Difference between revisions of "Westminster Abbey" - New World Encyclopedia

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'''The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster''', which is almost always referred to by its original name of '''Westminster Abbey''', is a mainly [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] [[Church (building)|church]], on the scale of a [[cathedral]] (and served as one from 1546 - 1556), in [[Westminster]], [[London]], just to the west of the [[Palace of Westminster]]. Neither a [[cathedral]] nor a [[parish]] church, Westminster Abbey is a church owned directly by the [[royal family]]. It is the traditional place of [[Coronation of the British monarch|coronation]] and [[List of famous cemeteries|burial site]] for [[List of monarchs of England|English monarchs]].
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'''The Collegiate Church of St. Peter, Westminster''', normally called '''Westminster Abbey''', is a large, mainly [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] [[Church (building)|church]] in [[Westminster]], [[London]], just to the west of the [[Palace of Westminster]]. Neither a [[cathedral]] nor a [[parish]] church, Westminster Abbey is a church owned directly by the British [[royal family]].  
  
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Located next to the [[Houses of Parliament]] in the Westminster neighborhood of [[London]], Westminster Abbey is a popular London [[tourist]] destination. With the oldest parts dating to the year 1050, the Abbey contains some of the most glorious medieval architecture in London. Due its connections to royalty, it was spared King Henry VIII's attack on monastic buildings during the Reformation.  
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Since the [[Christmas]] Day coronation of [[William the Conqueror]] in 1066, nearly all English [[monarchy|monarch]]s have been crowned in the abbey. [[St. Edward]]'s Chair, the [[throne]] on which British sovereigns are seated at the moment of coronation, is housed within the abbey.
  
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Those interested in [[history]] will appreciate seeing the tombs of the [[Protestant]] [[Elizabeth I]] and [[Catholic]] [["Bloody" Mary]], along with the tombs of [[David Livingstone]] and [[Charles Darwin]]. In 1998, stone statues over the Great West Door were added, immortalizing 10 twentieth-century [[Christian]] [[martyr]]s, such as [[Deitrich Bonhoeffer]], [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]], and [[Oscar Romero]].
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Due its connections to royalty, it was spared [[King Henry VIII]]'s attack on monastic buildings during the Reformation. Many British kings and queens are buried within Westminster, along with other notable figures. For example, the tombs of both the [[Protestant]] [[Elizabeth I]] and [[Catholic]] [["Bloody" Mary]], along with the tombs of [[Geoffrey Chaucer]], [[David Livingstone]] and [[Charles Darwin]], are found within the abbey.
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{{toc}}
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Located next to the [[Houses of Parliament]] in the Westminster neighborhood of [[London]], Westminster Abbey is a popular London [[tourist]] destination. With its oldest parts dating to the year 1050, the Abbey contains some of the most glorious medieval [[architecture]] in London.  
 
   
 
   
 
==History==
 
==History==
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===Origins===
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[[Image:SanktEdvardsstol westminster.jpg|thumb|King Edward's Chair]]
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[[Tradition]] claims that a [[shrine]] was first built, where the Abbey is now located, in 616 on a site then known as [[Thorney Island]]. Legend has it that it was miraculously consecrated after a fisherman on the [[River Thames]] saw a [[vision]] of [[Saint Peter]].
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[[Image:Westminster Abbey C20th martyrs.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Christian [[martyr]]s from across the world statues above the Great West Door]]
  
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Even though the shrine's existence is not certain, the historic [[abbey]] was built by [[Edward the Confessor]] between 1045-1050 and consecrated on December 28, 1065. Its construction originated in Edward's breaking a vow to to go on a [[pilgrimage]]; the [[Pope]] suggested that he redeem himself by building an abbey.
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[[Tradition]] claims that a [[shrine]] was first built where the Abbey is now located in 616 on a site then known as [[Thorney Island]], which became a place of pilgrimage after a fisherman on the [[River Thames]] saw a [[vision]] of [[Saint Peter]] there. The early shrine's existence, however, is not certain. The historic [[abbey]] was first built by [[Edward the Confessor]] between 1045-1050 and consecrated on December 28, 1065. Ironically, its construction resulted from the pious Edward's breaking a vow to go on a [[pilgrimage]]; the [[Pope]] suggested that he redeem himself by building an abbey.
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The original abbey, in the [[Romanesque]] style that is called "[[Norman]]" in England, was built to house [[Benedictine]] [[monk]]s. It was rebuilt in the English [[Gothic]] style with Benedictine planning between 1245-1517. The construction system was cut [[stone]]-bearing [[masonry]]. The intiial phase of the rebuilding was organized by [[Henry III]], in Gothic [[style]], as a shrine to honor [[Edward the Confessor]] and as a suitably regal setting for Henry's own tomb, under the highest Gothic [[nave]] in England.
 
