by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Winchester Cathedral; Credit – By WyrdLight.com, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23281174

The Kingdom of Wessex, from which the House of Wessex was derived, was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom in the south of Great Britain. Its seat of power was in Winchester and the Old Minster, the New Minster, and Winchester Cathedral, all in Winchester, now located in Hampshire, England, are mostly connected to the House of Wessex although there are several burials from the House of Denmark. The House of Wessex, sometimes known as the Anglo-Saxon kings, first reigned from 802 – 1013. From 1013 – 1014, the House of Denmark reigned. The House of Wessex was restored 1014 – 1016. One last time, the House of Denmark reigned from 1016 -1042. The final reign of the House of Wessex began in 1042 and ended with the conquest of William, Duke of Normandy in 1066.

• Unofficial Royalty: House of Wessex Index
• Unofficial Royalty: House of Denmark Index

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The Old Minster

Bricks outline the site of the Old Minster next to Winchester Cathedral; Credit – Wikipedia

A minster was a cathedral or large church connected to a monastery. The Old Minster was the Anglo-Saxon cathedral for the diocese of Wessex and then Winchester from 660 to 1093. It stood on a site north of and partially beneath its successor, Winchester Cathedral. In 901, the New Minster, a royal Benedictine abbey, was built next to the Old Minster. After the consecration of Winchester Cathedral in 1093, the Old Minster was demolished.  The remains of Kings of Wessex, Kings of England, and their consorts who had been buried in the Old Minster were exhumed and re-interred in Winchester Cathedral.

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The New Minster

The New Minster (on left) and the Old Minster (on right); Credit – Wikipedia

Before his death, Alfred the Great, King of the Anglo-Saxons wanted to build a royal Benedictine abbey next to the Old Minster. His son and successor Edward the Elder, King of the Anglo-Saxons built the New Minster following Alfred the Great’s wishes. It stood so close to the Old Minster that the voices of the two abbey choirs merged with chaotic results. The remains of Alfred the Great and his wife Ealhswith were transferred to the New Minster. Edward the Elder was buried there as was one of his sons Ælfweard of Wessex. The building of Winchester Cathedral would use the area occupied by the New Minster. This required that the monks of New Minster move to Hyde Mead just outside the northern city walls, founding Hyde Abbey. The royal remains buried at the New Minster were transferred to Hyde Abbey but they were lost when Hyde Abbey was dissolved and demolished during the Dissolution of the Monasteries during the reign of King Henry VIII.

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Winchester Cathedral

Winchester Cathedral; Credit – Wikipedia

Winchester Cathedral, originally a Roman Catholic cathedral, is now a cathedral of the Church of England in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It is one of the largest cathedrals in Europe and has the greatest overall length of any Gothic cathedral. The construction of Winchester Cathedral began in 1079 and the cathedral was consecrated in 1093. Over the centuries, there were renovations and additions but a substantial amount of the original building still remains including the crypt, the transepts, and the basic structure of the nave.

• Official Website: Winchester Cathedral

The nave looking east towards the choir; Credit – By Diliff – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33930954

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Royal Burials

One of the mortuary chests at Winchester Cathedral; Credit – By Ealdgyth – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11358612

After the consecration of Winchester Cathedral in 1093, the Old Minster was demolished.  The remains of Kings of Wessex, Kings of England, and their consorts who had been buried in the Old Minster were exhumed and re-interred in Winchester Cathedral. They were kept in six mortuary chests – painted wooden caskets – which were displayed atop the stone choir screen walls on either side of the high altar for hundreds of years. In 1642, during the English Civil War, Winchester Cathedral was ransacked and the royal remains from the mortuary chests were scattered by Roundhead soldiers. The remains were returned to the mortuary chests by local people in a haphazard manner.

The six mortuary chests waiting for examination; Credit – Winchester Cathedral

In 2012, an examination of the remains in the chests began and the project is still ongoing. The examination included DNA testing, reassembly of the skeletons, and analysis to determine the sex, age, and other characteristics of the remains. The six mortuary chests were found to hold the remains of at least 23 individuals, more than the 12 – 15 remains originally thought. One of the remains discovered is believed to be Emma of Normandy, the wife of two kings – Æthelred II, King of the English and Cnut the Great, King of England, Denmark and Norway – and the mother of two kings – Harthacnut, King of England, King of Denmark and Saint Edward the Confessor, King of England.

Remains of Emma of Normandy; Credit – Winchester Cathedral

• BBC: Winchester Cathedral’s ‘royal bones’ chests analysed
• BBC: ‘Queen’s bones’ found in Winchester Cathedral royal chests
• BBC: The riddle of Winchester Cathedral’s skeletons
• Current Archaeology: Unlocking the secrets of the Winchester Cathedral mortuary chests

Below are known royals who were interred at the Old Minster, New Minster, and/or Winchester Cathedral. It is certainly not a complete list.

642 – Cynegils, King of Wessex – remains are probably in a mortuary chest at Winchester Cathedral
672 – Cenwalh, King of Wessex – remains are probably in a mortuary chest at Winchester Cathedral
786 – Cynewulf, King of Wessex – remains are probably in a mortuary chest at Winchester Cathedral
839 – Egbert, King of Wessex – remains are probably in a mortuary chest at Winchester Cathedral
858 – Æthelwulf, King of Wessex – first buried at Steyning, England, then in Old Minster, remains are probably in a mortuary chest at Winchester Cathedral
899 – Alfred the Great, King of Wessex, King of the Anglo-Saxons – originally buried in the Old Minster, the remains of Alfred and his wife Ealhswith were moved to the New Minster four years later. Because of the building of the new Winchester Cathedral, the monks of New Minster were moved to a new abbey, Hyde Abbey, just outside the walls of Winchester. When the new church of Hyde Abbey was consecrated in 1110, the remains of Alfred, his wife Ealhswith, and his son Edward the Elder were interred before the Hyde Abbey high altar. In 1539, during the reign of King Henry VIII, Hyde Abbey was dissolved and demolished during the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the tombs were lost.
902 – Ealhswith, wife of Alfred the Great – originally buried in the Old Minster, see Alfred the Great above
924 – Edward the Elder, King of the Anglo-Saxons – son of Alfred the Great, originally buried in the New Minster, see Alfred the Great above
955 – Eadred, King of the English – buried in the Old Minster, remains are probably in a mortuary chest at Winchester Cathedral
959 – Eadwig, King of the English – originally buried in the New Minster but nothing is known about the later fate of his remains
? – Ælfgifu, wife of Eadwig – originally buried in the New Minster but nothing is known about the later fate of her remains
1035 – Cnut the Great, King of England, Denmark, and Norway – originally buried in the Old Minster, remains are probably in a mortuary chest at Winchester Cathedral
1042 – Harthacnut, King of England, King of Denmark – originally buried in the Old Minster, his remains were moved to Winchester Cathedral and were placed in a mortuary chest when the Old Minster was demolished in 1093, at a later date his remains were interred in a tomb at Winchester Cathedral, Harthacnut’s tomb was remodeled and a plaque was placed on the tomb in 1525

