London’s imposing Gothic-style Westminster Abbey, established in the 11th century by Edward the Confessor, has held a secure place in England’s history books for a millennium. Since its consecration in 1065, the church has seen the coronation of every English monarch, the burial of 17 sovereigns, and the celebration of 16 royal weddings (including, most recently, that of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge).
Replete with tombs, statues, chapels, and monuments, the church is a site of pilgrimage and prayer and remains one of the world’s most-visited sacred sites, welcoming over one million visitors each year. They come to pay respects to English legacy and to lay eyes on a formidable key to the past. On December 28, 2015, the church celebrated its 950th anniversary. Of course, a single building does not live through centuries of history without inheriting a few stories of its own. Read on for 12 secrets you probably didn’t know about England’s most famous church.
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