The Abbey has been the site of the coronation of every monarch since William the Conqueror, with the exception of two kings: Edward V and Edward VIII. Thirteen-year-old King Edward V reigned from April to June 1483 and was not crowned before he was deposed (and probably murdered) by King Richard III. Edward VIII abdicated the throne less than a year after he became king to marry Wallis Simpson.
“The coronation is very ritualistic. It’s not just a showcase of him showing that he’s [now the] king. It’s a whole procedure where he walks in a man and he comes out a king,” Cohen explains, stressing the importance of the coronation. “That’s really different. We don’t tend to see it that way, so that’s kind of neat. This man is going to be anointed king, which they’ve done ever since the Old Testament. The standard book for this was written—the one that they’re using—[it] goes back to the 13th century. That’s really cool.”
It’s been the site of 16 royal weddings
Many royal couples have chosen the Abbey as the site of their nuptials. Among the notable ceremonies are King Henry I and Queen Matilda of Scotland in 1100, King Richard II and Queen Anne of Bohemia in 1382, King George and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) in 1923, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 1947, and Prince William and Princess Catherine of Wales in 2011.
It’s the final resting place of around 3,300 prominent British figures and monarchs
Kings and queens have long been buried at Westminster Abbey, including Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots. Important figures are also interred throughout the building, including a who’s who of politicians, writers, scientists, and musicians, such as Isaac Newton, Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Charles Dickens, Laurence Olivier, and Stephen Hawking. “There’s so much in the building, but,…