Harthacnut’s tomb in Winchester Cathedral; Credit – http://www.dandebat.dk/

1052 – Emma of Normandy, wife of wife of Æthelred II, King of the English and Cnut the Great, King of England, Denmark and Norway – originally buried in the Old Minster, remains are probably in a mortuary chest at Winchester Cathedral
1053 – Godwin, Earl of Wessex – remains are probably in a mortuary chest at Winchester Cathedral
circa 1069 -1075 – Richard of Normandy – second son of William I (the Conqueror), King of England, killed in a hunting accident in the New Forest, buried at Winchester Cathedral
1087 – William II Rufus, King of England – killed in a hunting accident in the New Forest, originally buried at Winchester Cathedral. In 1107, the tower at Winchester Cathedral near William Rufus’ grave collapsed and the presence of William Rufus’ remains was considered to be the cause. Around 1525, the royal remains in Winchester Cathedral were rearranged. William Rufus’ remains were transferred to one of the mortuary chests
1171 – Henry of Blois, also known as Henry of Winchester, Bishop of Winchester – son of Stephen II, Count of Blois and Adela of Normandy, grandson of William I (the Conqueror), King of England, younger brother of King Stephen of England
1375 – Cardinal Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester – legitimized son of John of Gaunt and his mistress and third wife Katherine Swynford, grandson of King Edward III of England, Lord Chancellor of England under Henry V and Henry VI

Tomb of Cardinal Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester; Credit – By Scrivener-uki – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8755532

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Coronations, Marriages, and Funerals

1042 – Funeral of King Harthacanut at the Old Minster

Death of King Harthacnut at a wedding feast; Credit – Wikipedia

On June 8, 1042, Harthacnut, son of Cnut the Great, King of England, Denmark, and Norway,  attended a wedding in Lambeth, London, England. As he was drinking to celebrate the wedding, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, “He died while standing with his drink. Suddenly he fell to the ground with violent convulsions.” Harthacnut was only 23-24 years old. There were unproven suspicions that he was poisoned and certainly there were people who would have benefitted from his death. His death also could have been caused by a stroke due to excessive drinking. A 2015 study speculated that perhaps up to fourteen Danish kings, including Harthacnut, who suddenly died at a relatively young age without being ill, possibly died of Brugada Syndrome, a genetic disorder in which the electrical activity in the heart is abnormal. It increases the risk of abnormal heart rhythms and sudden cardiac death.

Harthacnut was initially buried at the Old Minster. When the Old Minster was demolished in 1093, Harthacnut’s remains were moved to Winchester Cathedral and were placed in a mortuary chest near the shrine of St. Swithun. However, his remains were ultimately interred in a tomb below the eastern arch of the cathedral in the north aisle. In 1525, Harthacnut’s tomb was remodeled and a plaque was placed on the tomb.

1100 – Funeral of King William II Rufus of England at Winchester Cathedral

Rufus Stone on the site of the death of William II Rufus; Photo Credit – By Adem Djemil, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56115617

On August 2, 1100, King William II Rufus rode out from Winchester Castle on a hunting expedition to the New Forest, accompanied by his brother, the future King Henry I, and several nobles. According to most contemporary accounts, William Rufus was chasing after a stag followed by Walter Tirel, a noble. William Rufus shot an arrow but missed the stag. He then called out to Walter to shoot, which he did, but the arrow hit the king in his chest, puncturing his lungs, and killing him. Walter Tirel jumped on his horse and fled to France.

The next day, William Rufus’ body was found by a group of local farmers. The nobles had fled to their Norman and English lands to secure their possessions and ensure law and order following the death of the king. The farmers loaded the king’s body on a cart and brought it to Winchester Cathedral where he was buried under a plain flat marble stone below the tower with little ceremony.

In 1107, the tower at Winchester Cathedral near William Rufus’ grave collapsed and the presence of William Rufus’ remains was considered to be the cause. Around 1525, the royal remains in Winchester Cathedral were rearranged. William Rufus’ remains were transferred to one of the mortuary chests next to the mortuary chest of King Cnut the Great atop the stone wall around the high altar.

August 27, 1172 – Coronation of Henry the Young King and his wife Marguerite of France

Henry the Young King; Credit – Wikipedia

When Henry was 15, his father King Henry II decided to adopt the French practice of ensuring the succession by declaring his heir the junior king. Henry was crowned at Westminster Abbey on June 14, 1170. His wife Marguerite was not crowned at this time and this greatly infuriated her father King Louis VII of France. To appease Louis VII, another coronation which included Marguerite was held on at Winchester Cathedral. However, Henry the Young King predeceased his father and never became King of England. Instead, his brother succeeded their father as Richard I, King of England.

 April 17, 1194  – Crown-wearing of King Richard I of England at Winchester Cathedral

Effigy of King Richard I; By Adam Bishop – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17048652

On his way home from the Third Crusades, Richard was shipwrecked, forcing him to take a dangerous land route through central Europe. He was arrested near Vienna in December 1192 by Leopold V, Duke of Austria, who suspected Richard of murdering his cousin during the Crusades and had also been offended by Richard throwing down his standard from the walls of Acre in the Holy Land. In March 1193, Richard was transferred to the custody of Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor, who demanded that a ransom of 150,000 marks (100,000 pounds of silver) be delivered to him before Richard would be released. This was an enormous amount, equal to two to three times the annual income for the English Crown at that time. Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard’s mother, worked to raise the ransom.

Finally, with the ransom in the emperor’s possession, Richard was released on February 4, 1194, and returned to England, where he had not been since 1190. The crown-wearing was a public occasion almost as solemn as a coronation. It had been a regular practice several times a year for the Norman kings of England but Richard’s father King Henry II had stopped the practice. Richard was persuaded by his advisers to participate in the crown-wearing because it was a way to reassert his royal authority.

Wearing a crown on his head and the ceremonial robes that he had worn at his coronation in 1189 at Westminster Abbey, Richard walked from the priory of Winchester Cathedral to the cathedral. Three earls walked before him carrying ceremonial swords while the earls and knights of England surrounded him. Outside the cathedral, crowds of people gathered. Inside the cathedral, Richard’s 72-year-old mother Eleanor of Aquitaine and the nobility of England waited to witness Richard in his regal splendor.

February 7, 1403 – Wedding of King Henry IV of England and his second wife Joan of Navarre at Winchester Cathedral

Tomb of Henry IV and his second wife Joan of Navarre in Canterbury Cathedral; Credit: Susan Flantzer

In 1398,  the future Henry IV quarreled with Thomas de Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk, who accused him of treason. The two men planned to duel, but instead, King Richard II banished them from England. Henry went to France, and on a visit to the court of Brittany, he met his future second wife Joan of Navarre, the widow of Jean V, Duke of Brittany. Henry made a good impression upon Joan. Henry’s first wife had died in 1394. but Joan was not in a position to remarry. In 1402, after Joan’s son came of age and could rule Brittany on his own, she sent an emissary to England to arrange a marriage with Henry, now King of England. Henry was agreeable to the marriage and a proxy marriage was held on April 3, 1402, with Joan’s emissary standing in for the bride. Joan left France for England in January 1403 with her two youngest daughters and then traveled to Winchester where Henry met her and they were married at Winchester Cathedral.

