Westminster Abbey Open to Public for First Time in Generations

March 25, 2023302 views0

Westminster Abbey Open to Public for First Time in Generations

2023-03-25T11:28:20+01:00

By Church News

For the first time in generations, visitors to Westminster Abbey will soon be able to stand on the exact spot where King Charles III will be crowned.Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 39 English and British monarchs, and a burial site for 18 English, Scottish and British monarchs. At least 16 royal weddings have occurred at the abbey since 1100.Guided tours of the pavement will begin on May 15th and continue until the end of July.Shoes are not allowed and people can only stroll around in socks to protect the mosaic floor – which dates back to the 13th century.Known as the Cosmati pavement after the Italian family which developed the intricate style of elaborate stone and marble inlays, it is located in front of the High Altar. The design depicts the universe with a globe at its centre.A spokesperson for the Abbey said, “It will be the first time in living memory that the Abbey has invited visitors to walk on the Cosmati pavement where the Coronation Chair will be placed for the crowning of HM The King on Saturday 6 May.”Although the origins of the church are obscure, there was certainly an abbey operating on the site by the mid-10th century, housing Benedictine monks.The church got its first grand building in the 1060s under the auspices of the English king Edward the Confessor, who is still buried inside. Construction of the present church began in 1245 on the orders of Henry III.The monastery was dissolved in 1559 and the church was made a royal peculiar—a Church of England church responsible directly to the sovereign—by Elizabeth I.In 1987, the abbey, together with the Palace of Westminster and St. Margaret’s Church, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site because of its outstanding universal value.ALSO READ: Gospel Tracts to Be Handed Out at King Charles’ Coronation