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===Coronation throne===
 
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Located in the West Front, the throne was largely finished by the architect Henry Yevele in the reign of King Richard II. Henry VII added a Perpendicular style chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary in 1503 (known as the Henry VII Lady Chapel). The coronation throne where monarchs of England have been crowned since the 1300s can be seen in the abbey. Fans of William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, and other giants of literature will enjoy the Poet's Corner full of memorials to these and others.
 
  
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[[Image:SanktEdvardsstol westminster.jpg|thumb|left|120px||King Edward's Chair]]
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The original abbey, in the [[Romanesque]] style that is called "[[Norman]]" in England, was built to house [[Benedictine]] [[monk]]s. It was rebuilt in the English [[Gothic]] style with Benedictine planning in stages between 1245-1517. The initial phase of the rebuilding was organized by [[Henry III]] as a shrine to honor [[Edward the Confessor]] and as a suitably regal setting for Henry's own tomb, under what would be the highest Gothic [[nave]] in England.  
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Since the coronations in 1066 of both [[Harold Godwinson|King Harold]] and [[William the Conqueror]], all English and British monarchs, except [[Jane of England|Lady Jane Grey]], [[Edward V of England|Edward V]] and [[Edward VIII of the United Kingdom|Edward VIII]], who did not have coronations and [[Henry III of England|Henry III]] because [[Louis VIII of France|Prince Louis]] of [[France]] had taken control of London, have been crowned in the Abbey. The [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] is the traditional [[clergy|cleric]] in the [[Coronation of the British monarch|coronation]] ceremony. [[King Edward's Chair|St Edward's Chair]], the throne on which [[United Kingdom|British]] sovereigns are seated at the moment of coronation, is housed within the Abbey; from 1296 to 1996 the chair also housed the [[Stone of Scone]] upon which the kings of Scotland are crowned, but pending another coronation the Stone is now kept in Scotland.
 
  
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===Abbey survives Dissolution===
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Since the coronations in 1066 of both [[Harold Godwinson|King Harold]] and [[William the Conqueror]], nearly all English and British monarchs have been crowned in the abbey.<ref>The exceptions are [[Jane of England|Lady Jane Grey]], [[Edward V of England|Edward V]] and [[Edward VIII of the United Kingdom|Edward VIII]], who did not have coronations, and [[Henry III of England|Henry III]] because [[Louis VIII of France|Prince Louis]] of [[France]] had taken control of London.</ref> [[King Edward's Chair|St. Edward's Chair]], the throne on which [[United Kingdom|British]] sovereigns are seated at the moment of coronation, is housed within the west front of the abbey.<ref> The [[throne]] was largely finished by the architect [[Henry Yevele]] in the reign of King [[Richard II]].</ref>
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Although the Abbey was seized by Henry VIII during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1534, and closed in 1540, becoming a cathedral until 1550, its royal connections saved it from the destruction wrought on most other English abbeys. The expression "robbing Peter to pay Paul" may arise from this period when money meant for the Abbey, which was dedicated to St. Peter, was diverted to the treasury of St. Paul's Cathedral.  
 
  
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The Abbey was restored to the Benedictines under Queen Mary, but they were again ejected under Queen Elizabeth I in 1559. In 1579, Elizabeth re-established Westminster as a "royal peculiar" – a church responsible directly to the sovereign, rather than to a diocesan bishop – and made it the Collegiate Church of St. Peter, (i.e. a church with an attached chapter of canons, headed by a dean).
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[[Westminster School]] and [[Westminster Abbey Choir School]] are also in the precincts of the Abbey. [[Benedictine]] monks were required by the Pope to maintain a charity school in 1179. Westminster School may have been founded even earlier for children or novices, and the legendary [[Croyland Chronicle]] relates a story of [[Edward the Confessor]]'s Queen [[Edith of Wessex|Editha]] chatting to a schoolboy in the cloisters, and sending him off to the Palace larder for a treat.
  
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===Puritan attack, tower construction===
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[[Henry VII]] added a perpendicular style chapel dedicated to the [[Virgin Mary]] in 1503 (known as the Henry VII Lady Chapel). The [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] is the traditional [[clergy|cleric]] in the [[Coronation of the British monarch|coronation]] ceremony.
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It suffered damage during the turbulent 1640s, when it was attacked by Puritan iconoclasts, but was again protected by its close ties to the state during the Commonwealth period. Oliver Cromwell was given an elaborate funeral there in 1658, only to be disinterred in January 1661 and posthumously hanged from a nearby gibbet.
 