July 25, 1554 –  Wedding of Queen Mary I of England and King Philip II of Spain at Winchester Cathedral

Philip and Mary; Credit – Wikipedia

Mary and Philip, first cousins once removed, made a political marriage. Roman Catholic Mary was 37, and she needed to marry and produce a Catholic heir to supplant her Protestant sister Elizabeth. Edward Courtney, 1st Earl of Devon, a Plantagenet descendant, was suggested. However, Mary had her heart set on marrying Philip, the only son of Mary’s first cousin Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. Philip was a widower and was eleven years younger than Mary. Parliament begged her to reconsider fearing the threat of a marriage to a foreign royal might have for English independence. When Mary insisted on marrying Philip, a rebellion broke out, led by Thomas Wyatt, to depose Mary in favor of her half-sister Elizabeth. Wyatt marched on London but was defeated and executed.

Since Philip spoke no English, the wedding ceremony at Winchester Cathedral was said in a combination of French, Spanish, and Latin. The marriage was unsuccessful. Although Mary loved Philip, he found her repugnant. Mary thought she was pregnant but there was no baby. After being in England for fourteen months, Philip returned to Spain in August 1555. Mary was heartbroken and went into a deep depression. Philip did return to England in 1557 and was happily received by Mary. Philip wanted England to join Spain in a war against France. Mary agreed and the result was the loss of Calais, England’s last remaining possession in continental Europe. Philip left England in July 1557, never to return. Mary said of these losses, “When I am dead, you will find the words ‘Philip’ and ‘Calais’ engraved upon my heart.” Mary died in 1558 and Philip married two more times and reigned as King of Spain until his death in 1598.

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Works Cited

• BBC News. 2015. Winchester Cathedral’s ‘royal bones’ chests analysed. [online] Available at: <https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-31115104> [Accessed 12 July 2021].
• BBC News. 2019. ‘Queen’s bones’ found in Winchester Cathedral royal chests. [online] Available at: <https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-48281733> [Accessed 12 July 2021].
• BBC News. 2019. The riddle of Winchester Cathedral’s skeletons. [online] Available at: <https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-48300450> [Accessed 12 July 2021].
• Current Archaeology. 2019. Unlocking the secrets of the Winchester Cathedral mortuary chests – Current Archaeology. [online] Available at: <https://archaeology.co.uk/articles/news/unlocking-the-secrets-of-the-winchester-cathedral-mortuary-chests.htm> [Accessed 12 July 2021].
• Dodson, Aidan, 2004. The royal tombs of Great Britain. London: Duckworth.
• En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Winchester Cathedral – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester_Cathedral> [Accessed 12 July 2021].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2021. British Royal Burial Sites: House of Denmark Index (1013-1014 and 1016-1042). [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/british-royal-burial-sites-house-of-denmark-index-1013-1014-and-1016-1042/> [Accessed 12 July 2021].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2021. British Royal Burial Sites: House of Wessex (871-1013), (1014-1016), and (1042-1066). [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/british-royal-burial-sites-house-of-wessex-871-1013-1014-1016-and-1042-1066/> [Accessed 12 July 2021].
• Jones, Dan, 2012. The Plantagenets. New York: Viking.
• Williamson, David, 1996. Brewer’s British royalty. London: Cassell.

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Westminster Abbey; Photo Credit – By Σπάρτακος – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26334184

• Official Website: Westminster Abbey
• Take a virtual tour inside Westminster Abbey

History of Westminster Abbey

First known as St. Peter’s Abbey, Westminster Abbey in London, England, which this writer has visited several times, was founded by Benedictine monks in 960 under the patronage of King Edgar the Peaceful (reigned 943 – 975) and St. Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury.  In the 1040s, King Edward, better known as St. Edward the Confessor (reigned 1042 – 1066), built his royal palace nearby St. Peter’s Abbey on the banks of the River Thames on land known as Thorney Island. Later the medieval Palace of Westminster sat upon the site and today the Houses of Parliament (formal name is still Palace of Westminster) is there.

A scene from the Bayeux Tapestry showing the funeral procession of Edward the Confessor with the church Edward built on the left. This is the only contemporary depiction of Edward’s church; Credit – Wikipedia

Edward the Confessor began rebuilding St. Peter’s Abbey to provide himself with a royal burial church. This church became known as the “west minster” to distinguish it from (old) St. Paul’s Cathedral (the east minster) in the City of London. See Wikipedia: Minster. The new church was consecrated on December 28, 1065. Too ill to attend the consecration, Edward the Confessor died on January 5, 1066, and was buried before the high altar of his new church the day after his death.

In 1245, King Henry III started the construction of the second and present Westminster Abbey in the new Gothic style of architecture. The second church was designed to be not only a place of worship and a monastery but also a place for the coronation and burial of monarchs. This church was consecrated on October 13, 1269, and on that day, King Henry III oversaw a grand ceremony to rebury Edward the Confessor in a magnificent new shrine, personally helping to carry the body to its new resting place. Edward the Confessor’s shrine survives and around his shrine were interred five kings and four queens.

Shrine of Edward the Confessor

Each October 13 – 20, Westminster Abbey observes Edwardtide which celebrates the life of Saint Edward the Confessor. On October 13, National Pilgrimage Day, everyone is welcome, without a ticket, “to visit the Abbey with other pilgrims and experience its beauty and space in an atmosphere characterised by prayer. Everyone will be able to pray at the Shrine of St Edward – the only shrine in this country that still contains the body of the saint.” On October 13, 2018, this writer had the experience of attending the National Pilgrimage Day. The Chapel of Edward the Confessor is usually not open to tourists and it was awe-inspiring to see the shrine surrounded by the tombs of kings and queens. In the photo above of the shrine, notice the three openings at the bottom of the shrine. These are openings where pilgrims enter to kneel to pray. Imagine all the people over the centuries who have knelt there over the centuries.

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Henry VII Chapel

King Henry VII, the first Tudor monarch, added a major addition to Westminster Abbey, the exquisitely beautiful chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary known as the Henry VII Chapel or the Lady Chapel. The tomb of Henry VII and his wife Elizabeth of York is in the main part of the chapel. Around the perimeter are small chapels where other royals are interred, some in tombs and some in vaults below the chapels. Mary, Queen of Scots was exhumed from her original burial place in Peterborough Cathedral and re-interred in one of the chapels in 1612, during the reign of her son King James I. In 1867, the vault below her tomb was opened in an attempt to find the resting place of her son James I who was ultimately found to have been interred in the vault of his great-great-grandfather King Henry VII. However, all around the coffin of Mary, Queen of Scots were the coffins of over twenty of her descendants, including the small coffins of the many Stuart children who were stillborn, died in infancy, or died in childhood.

