Westminster Abbey

Even if you do not pay much attention to England, you have most likely heard of Westminster Abbey. According to London for Dumbies this was a must see. While vacationing in London, my whole family was looking forward to visiting it. Ever since William the Conqueror was crowned in 1066, Westminster Abbey has been the nation's Coronation church. In the middle of the 13th century, King Henry III rebuilt it to the Gothic style, which is how it remains today. Before Westminster Abbey was a church, it was a monastery. In August of 1540 Henry VIII shut down over 300 monasteries, but thankfully Westminster Abbey was not one of them. This beautiful church was the place of many royal weddings. The most recent wedding of course was William and Catherine. Also, the famous marriage of Diana and Charles was held here as well. There are many fascinating things to see in "the Abbey," as some British people call it. One of my favorite things that I was able to see was the tomb of Queen Elizabeth I and her sister, Queen Mary. When you are walking through the Abbey there are tiles on the floor with peoples' names on them. What I found out was under the tiles were peoples' tombs! Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Dickens, and Charles Darwin were just a few of the people buried here. Also, you can find one of the most extraordinary organs. You had to see it to believe it! This is still an active church, and services are held here everyday. As you are leaving the Abbey, on the left, behind a great deal of glass is the coronation chair. King Edward I ordered this chair to be made in 1300-1301. This chair is where every monarch has been crowned, with a few exceptions. When seeing it on TV, or in a picture, the chair seems so amazing, but to be honest I was a little disappointed. What I pictured was a lot more majestic. Walking through the Abbey was such a great experience. I enjoyed seeing the architecture of the church, and artifacts that have been preserved from a very long time ago. We spent around two hours in the Abbey, but in order to see all of the miraculous things, you could have spent two days! From the tombs to the coronation chair, everything was remarkable. This was just one of the exciting things I did while in England. Before we went, my mom bought the London pass, so stay tuned for more!