  
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The abbey's two western towers were built between 1722 and 1745 by Sir Christopher Wren and Nicholas Hawksmoor, constructed from Portland stone to an early example of a Gothic Revival design. Further rebuilding and restoration occurred in the 19th century under Sir George Gilbert Scott.
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Unlike most other English abbeys, the abbey was saved from destruction due to its royal connections, when it was claimed by [[Henry VIII]] during the [[Dissolution of the Monasteries]] in 1534. The expression "robbing Peter to pay Paul" may have come from this period when funds intended for the abbey, which was dedicated to [[St. Peter]], were diverted to the treasury of [[St. Paul's Cathedral]].  
  
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===Center of learning===
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[[Queen Mary]] restored the abbey to the [[Benedictine]]s, but they were again ejected under [[Queen Elizabeth I]] in 1559. In 1579, [[Elizabeth]] re-established Westminster as a "royal peculiar"—a church responsible directly to the [[sovereign]], rather than to a diocesan bishop—and made it the [[Collegiate Church of St. Peter]] (i.e. a church with an attached chapter of [[canon]]s, headed by a dean).
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[[Image:Westminster Abbey C20th martyrs.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Christian [[martyr]]s from across the world statues above the Great West Door]]
 
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Until the 19th century, Westminster was the third seat of learning in England, after Oxford and Cambridge. It was here that the first third of the King James Bible Old Testament and the last half of the New Testament were translated. The New English Bible was also put together here in the 20th century.
 
  
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Since the Christmas Day coronation of William the Conqueror in 1066, all English monarchs (except Lady Jane Grey, Edward V and Edward VIII, who did not have coronations) have been crowned in the Abbey. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the traditional cleric in the coronation ceremony. St. Edward's Chair, the throne on which British sovereigns are seated at the moment of coronation, is housed within the Abbey.
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During the turbulent 1640s, the abbey suffered damage when it was attacked by [[Puritan]] iconoclasts, but was again protected by its close ties to the state during the Commonwealth period. [[Oliver Cromwell]] was given an elaborate [[funeral]] there in 1658, only to be disinterred in January 1661 after the restoration of the monarchy and posthumously hanged and quartered. His empty tomb, however, is still visible inside.
  
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===Shrine of Edward the Confessor===
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Under the guidance of [[architect]]s [[Sir Christopher Wren]] and [[Nicholas Hawksmoor], the abbey's two western towers were built between 1722 and 1745, constructed from Portland [[stone]] to an early example of a [[Gothic Revival]] design. Further rebuilding and restoration occurred in the nineteenth century under [[Sir George Gilbert Scott]].
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Henry III rebuilt the Abbey in honour of the Royal Saint Edward the Confessor, whose memorial and relics were placed in the Sanctuary. The Shrine of St. Edward the Confessor has been the focus of pilgrimages to Westminster Abbey since the Middle Ages.
 
  
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Henry III was buried nearby as were the Plantagenet kings of England, their wives and relatives. Subsequently, most English kings and queens were buried here. However, Henry VIII and Charles I are buried at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, as all royals have been since George II.
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Until the nineteenth century, Westminster was the third seat of learning in England, after [[Oxford University|Oxford]] and [[Cambridge University|Cambridge]] universities. It was here that the first third of the ''[[King James Bible Old Testament]]'' and the last half of the ''[[New Testament]]'' were translated. In the twentieth century, the ''[[New English Bible]]'' was compiled at the abbey.
  
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===Burials and Memorials===
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==Coronations==
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[[Image:Westminster abbey night.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The Abbey at night, from Dean's Yard. Artificial light reveals the [[exoskeleton]] formed by [[flying buttress]]es]]
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{{readout||left|250px|Since 1066, the coronations of English and British [[monarch]]s have been held in Westminster Abbey}}
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[[Henry III of England|Henry III]] rebuilt the Abbey in honour of the Royal Saint [[Edward the Confessor]] whose relics were placed in a [[shrine]] in the sanctuary. Henry III was interred nearby in a superb [[tomb|chest tomb]] with [[church monument|effigial monument]], as were many of the [[Plantagenet]] kings of England, their wives and other relatives. Subsequently, most Kings and Queens of England were buried here, although [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]] and [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] are buried at [[St. George's Chapel, Windsor|St George's Chapel]], [[Windsor Castle]], as are all monarchs and royals after [[George II of Great Britain|George II]].
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[[Image:Westminster.abbey.northentrance.arp.500pix.jpg|thumb|right|250px| The North entrance of Westminster Abbey]]
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As indicated above, since the coronations in 1066 of both [[Harold Godwinson|King Harold]] and [[William the Conqueror]], coronations of English and British monarchs were held in the Abbey.<ref>[http://www.westminster-abbey.org/our-history History] Dean and Chapter of Westminster Abbey. Retrieved June 28, 2013.</ref><ref>[http://www.westminster-abbey.org/our-history/royals/coronations Coronations] Dean and Chapter of Westminster Abbey. Retrieved June 28, 2013.</ref> [[Henry III of England|Henry III]] was unable to be crowned in London when he first came to the throne because the French prince [[Louis VIII of France|Louis]] had taken control of the city, and so the king was crowned in [[Gloucester Cathedral]]. However, this coronation was deemed by the Pope to be improper, and a further coronation was held in the Abbey on May 17, 1220.<ref>[http://www.archontology.org/nations/england/king_england/henry3.php Henry III]. Archonotology.org. Retrieved June 28, 2013.</ref> The [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] is the traditional [[clergy|cleric]] in the coronation ceremony.
  
