This spotlight article is the beginning of a four-part series featuring historical churches that have significance to Kate and the royal family. These churches are loaded with history and these articles will highlight their beauty and grandness. The first church to be spotlighted is Westminster Abbey, where William and Kate were married in 2011.
Westminster Abbey was founded in the year 906 and has been the setting for every British coronation since 1066. Founded by Benedictine monks as a place for daily worship, this is a tradition still upheld by the Abbey. In addition to worship, prayer, and communion occurring daily, the Abbey also hosts special services for Christmas and Easter. If you are visiting London, you can attend a Sunday service or any of their daily worship services. They welcome visitors and post the times of their services on their website every day.
Architecturally, the current church building dates back to 1245. While additions have been made throughout the years, all of the additions have maintained the original Gothic style, highlighting the tradition and history of this church. With arches, buttresses, and stained glass, the Abbey is both geometrically and architecturally stunning. The Abbey is continuously working on construction projects to maintain the richness and beauty of the building. They are currently working on the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries, the first major addition to the Abbey since 1745. This is set to open in 2018 to honor Her Majesty.
Twenty-four members of the British Royal Family are buried in Westminster Abbey. In addition to William and Kate’s wedding, there have been 15 other royal weddings at the Abbey, including Queen Elizabeth’s wedding to Prince Philip and Prince Andrew’s wedding to Miss Sarah Ferguson. As mentioned earlier, the Abbey is the traditional setting for royal coronations, so both Prince Charles and Prince William will be coronated here.
Just FYI, coronated, while a recognized verb (though it’s rare), is incorrect. The correct parlance is to say that a monarch was/is/will be “crowned.”
Thank you, Jessica!! Grammar is so tricky and I love learning new rules!