Why UK’s Westminster Abbey Is Important For The Royal Family

Queen Elizabeth II, the UK's longest-serving monarch, died on Thursday, 8th September at the age of 96. With a reign of 70 years behind her, the late queen passed away peacefully in Balmoral, her Scottish estate where she had been staying during the summer. 

Queen Elizabeth's accession on February 6, 1952, was marked by her coronation over a year later, on June 2, 1953, at Westminster Abbey, which will also hold the state funeral that is expected to take place in less than two weeks. 

History of Westminster Abbey

Benedictine monks founded Westminster Abbey in 960AD which continues to be the coronation church since 1066 and is the final resting place of 17 monarchs. The church we see today was begun by Henry III in 1245. It’s one of the most important Gothic buildings in the country and has the medieval shrine of an Anglo-Saxon saint at its heart. 

Today it is still a church dedicated to regular worship and to the celebration of great events in the life of the nation. Neither a cathedral nor a parish church, Westminster Abbey (or the Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster) is a "Royal Peculiar" under the jurisdiction of a Dean and Chapter, subject only to the Sovereign and not to any archbishop or bishop.

Coronations and Burials at Westminster Abbey

Since 1066 all British monarchs except two [Edward V and Edward VIII] have been crowned at the Abbey. Queen Elizabeth’s coronation was also the first coronation that was televised and witnessed by millions of UK citizens. 

There are 30 kings and queens buried in the Abbey, the first of whom was Edward the Confessor whose magnificent shrine stands at the center of the church.

Weddings at Westminster

The late Queen’s coronation and her wedding to Prince Philip in 1947 happened in Westminster Abbey, which has seen many royal occasions, including 15 other weddings. Prince William and Catherine Middleton were also married at Westminster Abbey in 2011, a celebration that was watched by more than 24 million people in the UK.