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In 2005 the original ancient [[burial vault (tomb)|burial vault]] of [[Edward the Confessor]] was discovered, beneath the 1268 [[Cosmati]] mosaic pavement, in front of the High Altar. A series of royal vaults dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries was also discovered using [[ground-penetrating radar]].
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[[King Edward's Chair]] (or St Edward's Chair), the throne on which English and British sovereigns have been seated at the moment of coronation, is housed within the Abbey and has been used at every coronation since 1308. From 1301 to 1996 (except for a short time in 1950 when it was temporarily stolen by [[Scottish nationalist]]s), the chair also housed the [[Stone of Scone]] upon which the kings of Scots are crowned. Although the Stone is now kept in Scotland, in [[Edinburgh Castle]], at future coronations it is intended that the Stone will be returned to St Edward's Chair for use during the coronation ceremony.
  
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Aristocrats were buried inside chapels and monks and people associated with the [[Abbey]] were buried in the Cloisters and other areas. One of these was [[Geoffrey Chaucer]], who was buried here as he had apartments in the Abbey where he was employed as master of the Kings Works. Other poets were buried around Chaucer in what became known as [[Poets' Corner]]. Abbey musicians such as [[Henry Purcell]] were also buried in their place of work. Subsequently it became an honour to be buried or memorialised here. The practice spread from aristocrats and poets to generals, admirals, politicians, scientists, doctors, etc.
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==Royal weddings==
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The Abbey has been the location of many royal weddings:
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# '''November 11, 1100''': [[King Henry I of England]] was married to [[Matilda of Scotland]]
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# '''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). Sanchia was sister of [[Eleanor of Provence]], Henry III’s queen.
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# '''April 9, 1269''': [[Edmund Crouchback|Edmund of Crouchback, 1st Earl of Leicester and Lancaster]], son of King Henry III was married to Lady [[Aveline de Forz]]
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# '''April 30, 1290''': [[Joan of Acre]], daughter of [[Edward I of England|King Edward I]] was married to the 7th Earl of Gloucester
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# '''July 8, 1290''': [[Margaret of England, Duchess of Brabant|Margaret of England]], daughter of King Edward I was married to John II, son of Duke of Brabant
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# '''January 20, 1382''': [[Richard II of England|King Richard II of England]] was married to [[Anne of Bohemia]]
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# '''February 27, 1919''': [[Princess Patricia of Connaught]] was married to Capt the Hon [[Alexander Ramsay (Royal Navy officer)|Alexander Ramsay]]
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# '''February 28, 1922''': [[Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood|The Princess Mary]], daughter of King George V was married to [[Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood|Viscount Lascelles]]
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# '''April 26, 1923''': [[George VI|The Prince Albert, Duke of York]] (later King George VI), second son of King George V was married to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (later to become [[Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother]])
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# '''November 29, 1934''': [[Prince George, Duke of Kent|The Prince George, Duke of Kent]], son of King George V was married to [[Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark]]
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# '''November 20, 1947''': Princess Elizabeth (now Queen [[Elizabeth II]]), elder daughter of King George VI [[Wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh|was married]] to the [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh|Duke of Edinburgh]] (who was Lt Philip Mountbatten until that morning)
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# '''May 6, 1960''': [[Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon|Princess Margaret]], second daughter of King George VI was married to [[Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon|Antony Armstrong-Jones]] (later [[Earl of Snowdon]])
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# '''April 24, 1963''': [[Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy|Princess Alexandra of Kent]] was married to the Hon [[Angus Ogilvy]]
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# '''November 14, 1973''': [[Anne, Princess Royal|Princess Anne]], only daughter of [[Elizabeth II]] was married to Captain [[Mark Phillips]]
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# '''July 23, 1986''': [[Prince Andrew, Duke of York]], second son of [[Elizabeth II]], was married to Miss [[Sarah, Duchess of York|Sarah Ferguson]]
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# '''April 29, 2011''': [[Prince William, Duke of Cambridge]], grandson of [[Elizabeth II]], [[Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton|was married]] to Miss [[Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge|Catherine Middleton]]
  
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==Burials and Memorials==
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[[Image:westminster.abbey.tombofhenry.london.arp.jpg|thumb|250px| The tomb of King Henry III]]
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[[Image:Poets corner.jpg|thumb|250px|Poets Corner]]
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Westminster is the site of some of England's most notable tombs. [[Edward the Confessor]]'s relics were placed in a [[shrine]] in the sanctuary after [[Henry III]] rebuilt the abbey in the thirteenth century. Henry III himself was interred nearby in a superb [[tomb|chest tomb]] with [[church monument|effigial monument]], as were many of the [[Plantagenet]] kings of England, their wives, and other relatives. Subsequently, most Kings and Queens of England were buried here, although [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]] and [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] are buried at [[St. George's Chapel, Windsor|St. George's Chapel]] in [[Windsor Castle]], as are all [[monarchy|monarch]]s and royals after [[George II of Great Britain|George II]].
  
