe a Roman sarcophagus, 13th century pavement, beautiful windows the circular area over the doorway with figures of the Virgin Mary, Christ and angels.

So tempted to capture this amazingly historic room, I was more afraid of being asked to leave the premises.  As I reluctantly made my way to the front of the abbey, I gazed around, once again, at one of the most beautiful religious structures that I have ever seen. What a shame that I could not capture more of it on film.

We all attempt to choose beautiful locales for weddings and life events, however, I could never imagine one so regal…so royal.  You go Kate Middleton!  Lucky you!

Royal Weddings Held in Westminster Abbey

1. 1382, Richard II to Anne of Bohemia
2. November 11, 1100, King Henry I of England to Matilda of Scotland
3. January 4, 1243, Richard, Earl of Cornwall (later King of Germany), brother of King Henry III of England, to Sanchia of Provence (his second wife, sister of Eleanor of Provence, Henry III’s queen).
4. April 9, 1269, Edmund of Crouchback, 1st Earl of Leicester and Lancaster, son of King Henry III, to Lady Aveline de Forz.
5. April 30, 1290, Joan of Acre, daughter of King Edward I, to the 7th Earl of Gloucester.
6. July 8, 1290, Margaret of England, daughter of King Edward I, to John II, son of Duke of Brabant
7. January 20, 1382, King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia
8. January 18, 1486, King Henry VII of England to Elizabeth of York
9. February 27, 1919, Princess Patricia of Connaught to Captain the Hon Alexander Ramsay.
10. February 28, 1922, Princess Mary, daughter of King George V, to Viscount Lascelles
11. April 26, 1923, Prince Albert, Duke of York (later King George VI), second son of King George V, to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (later to become Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother)
12. November 29, 1934, Prince George, Duke of Kent, son of King George V, to Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark
13. November 20, 1947, Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II), elder daughter of King George VI, to Duke of Edinburgh (was Lt. Philip Mountbatten until that morning)
14. May 6, 1960, Princess Margaret, second daughter of King George VI, to Antony Armstrong-Jones (later Earl of Snowdon)
15. April 24, 1963, Princess Alexandra of Kent to Hon Angus Ogilvy
16. November 14, 1973, Princess Anne, daughter of Queen Elizabeth II, to Captain Mark Phillips
17. July 23, 1986, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, second son of Queen Elizabeth II, to Sarah Ferguson
18. April 29, 2011, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, grandson of Queen Elizabeth II, to Catherine Middleton.

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Winchester Cathedral

• http://www.westminster-abbey.org/
• Address: 20 Deans Yd, Westminster, London SW1P 3PA, UK
• Hours:  Abbey, 0930-1530, Cloister, 0930-1630, St. Margaret’s Church, 0930-1530
• Admission:  Adults, Online with Fast track, £20, At the Abbey, £22.  Children 6-16 years, £9, Children under 5 years, free.  Concessions, 60+ years and students with valid ID, £17.  Wheelchair users and caregivers, free.  Family ticket, 2 adults and 1 child, £40, 2 adults and 2 children, £45.  Admission includes free audio-guide.
• Getting There:  Tube stop, Winchester, served by Jubilee, District and Circle lines.