The Interior of the Henry VII Chapel in Westminster Abbey by Canaletto, early 1750s; Credit – Wikipedia

Under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel is the Hanover vault and it is here that the members of the House of Hanover were interred until the construction of the Royal Vault at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

Statues of 20th-century martyrs above the Great West Door of Westminster Abbey. Those commemorated are Maximilian Kolbe, Manche Masemola, Janani Luwum, Grand Duchess Elizabeth of Russia, Martin Luther King, Óscar Romero, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Esther John, Lucian Tapiedi, and Wang Zhiming; Credit – Wikipedia

A recent addition to Westminster Abbey are ten statues of modern martyrs, Christians who gave up their lives for their beliefs. The statues occupy ten niches over the Great West Door which had been empty since the Middle Ages. The statues were unveiled in 1998 at a service attended by Queen Elizabeth II. The martyrs are from all over the world and from many Christian denominations and represent all who have been oppressed or persecuted for their faith.

• BBC: Martyrs of the modern era

Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna in her nun’s habit; Credit – Wikipedia

One of the statues is Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia, wife of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia. She was born Princess Elisabeth Hesse and by Rhine, a daughter of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, the sister of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia,  and the great-aunt of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. In 1909, four years after her husband’s assassination, Ella, as she was called, sold all her jewelry and with the proceeds opened the Convent of Saints Martha and Mary and became its abbess. A hospital, pharmacy, and orphanage were opened on the convent’s grounds, and Ella and her Russian Orthodox nuns spent their time serving the poor of Moscow. On July 18, 1918, the day after the execution of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, Ella’s sister Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, and their children, Ella along with five other Romanovs, a nun from Ella’s convent, and the secretary of one of the other Romanovs were executed by the Bolsheviks.

• Unofficial Royalty: July 18, 1918 – Execution of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna and Five Other Romanovs

The altar

The monastery was dissolved during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in King Henry VIII’s reign. In 1539, Henry VIII then assumed direct royal control over the abbey and granted it the status of a cathedral. By granting the abbey cathedral status, Henry VIII had an excuse to spare it from destruction. Henry VIII’s Catholic daughter, Queen Mary I, gave the abbey back to the Benedictine monks but that ended during the reign of her half-sister, the Protestant Queen Elizabeth I. In 1560, Elizabeth I assumed royal control of the abbey as her father had done and declared that Westminster Abbey was a “Royal Peculiar” – a church of the Church of England responsible to the monarch rather than a bishop – and made it the Collegiate Church of St Peter. Today, Westminster Abbey remains a Royal Peculiar and its formal name remains the Collegiate Church of St Peter.

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The Choir

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Coronations

The Coronation Chair (also called St. Edward’s Chair and King Edward’s Chair); Credit – Wikipedia

Westminster Abbey has been Britain’s coronation church since 1066. From King William I (the Conqueror) to King Charles III, all monarchs except for two have been crowned in Westminster Abbey. Twelve-year-old King Edward V was presumed murdered in the Tower of London before he could be crowned.  King Edward VIII abdicated eleven months after succeeding his father, before his scheduled coronation date.

• December 25, 1066 – King William I, crowned by Ealdred, Archbishop of York
• September 26, 1087 – King William II Rufus, crowned by Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury
• August 5, 1100 – King Henry I, crowned by Maurice, Bishop of London
• December 26, 1135 – King Stephen, crowned by William de Corbeil, Archbishop of Canterbury
• December 19, 1154 – King Henry II, crowned by Theobald of Bec, Archbishop of Canterbury
• September 3, 1189 – King Richard I, crowned by Baldwin of Exeter, Archbishop of Canterbury
• May 27, 1199 – King John, crowned by Hubert Walter, Archbishop of Canterbury
• May 17, 1220 – King Henry III, crowned by Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury
• August 19, 1274 – King Edward I, crowned by Robert Kilwardby, Archbishop of Canterbury
• February 25, 1308 – King Edward II, crowned by Henry Woodlock, Bishop of Winchester
• February 1, 1327 – King Edward III, crowned by Walter Reynolds, Archbishop of Canterbury
• July 16, 1377 – King Richard II, crowned by Simon Sudbury, Archbishop of Canterbury
• October 13, 1399 – King Henry IV, crowned by Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury
• April 9, 1413 – King Henry V, crowned by Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury
• November 6, 1429 – King Henry VI, crowned by Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester
• June 28, 1461 – King Edward IV, crowned by Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop of Canterbury
• July 16, 1483 – King Richard III, crowned by Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop of Canterbury
• October 30, 1485 – King Henry VII, crowned by Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop of Canterbury
• April 21, 1509 – King Henry VIII, crowned by William Warham, Archbishop of Canterbury
• February 20, 1547 – King Edward VI, crowned by Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury
• October 1, 1553 – Queen Mary I, crowned by Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester
• January 15, 1559 – Queen Elizabeth I, crowned by Owen Oglethorpe, Bishop of Carlisle
• July 25, 1603 – King James I, crowned by John Whitgift, Archbishop of Canterbury
• February 2, 1626 – King Charles I, crowned by George Abbot, Archbishop of Canterbury
• April 23, 1661 – King Charles II, crowned by William Juxon, Archbishop of Canterbury
• April 23, 1685 – King James II, crowned by William Sancroft, Archbishop of Canterbury
• April 11, 1689 – King William III and Queen Mary II (reigned jointly), crowned by Henry Compton, Bishop of London
• April 23, 1702 – Queen Anne, crowned by Thomas Tenison, Archbishop of Canterbury
• October 20, 1714 – King George I, crowned by Thomas Tenison, Archbishop of Canterbury
• October 11, 1727 – King George II, crowned by William Wake, Archbishop of Canterbury
• September 22, 1761 – King George III, crowned by Thomas Secker, Archbishop of Canterbury
• July 19, 1821 – King George IV, crowned by Charles Manners-Sutton, Archbishop of Canterbury
• September 8, 1831 – King William IV, crowned by William Howley, Archbishop of Canterbury
• June 28, 1838 – Queen Victoria, crowned by William Howley, Archbishop of Canterbury
• August 9, 1902 – King Edward VII, crowned Frederick Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury
• June 22, 1911 – King George V, crowned by Randall Davidson, Archbishop of Canterbury (Unofficial Royalty: Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary)
• May 12, 1937 – King George VI, crowned by Cosmo Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury (Unofficial Royalty: Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth)
• June 2, 1953 – Queen Elizabeth II, crowned by Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury (Unofficial Royalty: Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II)
• May 6, 2023 – King Charles III, crowned by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury (Unofficial Royalty: Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla)

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Royal Funerals

The coffin of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother is carried into Westminster Abbey

We can assume that those royals buried at Westminster Abbey had a funeral there or, at the very least, a burial service. However, since the reign of the House of Hanover, St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle has become the usual place for funerals of the British royal family.  The past eight British monarchs – King George III, King George IV, King William IV, Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, King George V, King Edward VIII (as Duke of Windsor), and King George VI – had funerals at St. George’s Chapel. Except for the Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII who had a private funeral, the other seven funerals were state funerals. Most members of the British royal family have private funerals at St, George’s Chapel. The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on September 19, 2022, was the first funeral of a British monarch held at Westminster Abbey since the funeral of King George II on November 13, 1760.