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In 2005, the original ancient [[burial vault (tomb)|burial vault]] of [[Edward the Confessor]] was discovered, beneath the 1268 [[Cosmati]] mosaic pavement, in front of the high altar. A series of royal vaults dating back to the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries was also discovered using [[ground-penetrating radar]].
  
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== Schools ==
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[[Aristocrat]]s were buried inside chapels and monks and people associated with the [[abbey]] were buried in the cloisters and other areas. One of these was [[Geoffrey Chaucer]], who had apartments in the abbey, where he was employed as master of the Kings Works. Other [[poet]]s were later buried around Chaucer in what became known as [[Poets' Corner]], as well as memorials to [[William Shakespeare]], [[Charles Dickens]], and other giants of [[literature]].
  
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[[Westminster School]] and [[Westminster Abbey Choir School]] are also in the precincts of the Abbey. It was natural for the learned and literate monks to be entrusted with education, and [[Benedictine]] monks were required by the Pope to maintain a charity school in 1179; Westminster School may have been founded even earlier for children or novices, and the legendary [[Croyland Chronicle]] relates a story of 11th century king [[Edward the Confessor]]'s Queen [[Edith of Wessex|Editha]] chatting to a schoolboy in the cloisters, and sending him off to the Palace larder for a treat.
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Abbey musicians such as [[Henry Purcell]] were also buried in their place of work. Subsequently, it became an honor to be buried or memorialized here. The practice spread from aristocrats and poets to [general]]s, [[admiral]]s, [[politician]]s, [[scientist]]s, [[doctor]]s, etc.
  
 
== Organ ==
 
== Organ ==
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The abbey organ was built by [[Harrison & Harrison]] in 1937, with four manuals and 84 speaking stops, and was used for the first time at the Coronation of [[King George VI]]. Some pipework from the previous five-manual Hill organ was revoiced and incorporated in the new scheme. The two organ cases, designed in the late-nineteenth century by [[John Loughborough Pearson]], were re-instated and colored in 1959.<ref>[http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N00646 National Pipe Organ Register.], The British Institute of Organ Studies, 2005. Retrieved January 28, 2008.</ref>
  
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The organ was built by [[Harrison & Harrison]] in 1937, with four manuals and 84 speaking stops, and was used for the first time at the Coronation of [[King George VI]]. Some pipework from the previous five-manual Hill organ was revoiced and incorporated in the new scheme. The two organ cases, designed in the late nineteenth century by [[John Loughborough Pearson]], were re-instated and coloured in 1959.
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==Abbey organization==
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[[Image:Westminster abbey night.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The Abbey at night, from Dean's Yard. Artificial light reveals the [[exoskeleton]] formed by [[flying buttress]]es]]
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[http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N00646 Link to details of the organ on the National Pipe Organ Register.]
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The abbey is a [[collegiate church]] organized into the College of St. Peter, which comprises the Dean and four resident Canons (one of whom is also [[Rector]] of [[St. Margaret's, Westminster|St Margaret's Church, Westminster]], and Speaker's Chaplain), and 17 other persons who are members ex officio, as well as 12 [[lay vicars]] and ten choristers.  
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The 17 are the [[Receiver-General]] and [[Chapter Clerk]], the [[Registrar]], the [[Auditor]], the Legal Secretary, and the [[Clerk of the Works]] (the administrative officers). Those more directly concerned with liturgical and ceremonial operations include the [[Precentor]], the Chaplain and [[Sacrist]], the Organist, and the (honorary) [[High Steward of Westminster Abbey|High Steward]] and [[High Bailiff of Westminster Abbey|High Bailiff]]. Lastly, the educational role of the abbey is reflected in the presence of the Headmaster of the Choir School, the Headmaster and Under Master of [[Westminster School]], and the Master of The [[Queen's Scholar]]s. The abbey is governed by the Dean and Chapter established under the Elizabethan statute of 1560.  
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== Chapter ==
 
