STER N I TM WES BBEY A
WESTMINSTER ABBEYWestminster Abbey ,one of the most famous cathedrals in Central London is a great example of gothic architecture which has served an important role in British political, social and cultural affairs for a long time.The cathedral is no longer an abbey, in spite of its name. It is still known for religious activities even though it no longer houses monks or nuns. Westminster Abbey has been the place of royal coronations since 1066 and has been serving religious activities since the 10th century. It was Situated on the grounds of a former Benedictine monastery. Westminster Abbey stands on Thorny Island , opposite river Thames. it was traditionally occupied as a site of a church built by Saberht ,the first Christian king of the East Saxons,in A.D 616. Then It was refounded as the Collegiate Church of St. Peter in Westminster by Queen Elizabeth I in 1560. A new church was built on the site on December 28, 1065 by St. Edward. .
Later, kings started pulling down, rebuilding , adding to and repairing the Abbey Church and so its character changed from Norman to Gothic. In 1245 Henry III reconverted St. Edward’s church into present day abbey church into Gothic style of architecture of the period. The rulers and kings were strongly inspired by the contemporary French architecture which was seen in the design of the Abbey.The following awesome expansion to the Abbey was the development of a great new Lady Chapel by Henry VII in the vicinity of 1503 and 1519 which replaced the thirteenth century house of prayer. This was blessed on 19 February 1516. The Perpendicular engineering here is in all out differentiation to whatever is left of the Abbey .(1)
yIII r n e H d n a l g of En
Henry III of EnglandHenry III was born at Winchester Castle in 1207. He was the son of King John and Isabella of Angoulême. After his father John’s death in 1216, Henry was crowned in Gloucester Cathedral when he was just nine years old after his father John’s death. He was the first child monarch since the Norman Invasion of England in 1066. To restore royal authority, Henry married Eleanor of Provence and he promoted many of his French relatives to higher positions of power and wealth. For the renovation of Westminster Abbey , Henry appointed French architects from Rheims which provided the Gothic style to the Abbey. Work began, in 1245 and a lot of expenses went in the reconstruction .Westminster Abbey was to be a shrine to the confessor king, Edward. The shrine to Edward the Confessor lasted till 1269, and the saint’s relics were installed. Henry III died in 1272 . (2)
Source (1) Westminster Abbey | Facts, History, Burials, & Architecture , Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/ topic/Westminster-Abbey (2) English Monarchs - A complete history of the Kings and Queens of England, Englishmonarchs.co.uk , http://www. englishmonarchs.co.uk/plantagenet_4.htm