• Wikipedia: Distinguishing between a state funeral and ceremonial funeral

Since 1904, there have been only six funerals of members of the royal family at Westminster Abbey. Five of the funerals were ceremonial funerals and none of the six were buried at Westminster Abbey. Ceremonial funerals, including those of senior members of the royal family and high-ranking public figures, may share many of the characteristics of a state funeral but the term ceremonial funeral is used.  A state funeral is usually reserved for the monarch, although people of great achievement, exceptional military leaders, and outstanding statesmen have had state funerals. Sir Winston Churchill‘s funeral at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London in 1965 was a state funeral. On September 19, 2022, a state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II was held at Westminster Abbey.

Below are the funerals of members of the royal family at Westminster Abbey since 1904:

• March 22, 1904 – Funeral of Prince George, Duke of Cambridge (1819 – 1904)
  • son of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge and Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel
  • male-line grandson of King George III
  • first cousin of Queen Victoria
  • served as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces (military head of the British Army)
  • buried at Kensal Green Cemetery in London, England
• September 22, 1921 – Funeral of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven (1854 – 1921)
  • born Prince Louis of Battenberg
  • son of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine and his morganatic wife Countess Julia von Hauke
  • husband of Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria
  • grandfather of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
  • served in the Royal Navy as Admiral of the Fleet and First Sea Lord
  • buried at St. Mildred’s Church in Whippingham, Isle of Wight, England
• September 5, 1979 – Funeral of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (1900 – 1979)
  • born Prince Louis of Battenberg
  • son of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine
  • great-grandson of Queen Victoria
  • uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
  • Chief of the Defence Staff
  • First Sea Lord
  • Viceroy and Governor-General of India
  • killed when his boat was blown up by the Provisional Irish Republican Army on Donegal Bay, in County Sligo, Ireland
  • buried at Romsey Abbey in Romsey, Hampshire, England
• September 6, 1997 – Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales (1961 – 1997)
  • born The Honourable Diana Spencer, later Lady Diana Spencer
  • daughter of Edward John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer and The Honourable Frances Shand Kydd
  • first wife of Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, later King Charles III
  • mother of Prince William, Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
  • died from injuries received in a car accident in the Pont de l’Alma Tunnel in Paris, France
  • buried at Althorp, the Spencer family home, on an island in the center of a lake on the grounds
• April 9, 2002 – Funeral of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother ( 1900 – 2002)
  • born The Honourable Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, later Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
  • daughter of Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne and Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck
  • wife of King George VI of the United Kingdom
  • mother of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
  • buried in King George VI Memorial Chapel at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
• September 19, 2022 – Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (1926 – 2022)
  • daughter of King George VI of the United Kingdom and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
  • wife of Prince Philip of Greece, later Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
  • mother of King Charles III
  • buried in King George VI Memorial Chapel at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
  • Unofficial Royalty: State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

On March 29, 2022, a Service of Thanksgiving for Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was held at Westminster Abbey. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh died at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England on April 9, 2021, at the age of 99, just two months short of his 100th birthday. The funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh took place on Saturday, April 17, 2021, at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor England. The Thanksgiving Service was organized because due to COVID-19 restrictions, there could be only 30 guests at the funeral. For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: Service of Thanksgiving for Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

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Royal Burials

King Henry III’s tomb in the Chapel of St. Edward the Confessor; Credit – Westminster Abbey Facebook page

There have been over 3,300 burials at Westminster Abbey and there are over 600 monuments and wall tablets. One of the United Kingdom’s most significant honors is to be buried or commemorated in Westminster Abbey. Musicians, poets, generals, admirals, politicians, doctors, and scientists were given the honor over the years. On June 15, 2018, the ashes of the theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author Stephen Hawking were interred in Westminster Abbey’s nave, alongside the graves of Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin. See Wikipedia: Burials and memorials in Westminster Abbey for information on other people interred and commemorated in Westminster Abbey.

Westminster Abbey Tomb Map; Credit – https://www.gutenberg.org

Thirty kings and queens are buried at Westminster Abbey, starting with King Edward the Confessor whose magnificent shrine stands just behind the High Altar. Five kings and four queens lie buried in his Chapel. Many royal children, especially those who died in childhood, were buried in the vaults at Westminster Abbey. By the time of King George II’s death in 1760, the royal burial vaults at Westminster Abbey were quite crowded. His successor, his grandson King George III, decided to build a new royal vault at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. Since the reign of King George III, royal burials, with a few exceptions, have been at St. George’s Chapel or the Royal Burial Ground and Mausoleums at Frogmore, near Windsor Castle. The last monarch buried in Westminster Abbey was King George II in 1760. The last royal burial in Westminster Abbey was that of Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland, son of Frederick, Prince of Wales and brother of King George III, in 1790.