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The Abbey is a [[collegiate church]] organised into the College of St Peter, which comprises the Dean and four residentiary Canons (one of whom is also [[Rector]] of [[St. Margaret's, Westminster|St Margaret's Church, Westminster]], and Speaker's Chaplain), and seventeen other persons who are members ex officio, as well as twelve [[lay vicars]] and ten choristers. The seventeen are the [[Receiver-General]] and [[Chapter Clerk]], the [[Registrar]], the [[Auditor]], the Legal Secretary and the [[Clerk of the Works]] (the administrative officers). Those more directly concerned with liturgical and ceremonial operations include the [[Precentor]], the Chaplain and [[Sacrist]], the Organist, and the (honorary) [[High Steward of Westminster Abbey|High Steward]] and [[High Bailiff of Westminster Abbey|High Bailiff]]. The Abbey and its property is in the care of the Librarian, the Keeper of the Muniments, and the Surveyor of the Fabric. Lastly, the educational role of the Abbey is reflected in the presence of the Headmaster of the Choir School, the Headmaster and Under Master of [[Westminster School]], and the Master of The [[Queen's Scholar]]s.
 
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The Abbey is governed by the Dean and Chapter established under the Elizabethan statute of 1560. This consists of the Dean and the four residentiary Canons.
 
  
 
== Gallery ==
 
== Gallery ==
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<gallery>
 
<gallery>
 
Image:Westminster Abbey London 900px.jpg|Westminster Abbey, as seen from the west
 
Image:Westminster Abbey London 900px.jpg|Westminster Abbey, as seen from the west
 
Image:Westminster Abbey West Door.jpg|Westminster Abbey's West Door in sunshine
 
Image:Westminster Abbey West Door.jpg|Westminster Abbey's West Door in sunshine
 
Image:Westminster.abbey.westfront.london.arp.jpg|The west front
 
Image:Westminster.abbey.westfront.london.arp.jpg|The west front
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Image:westminster.abbey.tombofhenry.london.arp.jpg|The tomb of King Henry III in the Abbey. Henry was crowned king at the age of nine, reigning from 1216 to 1272.
 
 
Image:Westminsterabbeyfromeye.jpg|Rear side view from the nearby [[London Eye]]
 
Image:Westminsterabbeyfromeye.jpg|Rear side view from the nearby [[London Eye]]
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Image:Westa.jpg |Quicktime Virtual Reality Panorama of Westminster Abbey Daytime [http://digitalurban.blogspot.com/2005/08/westminster-abbey-london-panorama.html Quicktime Virtual Reality Panorama of Westminster Abbey].
 
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
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==Notes==
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<references/>
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== References ==
 
== References ==
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*Bradley, Simon, & Pevsner, Nikolaus. ''The Buildings of England-London 6: Westminster'', Yale University Press, 2003. ISBN 0-300-09595-3
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*Bradley, Simon, and Nikolaus Pevsner. ''The Buildings of England-London 6: Westminster''. Yale University Press, 2003. ISBN 0300095953
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*Harvey, Barbara. ''Living and Dying in England 1100-1540: The Monastic Experience'', Clarendon Press, 1995. ISBN 978-0198204312
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*Harvey, Barbara. ''Living and Dying in England 1100-1540: The Monastic Experience''. Clarendon Press, 1995. ISBN 9780198204312
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*Knighton, C.S., & Mortimer, Richard.'' Westminster Abbey Reformed: 1540-1640'', Ashgate Publishing, 2003. ISBN 978-0754608608
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*Hexham, Irving. ''The Christian Traveler's Guide to Great Britain''. Zondervan Publishing Company, 2001. ISBN 9780310225522
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*Hexham, Irving. ''The Christian Traveler's Guide to Great Britain'', Zondervan Publishing Company, 2001. ISBN 978-0310225522
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*Knighton, C.S., and Richard Mortimer. ''Westminster Abbey Reformed: 1540-1640''. Ashgate Publishing, 2003. ISBN 9780754608608
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* [[Henry Vollam Morton|H.V. Morton]], 1951. ''In Search of London'' (London: Methuen).
 
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*[http://www.jstor.org/view/00274666/ap030055/03a00030/0?frame=noframe&userID=8179247184@uwe.ac.uk/01cc99332318b911219aaf28f&dpi=3&config=jstor ''Musical Times'' article on Westminster Abbey organists (subscription access)]
 
  
 
== External links ==
 
== External links ==
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*[http://www.westminster-abbey.org/ Westminster Abbey]
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All links retrieved May 4, 2023.
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*[http://www.england-360.co.uk/panos/london/westminster-abbey-london.htm Panorama of Westminster Abbey]
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*[http://www.westminster-abbey.org/ Westminster Abbey] – ''www.westminster-abbey.org''.  
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*[http://www.ofchoristers.net/Chapters/WestminsterAbbey.htm A history of the choristers and choir school of Westminster Abbbey]
 
  
  
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Latest revision as of 17:21, 4 May 2023


Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey and Saint Margaret's Church*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Abbey's western façade
State Party Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Type Cultural
Criteria i, ii, iv
Reference 426
Region** Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription 1987  (11th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List.
** Region as classified by UNESCO.

The Collegiate Church of St. Peter, Westminster, normally called Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. Neither a cathedral nor a parish church, Westminster Abbey is a church owned directly by the British royal family.

Since the Christmas Day coronation of William the Conqueror in 1066, nearly all English monarchs have been crowned in the abbey. St. Edward's Chair, the throne on which British sovereigns are seated at the moment of coronation, is housed within the abbey.

Due its connections to royalty, it was spared King Henry VIII's attack on monastic buildings during the Reformation. Many British kings and queens are buried within Westminster, along with other notable figures. For example, the tombs of both the Protestant Elizabeth I and Catholic "Bloody" Mary, along with the tombs of Geoffrey Chaucer, David Livingstone and Charles Darwin, are found within the abbey.

Located next to the Houses of Parliament in the Westminster neighborhood of London, Westminster Abbey is a popular London tourist destination. With its oldest parts dating to the year 1050, the Abbey contains some of the most glorious medieval architecture in London.

History

King Edward's Chair
Christian martyrs from across the world statues above the Great West Door

Tradition claims that a shrine was first built where the Abbey is now located in 616 on a site then known as Thorney Island, which became a place of pilgrimage after a fisherman on the River Thames saw a vision of Saint Peter there. The early shrine's existence, however, is not certain. The historic abbey was first built by Edward the Confessor between 1045-1050 and consecrated on December 28, 1065. Ironically, its construction resulted from the pious Edward's breaking a vow to go on a pilgrimage; the Pope suggested that he redeem himself by building an abbey.

The original abbey, in the Romanesque style that is called "Norman" in England, was built to house Benedictine monks. It was rebuilt in the English Gothic style with Benedictine planning in stages between 1245-1517. The initial phase of the rebuilding was organized by Henry III as a shrine to honor Edward the Confessor and as a suitably regal setting for Henry's own tomb, under what would be the highest Gothic nave in England.

Since the coronations in 1066 of both King Harold and William the Conqueror, nearly all English and British monarchs have been crowned in the abbey.[1] St. Edward's Chair, the throne on which British sovereigns are seated at the moment of coronation, is housed within the west front of the abbey.[2]

Westminster School and Westminster Abbey Choir School are also in the precincts of the Abbey. Benedictine monks were required by the Pope to maintain a charity school in 1179. Westminster School may have been founded even earlier for children or novices, and the legendary Croyland Chronicle relates a story of Edward the Confessor's Queen Editha chatting to a schoolboy in the cloisters, and sending him off to the Palace larder for a treat.

Henry VII added a perpendicular style chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary in 1503 (known as the Henry VII Lady Chapel). The Archbishop of Canterbury is the traditional cleric in the coronation ceremony.

Unlike most other English abbeys, the abbey was saved from destruction due to its royal connections, when it was claimed by Henry VIII during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1534. The expression "robbing Peter to pay Paul" may have come from this period when funds intended for the abbey, which was dedicated to St. Peter, were diverted to the treasury of St. Paul's Cathedral.

Queen Mary restored the abbey to the Benedictines, but they were again ejected under Queen Elizabeth I in 1559. In 1579, Elizabeth re-established Westminster as a "royal peculiar"—a church responsible directly to the sovereign, rather than to a diocesan bishop—and made it the Collegiate Church of St. Peter (i.e. a church with an attached chapter of canons, headed by a dean).

During the turbulent 1640s, the abbey suffered damage when it was attacked by Puritan iconoclasts, but was again protected by its close ties to the state during the Commonwealth period. Oliver Cromwell was given an elaborate funeral there in 1658, only to be disinterred in January 1661 after the restoration of the monarchy and posthumously hanged and quartered. His empty tomb, however, is still visible inside.

Under the guidance of architects Sir Christopher Wren and [[Nicholas Hawksmoor], the abbey's two western towers were built between 1722 and 1745, constructed from Portland stone to an early example of a Gothic Revival design. Further rebuilding and restoration occurred in the nineteenth century under Sir George Gilbert Scott.

Until the nineteenth century, Westminster was the third seat of learning in England, after Oxford and Cambridge universities. It was here that the first third of the King James Bible Old Testament and the last half of the New Testament were translated. In the twentieth century, the New English Bible was compiled at the abbey.

Coronations

Did you know?
Since 1066, the coronations of English and British monarchs have been held in Westminster Abbey
The North entrance of Westminster Abbey

As indicated above, since the coronations in 1066 of both King Harold and William the Conqueror, coronations of English and British monarchs were held in the Abbey.[3][4] Henry III was unable to be crowned in London when he first came to the throne because the French prince Louis had taken control of the city, and so the king was crowned in Gloucester Cathedral. However, this coronation was deemed by the Pope to be improper, and a further coronation was held in the Abbey on May 17, 1220.[5] The Archbishop of Canterbury is the traditional cleric in the coronation ceremony.