• 1066 – St. Edward the Confessor, King of England: first buried before the high altar in the first Westminster Abbey, in 1269 after the rebuilding of the second Westminster Abbey, his remains were placed in a shrine
• 1075 – Edith of Wessex, Queen of England, wife of Edward the Confessor, King of England: buried on the left side of her husband’s shrine
• 1118 – Matilda of Scotland, Queen of England, first wife of King Henry I: first buried at the entrance of the Chapter House, reburied by King Henry III south of Edward the Confessor’s shrine
• 1257 – Katherine, daughter of King Henry III: died in early childhood, buried in the ambulatory between the chapels of Edward the Confessor and St. Benedict
• 1264 – Katherine, daughter of King Edward I: died in infancy
• 1265 – Joanna, daughter of King Edward I: died in infancy
• 1271 – John, son of King Edward I: died in early childhood: buried in the ambulatory between the chapels of Edward the Confessor and St. Benedict
• 1272 – King Henry III of England: first placed in a grave near the high altar that had originally contained the coffin of Edward the Confessor, transferred in 1290 to a tomb north of Edward the Confessor’s shrine
• 1274 – Henry, son of King Edward I: died in childhood, buried in the ambulatory between the chapels of Edward the Confessor and St. Benedict
• 1277/1278 – Berengaria, daughter of King Edward I: died in early childhood
• 1284 – Alphonso, Earl of Chester, Edward I’s eldest surviving son at the time of his death: died in childhood, buried in the ambulatory between the chapels of Edward the Confessor and St. Benedict
• 1290 – Eleanor of Castile, Queen of England, wife of King Edward I, first placed in a grave near the high altar that had originally contained the coffin of Edward the Confessor, later transferred to her own tomb
• 1296 – Edmund Crouchback, Earl of Lancaster, son of King Henry III: buried in the Edward the Confessor Chapel
• 1298 – Eleanor, Countess of Bar, daughter of King Edward I: buried in the ambulatory between the chapels of Edward the Confessor and St. Benedict
• 1307 – King Edward I of England: buried in a tomb in the northwest corner of Edward the Confessor’s Chapel
• 1331 (buried) – Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent, son of King Edward I: died 1330
• 1336 – John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall, son of King Edward II: buried in an alabaster-carved tomb
• 1342 – Blanche of the Tower, daughter of King Edward III: died shortly after birth, buried in St. Edmund’s Chapel
• 1348 – William of Windsor, son of King Edward III: died in infancy, buried in St. Edmund’s Chapel
• 1370 (buried) – Philippa of Hainault, Queen of England, wife of King Edward III: died 1369, buried in a tomb on the northeast side of Edward the Confessor’s Chapel
• 1377 – King Edward III of England: buried in a tomb south of Edward the Confessor’s shrine.
• 1394 – Anne of Bohemia, Queen of England, first wife of King Richard II: buried in a double tomb next to the tomb of Richard’s grandfather King Edward III
• 1397 – Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester, son of King Edward III: buried in the Edward the Confessor Chapel
• 1413 (buried) – King Richard II of England, died 1400, first buried at Kings Langley Church, moved by King Henry V to the double tomb next to the tomb of Richard’s grandfather King Edward III where Anne of Bohemia was previously buried.
• 1422 – King Henry V of England: buried in a tomb at the eastern end of Edward the Confessor’s Chapel.
• 1437 – Catherine of Valois, Queen of England, wife of King Henry V: originally buried in the Lady Chapel, during renovations in the reign of King Henry VII, Catherine’s tomb was destroyed and her remains were placed in a wooden coffin which was placed alongside the tomb of her first husband King Henry V, in 1778, her remains were buried in the Villiers Vault in the St. Nicholas Chapel
• 1472 – Margaret of York, daughter of King Edward IV: died in infancy, her coffin was originally placed to fit in the steps of Edward the Confessor Chapel but it was moved to the edge of the chapel at the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
• 1485 – Anne Neville, Queen of England: buried in an unmarked grave to the right of the High Altar, next to the door to Edward the Confessor’s Chapel
• 1495 – Elizabeth Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII: died in early childhood, buried in a tomb on the north side of the Edward the Confessor Chapel
• 1503 – Elizabeth of York, Queen of England, daughter of King Edward IV and wife of King Henry VII: buried with her husband in a magnificent tomb in the Henry VII Chapel
• 1509 – King Henry VII of England: buried with his wife in a magnificent tomb in the Henry VII Chapel
• 1509 – Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby, mother of King Henry VII: buried in a tomb in the Henry VII Chapel situated between the later graves of William III and Mary II and the tomb of Mary, Queen of Scots.
• 1511 – Henry, Duke of Cornwall, son of King Henry VIII: died in infancy
• 1553 – King Edward VI of England: buried in a tomb in the Henry VII Chapel
• 1557 – Anne of Cleves, Queen of England, fourth wife of King Henry VIII: buried in a plain marble tomb on the south side of the altar
• 1558 – Queen Mary I of England: buried in a vault in the Henry VII Chapel she would eventually share with her Protestant half-sister and successor Queen Elizabeth I, the tomb erected above only has Elizabeth’s effigy
• 1559 – Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk, daughter of Mary Tudor and granddaughter of King Henry VII: buried in a tomb in St. Edmund’s Chapel
• 1578 – Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox, daughter of Margaret Tudor and granddaughter of King Henry VII, buried in a tomb in the Henry VII Chapel
• 1578 – Lady Mary Grey, daughter of Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk and granddaughter of Mary Tudor: buried in the tomb of her mother Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk, her grave is unmarked
• 1603 – Queen Elizabeth I of England: buried in a vault in the Henry VII Chapel that she shares with her Catholic half-sister Queen Mary I, the tomb erected above only has Elizabeth’s effigy
• 1606 – Sophia Stuart, daughter of King James I: died 48 hours after birth, buried in a monument that resembles a cradle near the tomb of Queen Elizabeth I in the Henry VII Chapel
• 1607 – Mary Stuart, daughter of King James I: died in early childhood, buried in a tomb opposite her sister Sophia’s tomb near the tomb of Queen Elizabeth I in the Henry VII’s Chapel
• 1612 (buried) Mary, Queen of Scots: died 1587, originally buried at Peterborough Cathedral, in 1612, Mary’s remains were exhumed upon the orders of her son King James I and were reburied in a marble tomb with a beautiful effigy directly across the aisle from the chapel containing the tomb of Queen Elizabeth I.
• 1612 – Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, son of King James I: died at age 18, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1615 – Lady Arbella Stuart, great-granddaughter of Margaret Tudor: buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1619 – Anne of Denmark, Queen of England, wife of King James I: buried in the vault of the Dukes of Buckinghamshire in the Henry VII Chapel
• 1625 – King James I of England: buried in the vault with King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, his great-great-grandparents
• 1629 – Charles James Stuart, Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay, firstborn of King Charles I: born and died the same day
• 1640 – Princess Anne, daughter of King Charles I: died in early childhood, buried next to her brother Charles James
• 1660 – Henry Stuart, Duke of Gloucester, son of King Charles I: buried in a vault under the monument of Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1660 – Mary, Princess Royal, Princess of Orange, daughter of King Charles I, mother of King William III: buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1661 – Charles Stuart, Duke of Cambridge, son of King James II: died in infancy, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1662 – Elizabeth Stuart, Electress Palatine, Queen of Bohemia, daughter of King James I: buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1667 – James Stuart, Duke of Cambridge, son of King James II: died in early childhood, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1667 – Charles Stuart, Duke of Kendal, son of King James II: died in infancy, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1669 – Henrietta Stuart, daughter of King James II: died in infancy, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1671 – Anne Hyde, Duchess of York, first wife of King James I: buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1671 – Edgar Stuart, Duke of Cambridge, son of King James II: died in early childhood, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1671 – Catherine Stuart, daughter of King James II: died in infancy, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1675 – Catherine Laura Stuart, daughter of King James II: died in infancy, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1677 – Charles, Duke of Cambridge, son of King James II: died in infancy, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1678 – Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of King James II: died in infancy
• 1681 – Isabella Stuart, daughter of King James II: died in early childhood, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1681 (buried) Charles FitzCharles, 1st Earl of Plymouth, an illegitimate son of King Charles II: died 1680, buried in what is now the Royal Air Force Memorial Chapel
• 1682 – Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Duke of Cumberland, nephew of King Charles I and cousin of King Charles II and King James II: buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1682 – Charlotte Maria, daughter of King James II: died in infancy
• 1684 – Charlotte FitzRoy, Countess of Yarmouth, illegitimate daughter of King Charles II
• 1684: Stillborn daughter of Queen Anne
• 1685 – King Charles II of England: buried in a vault under the monument to George Monck, Duke of Albemarle in the Henry VII Chapel
• 1686 – James Darnley, an illegitimate son of King James II: died in infancy, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1687 – Mary, daughter of Queen Anne: died in early childhood from smallpox, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1687 – Anne Sophia, daughter of Queen Anne: died in infancy from smallpox, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1687 – Stillborn son of Queen Anne
• 1690 – Mary, daughter of Queen Anne: premature, lived only two hours, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1692 – George, son of Queen Anne: lived only a few minutes, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1693 – Stillborn daughter of Queen Anne
• 1694 – Queen Mary II of England: buried in a vault under the monument to George Monck, Duke of Albemarle in the Henry VII Chapel
• 1700 – Stillborn son of Queen Anne
• 1700 – Prince William, Duke of Gloucester, only surviving child of Queen Anne: died at age 11, buried in a vault under the monument to Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1702 – King William III of England: buried in a vault under the monument to George Monck, Duke of Albemarle in the Henry VII Chapel
• 1708 – Prince George of Denmark, Duke of Cumberland, husband of Queen Anne: buried in a vault under the monument to George Monck, Duke of Albemarle in the Henry VII Chapel
• 1714 – Queen Anne of Great Britain: buried in a vault under the monument to George Monck, Duke of Albemarle in the Henry VII Chapel
• 1718 – Prince George William of Great Britain, son of King George II: died in infancy, buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1723 – Charles Lenox, 1st Duke of Richmond, an illegitimate son of King Charles II: buried in the vault of Esme Stuart, Duke of Richmond in the Henry VII Chapel
• 1726 – Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans, an illegitimate son of King Charles II
• 1730 – Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Cleveland, an illegitimate son of King Charles II: buried in the Duke of Ormond’s Vault
• 1737 – Caroline of Ansbach, Queen of Great Britain, wife of King George II: buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1743 – Lady Catherine Darnley, Duchess of Buckingham, an illegitimate daughter of King James II: buried in the vault of the Dukes of Buckingham in the Henry VII Chapel
• 1751 – Frederick, Prince of Wales, son of King George II and father of King George III: buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1757 – Princess Caroline of Great Britain, daughter of King George II: buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1759 – Princess Elizabeth of Great Britain, daughter of Frederick, Prince of Wales: died at age 18, buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1760 – King George II of Great Britain: buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1765 – Prince Frederick of Great Britain, son of Frederick, Prince of Wales: died at age 15, buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1765 – Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, son of King George II: buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1767 – Prince Edward, Duke of York and Albany, son of Frederick, Prince of Wales: buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1768 – Princess Louisa of Great Britain, daughter of Frederick, Prince of Wales, died at age 19, buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1772 – Augusta of Saxe-Gotha- Altenburg, Dowager Princess of Wales, wife of Frederick, Prince of Wales and mother of King George III: buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1782 – Prince Alfred of Great Britain, son of King George III: died in early childhood, first buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel, moved to St. George’s Chapel, Windsor in 1820
• 1783 – Prince Octavius of Great Britain, son of King George III: died in early childhood, first buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel, moved to St. George’s Chapel, Windsor in 1820
• 1786 – Princess Amelia of Great Britain, daughter of King George II: buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel
• 1790 – Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland, son of Frederick, Prince of Wales: buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel

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Royal Weddings

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Before the 20th century, most royal weddings were small, private, family affairs. Some royal weddings were in churches and chapels and some were in palaces and castles. Westminster Abbey was the wedding venue for several royal weddings beginning with the wedding of King Henry III and Matilda of Scotland in 1100 and including the wedding of King Richard II to Anne of Bohemia in 1382. There would not be another royal wedding in Westminster Abbey until 1919 when Queen Victoria’s granddaughter Princess Patricia of Connaught married The Honorable Alexander Ramsay. From the wedding of King Henry III and Matilda of Scotland in 1100 to the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011 (photo above), there have been only sixteen royal weddings at Westminster Abbey.

• November 11, 1100 – Henry I, King of England (son of King William I) married Edith of Scotland (renamed Matilda upon her marriage)
• January 4, 1243 – Richard, Earl of Cornwall (son of King John) married Sanchia of Provence
• April 8, 1269 – Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster (son of King Henry III) married  Aveline de Forz
• April 30, 1290 – Joan of Acre (daughter of King Edward I) married Gilbert de Clare, 7th Earl of Gloucester
• November 14, 1302 – Elizabeth of Rhuddlan (daughter of King Edward I) married Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford
• January 22, 1382 – Richard II, King of England (grandson of King Edward III) married ( ) Anne of Bohemia
• February 27,  1919 – Princess Patricia of Connaught (granddaughter of Queen Victoria) married The Honorable Alexander Ramsay
• February 28, 1922 – Mary, Princess Royal (daughter of King George V) married Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood – (Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Mary, Princess Royal and Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood)
• April 26, 1923 – Prince Albert, Duke of York later George VI, King of the United Kingdom (son of King George V) married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon – (Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of King George VI and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon)
• November 29, 1934 – Prince George, Duke of Kent (son of King George V) married Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark – (Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Prince George, Duke of Kent and Princess Marina of Greece)
• November 20, 1947 – Princess Elizabeth, later Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom, (daughter of King George VI) married Lt Philip Mountbatten (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later The Duke of Edinburgh) – (Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Queen Elizabeth II and Lt Philip Mountbatten)
• May 6, 1960 – Princess Margaret (daughter of King George VI) married Antony Armstrong-Jones (later 1st Earl of Snowdon) – (Unofficial Royalty – Wedding of Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones)
• April 24, 1963 – Princess Alexandra of Kent (granddaughter of King George V) married The Honorable Angus Ogilvy
• November 14, 1973 – Princess Anne, later The Princess Royal (daughter of Queen Elizabeth II) married Mark Phillips – (Unofficial Royalty – Wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips)
• July 23, 1986 – Prince Andrew, Duke of York (son of Queen Elizabeth II) married Sarah Ferguson – (Unofficial Royalty – Wedding of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson)
• April 29, 2011 – Prince William, The Prince of Wales, then The Duke of Cambridge (grandson of Queen Elizabeth II) married Catherine Middleton – (Unofficial Royalty – Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton)

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Burials and memorials in Westminster Abbey – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burials_and_memorials_in_Westminster_Abbey> [Accessed 10 July 2021].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2021. List of British coronations – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_coronations> [Accessed 10 July 2021].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Westminster Abbey – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_Abbey> [Accessed 10 July 2021].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2018. Westminster Abbey: Royal Burials. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/westminster-abbey-royal-burials/> [Accessed 10 July 2021].
• Fox, Adam, 1984. Westminster Abbey. Andover: Pitkin Pictorials.
• Jenkyns, Richard, 2005. Westminster Abbey. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
• Unofficial Royalty. 2021. British Royal Weddings. [online] Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-weddings/british-royal-weddings/> [Accessed 10 July 2021].
• Westminster Abbey. 2021. A royal church | Westminster Abbey. [online] Available at: <https://www.westminster-abbey.org/> [Accessed 10 July 2021].