King Edward's Chair (or St Edward's Chair), the throne on which English and British sovereigns have been seated at the moment of coronation, is housed within the Abbey and has been used at every coronation since 1308. From 1301 to 1996 (except for a short time in 1950 when it was temporarily stolen by Scottish nationalists), the chair also housed the Stone of Scone upon which the kings of Scots are crowned. Although the Stone is now kept in Scotland, in Edinburgh Castle, at future coronations it is intended that the Stone will be returned to St Edward's Chair for use during the coronation ceremony.

Royal weddings

The Abbey has been the location of many royal weddings:

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

Burials and Memorials

The tomb of King Henry III
Poets Corner

Westminster is the site of some of England's most notable tombs. Edward the Confessor's relics were placed in a shrine in the sanctuary after Henry III rebuilt the abbey in the thirteenth century. Henry III himself was interred nearby in a superb chest tomb with effigial monument, as were many of the Plantagenet kings of England, their wives, and other relatives. Subsequently, most Kings and Queens of England were buried here, although Henry VIII and Charles I are buried at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, as are all monarchs and royals after George II.

In 2005, the original ancient burial vault of Edward the Confessor was discovered, beneath the 1268 Cosmati mosaic pavement, in front of the high altar. A series of royal vaults dating back to the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries was also discovered using ground-penetrating radar.

Aristocrats were buried inside chapels and monks and people associated with the abbey were buried in the cloisters and other areas. One of these was Geoffrey Chaucer, who had apartments in the abbey, where he was employed as master of the Kings Works. Other poets were later buried around Chaucer in what became known as Poets' Corner, as well as memorials to William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, and other giants of literature.

Abbey musicians such as Henry Purcell were also buried in their place of work. Subsequently, it became an honor to be buried or memorialized here. The practice spread from aristocrats and poets to [general]]s, admirals, politicians, scientists, doctors, etc.

Organ

The abbey organ was built by Harrison & Harrison in 1937, with four manuals and 84 speaking stops, and was used for the first time at the Coronation of King George VI. Some pipework from the previous five-manual Hill organ was revoiced and incorporated in the new scheme. The two organ cases, designed in the late-nineteenth century by John Loughborough Pearson, were re-instated and colored in 1959.[6]

Abbey organization

The Abbey at night, from Dean's Yard. Artificial light reveals the exoskeleton formed by flying buttresses

The abbey is a collegiate church organized into the College of St. Peter, which comprises the Dean and four resident Canons (one of whom is also Rector of St Margaret's Church, Westminster, and Speaker's Chaplain), and 17 other persons who are members ex officio, as well as 12 lay vicars and ten choristers.

The 17 are the Receiver-General and Chapter Clerk, the Registrar, the Auditor, the Legal Secretary, and the Clerk of the Works (the administrative officers). Those more directly concerned with liturgical and ceremonial operations include the Precentor, the Chaplain and Sacrist, the Organist, and the (honorary) High Steward and High Bailiff. Lastly, the educational role of the abbey is reflected in the presence of the Headmaster of the Choir School, the Headmaster and Under Master of Westminster School, and the Master of The Queen's Scholars. The abbey is governed by the Dean and Chapter established under the Elizabethan statute of 1560.

Gallery

  • Westminster Abbey, as seen from the west

  • Westminster Abbey's West Door in sunshine

  • The west front

  • Rear side view from the nearby London Eye

Notes

  1. ↑ The exceptions are Lady Jane Grey, Edward V and Edward VIII, who did not have coronations, and Henry III because Prince Louis of France had taken control of London.
  2. ↑ The throne was largely finished by the architect Henry Yevele in the reign of King Richard II.
  3. ↑ History Dean and Chapter of Westminster Abbey. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
  4. ↑ Coronations Dean and Chapter of Westminster Abbey. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
  5. ↑ Henry III. Archonotology.org. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
  6. ↑ National Pipe Organ Register., The British Institute of Organ Studies, 2005. Retrieved January 28, 2008.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Bradley, Simon, and Nikolaus Pevsner. The Buildings of England-London 6: Westminster. Yale University Press, 2003. ISBN 0300095953
  • Harvey, Barbara. Living and Dying in England 1100-1540: The Monastic Experience. Clarendon Press, 1995. ISBN 9780198204312
  • Hexham, Irving. The Christian Traveler's Guide to Great Britain. Zondervan Publishing Company, 2001. ISBN 9780310225522
  • Knighton, C.S., and Richard Mortimer. Westminster Abbey Reformed: 1540-1640. Ashgate Publishing, 2003. ISBN 9780754608608

External links

All links retrieved May 4, 2023.


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