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

St. Mary Magdalene Church; Credit – By Elliott Brown – Flickr: The Church of St Mary Magdalene, Sandringham, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28380611

In 1862, the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII, purchased the 8,000-acre Sandringham Estate from William Cowper-Temple, 1st Baron Mount Temple, as a country home for him and his future wife Princess Alexandra of Denmark. Like Balmoral in Scotland, the Sandringham Estate is the private property of the British Sovereign.

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Prince Philip, Prince Edward, Prince Charles, Princess of Wales (red coat with a black hat), Peter Phillips, Prince William (holding flowers), Zara Phillips, Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth II (purple coat), Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (blue coat), Prince Harry, Princess Margaret after the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church on December 25, 1993

St. Mary Magdalene Church, located in Sandringham, Norfolk, England, is just southwest of Sandringham House. Sandringham Estate staff regularly use the church and when in residence at Sandringham, members of the British royal family attend services at St. Mary Magdalene Church which usually includes Christmas services.

Chancel of St. Mary Magdalene Church; Credit – By Andrewrabbott – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80579847

The church dates to the 16th century and was restored by architects Samuel Sanders Teulon in 1855 and Arthur Blomfield in 1890. King Edward VII commissioned Charles Eamer Kempe, a designer and a manufacturer of stained glass, to create some of the church decorations and the stained glass in the east window.

The altar presented to Queen Alexandra by the American department store owner Rodman Wanamaker; Credit – By Andrewrabbott – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80579848

The church’s silver altar and altarpiece were created by the silversmiths Barkentin & Krall and were presented to Queen Alexandra as a memorial to King Edward VII by the American department store owner Rodman Wanamaker, a patron of many important commissions in the field of liturgical arts. Wanamaker also presented Queen Alexandra with the silver pulpit and a silver 17th-century Spanish processional cross.

The pulpit presented to Queen Alexandra by the American department store owner, Rodman Wanamaker; Credit – By Andrewrabbott – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80579846

On the walls of the church are memorials to several members of the British royal family.

Memorial to Prince Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duke of Edinburgh; Credit – By Andrewrabbott – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80579763

Memorial to King George V; Credit – By Basher Eyre, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70591702

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Christenings

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Christening of Princess Eugenie of York

• Prince Albert (later King George VI), son of Prince George, Duke of York, later Prince of Wales and King George V – christened February 10, 1896
• Princess Mary (later Princess Royal), daughter of Prince George, Duke of York, later Prince of Wales and King George V – christened June 7, 1897
• Prince Alexander of Denmark (later King Olav V of Norway), son of Prince Carl of Denmark and Princess Maud of Wales, later King Haakon VII and Queen Maud of Norway – christened August 11, 1903
• Prince John, son of Prince George, Prince of Wales, later King George V – christened August 3, 1905
• The Honorable Diana Spencer (later The Princess of Wales), daughter of John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer, first wife of King Charles III – christened August 30, 1961
• Princess Eugenie of York, daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York – christened December 23, 1990
• Princess Charlotte of Wales, daughter of Prince William, The Prince of Wales – christened July 5, 2015

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Burials

Graves of Prince John and Prince Alexander John; Credit – www.findagrave.com

• Prince Alexander John (April 6, 1871 – April 7, 1871), son of The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII
• Prince John (1905 – 1919), son of King George V

Relatives of Diana, Princess of Wales

St. Mary Magdalene Churchyard; Credit – By Immanuel Giel – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70288455

The family of Diana, Princess of Wales has a connection to Sandringham Estate. Park House, located on the Sandringham Estate, just to the west of Sandringham House, was the birthplace of Diana. However, the family history goes back a little further. In the 1930s, King George V leased Park House to his friend Maurice Roche, 4th Baron Fermoy. Baron Fermoy and his wife Ruth, later a Woman of the Bedchamber and close confidante to The Queen Mother, had three children, all born at Park House, including Diana’s mother The Honorable Frances Ruth Roche. When Frances married John Spencer, Viscount Althorp, the couple took over the lease on Park House from her parents. Diana was born there seven years later, and her father retained the lease on Park House until 1975 when he became the 8th Earl Spencer and the family moved to the Spencer family home Althorp.

Because of this family connection, several members of Diana’s family are buried in the churchyard at St. Mary Magdalene Church.

• Maurice Roche, 4th Baron Fermoy (1885 – 1955), Diana’s maternal grandfather
• The Honorable John Spencer (born and died January 12, 1960), Diana’s brother
• The Honorable Elizabeth Burke Roche (March 27, 1966 – April 2, 1966), Diana’s first cousin, daughter of Edmund Roche, 5th Baron Fermoy
• Edmund Roche, 5th Baron Fermoy (1939 – 1984), died by suicide, Diana’s maternal uncle
• Ruth Roche, Baroness Fermoy (1908 – 1993), Diana’s maternal grandmother

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Resting of King George V’s Coffin

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In his final years, King George V had several medical issues exacerbated by his habit of smoking including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pleurisy. On January 15, 1936, King George V went to bed at Sandringham House complaining of a cold, gradually became weaker, and drifted in and out of consciousness. On January 20, when the king was close to death, his doctors issued a bulletin with words that became famous: “The King’s life is moving peacefully towards its close.” As the king lay dying of bronchitis, Bertrand Dawson, 1st Viscount Dawson of Penn, Physician-in-Ordinary to King George V, gave him a lethal injection of cocaine and morphine, thereby hastening his death to ensure that the announcement of the death would appear first in the morning edition of The Times and not in some lesser publication in the afternoon. Before King George V’s coffin was taken to London to lie in state at Westminster Hall, it rested at St. Mary Magdalene Church. His funeral was held at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor.

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Resting of King George VI’s Coffin

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Suffering from lung cancer, King George VI died in his sleep on February 6, 1952, at Sandringham House. His coffin rested at St. Mary Magdalene Church until it was taken to London on February 11, 1952, to lie-in-state at Westminster Hall. His funeral was held at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor.

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Works Cited

• Britain Express, 2021. Sandringham, St Mary Magdalene Church | History & Photos. [online] Britain Express. Available at: <https://www.britainexpress.com/counties/norfolk/churches/sandringham.htm> [Accessed 23 May 2021].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2021. St Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mary_Magdalene_Church,_Sandringham> [Accessed 23 May 2021].
• Mehl, Scott, 2013. Park House, Sandringham Estate. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/park-house-sandringham-estate/> [Accessed 23 May 2021].
• Mehl, Scott, 2015. Sandringham House. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/sandringham-house/> [Accessed 23 May 2021].
• Sandringhamestate.co.uk. 2021. Sandringham. [online] Available at: <https://sandringhamestate.co.uk/attractions/sandringham-church> [Accessed 23 May 2021].