Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey A royal church offering daily services for all and a World Heritage Site with over a thousand years of history.
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The Abbey has been the Coronation church since 1066, and the setting for many other great events in the life of the nation. It is the burial place of kings and queens, and of other distinguished figures in the nation’s history, from writers and musicians to politicians and scientists.

'Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice'Psalm 105: 3
10/06/2026

'Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice'
Psalm 105: 3

Our memorial to poet Percy Shelley was dedicated in 1954. One of the most renowned poets of the Romantic period, he is...
10/06/2026

Our memorial to poet Percy Shelley was dedicated in 1954. One of the most renowned poets of the Romantic period, he is remembered for his works such as Ode to the West Wind and Ozymandias. His memorial adjoins that to his fellow poet John Keats in Poets’ Corner.

Architect and stained glass designer Sir John Ninian Comper was born in 1864.Among the works he designed for the Abbey...
10/06/2026

Architect and stained glass designer Sir John Ninian Comper was born in 1864.

Among the works he designed for the Abbey is a series of eight windows in the nave, each depicting an English king with an abbot of Westminster of the same era. They are:

King Edgar and St Dunstan
Edward the Confessor and Edwin
Henry III and Richard de Ware
Edward I and Walter de Wenlock
Edward III and Simon Langham
Richard II and Nicholas Litlyngton
Henry V and William Colchester
Henry VI and Richard Harweden

Comper was died in 1960 and his ashes are buried in the Abbey, close to the windows which bring so much light and colour into the nave.

'The spirit of the Lord is upon me... he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken hearted'...
09/06/2026

'The spirit of the Lord is upon me... he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken hearted'
Isaiah 61: 1

Charles Dickens, author of some of the greatest novels in the English language, died in 1870.Dickens is buried among o...
09/06/2026

Charles Dickens, author of some of the greatest novels in the English language, died in 1870.

Dickens is buried among other literary powerhouses in the Abbey's Poets' Corner. Only twelve mourners attended the funeral, but the grave was left open as thousands of people paid their respects by throwing roses on his coffin.

Dickens’ grave remains one of the most popular among visitors to the Abbey, many thousands of whom come from around the world each year to see the monuments to some of the most distinguished figures from our history.

'For it is the God who said, 'Light will shine out of darkness,' who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the kn...
08/06/2026

'For it is the God who said, 'Light will shine out of darkness,' who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ'
2 Corinthians 4: 6

June's Memorial of the Month talks highlight the life of Aphra Behn. Buried in the Cloisters, she was one of the first E...
08/06/2026

June's Memorial of the Month talks highlight the life of Aphra Behn. Buried in the Cloisters, she was one of the first English women to earn a living through her writing. Her plays, poetry and prose engage with politics, gender, power and social expectation in ways that still resonate today.

You can find out more at 10-minute talks running in Poets' Corner at 10:30am on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout June. These drop-in sessions are free with entry to the Abbey, and there's no need to book.

The Abbey has been a place of worship since the tenth century. Our doors are open every day for services and everyone is...
08/06/2026

The Abbey has been a place of worship since the tenth century. Our doors are open every day for services and everyone is welcome to join us.

'Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.'Psalm 98: 4
07/06/2026

'Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.'
Psalm 98: 4

This is the tomb of Ludovic Stuart, Duke of Richmond and Lennox, and his wife Frances, who are buried in the Abbey's Lad...
07/06/2026

This is the tomb of Ludovic Stuart, Duke of Richmond and Lennox, and his wife Frances, who are buried in the Abbey's Lady Chapel. Stuart was a Scottish nobleman and a cousin of James VI and I.

The tomb's domed canopy is supported by grand life-size figures of Hope (pictured below), Truth, Charity and Faith, and is topped with the figure of Fame. It was fashionable for tombs of the nobility in the 16th century to feature statues like these of the classical virtues.

Our memorial to actress Dame Peggy Ashcroft was dedicated in 2005. Her career spanned more than six decades, and she w...
07/06/2026

Our memorial to actress Dame Peggy Ashcroft was dedicated in 2005. Her career spanned more than six decades, and she was well-known for her Shakespearean and classical roles, as well as her Oscar-winning screen performance in A Passage to India. Her memorial can be found in Poets’ Corner, close to the grave of Sir Laurence Olivier with whom she often worked.

'Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.'2 Corinthians 3: 17
06/06/2026

'Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.'
2 Corinthians 3: 17

Our memorial to writer Edward Lear was dedicated in 1988. Lear is well-known for his collection of nonsense poems and ...
06/06/2026

Our memorial to writer Edward Lear was dedicated in 1988. Lear is well-known for his collection of nonsense poems and limericks such as The Owl and the Pussy-cat as well as his illustrations, some of which feature in books of Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poems. You can find his memorial in Poets’ Corner.

This book, the Gigantick History of Westminster Abbey, is one of a series describing the sights of London for children. ...
06/06/2026

This book, the Gigantick History of Westminster Abbey, is one of a series describing the sights of London for children. Published in 1742, it's just 10cm x 12cm and includes this charming drawing of our North Front. It's on display in our museum, The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries.

Week

'Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who ...
05/06/2026

'Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.'
Luke 11: 9-10

Everyone's welcome in the Abbey at 5pm on Sunday for a recital by organist Iain Quinn, who'll be playing music by Bridge...
05/06/2026

Everyone's welcome in the Abbey at 5pm on Sunday for a recital by organist Iain Quinn, who'll be playing music by Bridge, Rachmaninoff and Franck.

Places are free and there's no need to book.

Westminster Abbey is home to the 13th-century Westminster Retable, England's oldest altarpiece. Designed for Henry III'...
05/06/2026

Westminster Abbey is home to the 13th-century Westminster Retable, England's oldest altarpiece. Designed for Henry III's Abbey, the retable is made of painted and gilded wood, and decorated with metalwork, enamel and glass.

This detail shows Christ holding a globe of the world decorated with minute images of the sun and moon, a boat on water, trees, sheep and birds.

The retable is on permanent display in our museum, The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend and Right Honourable Dame Sarah Mullally, made her first formal visit to...
05/06/2026

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend and Right Honourable Dame Sarah Mullally, made her first formal visit to Westminster Abbey when she attended Sung Eucharist on the feast of Corpus Christi yesterday.

The Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, welcomed the Archbishop to the Abbey, saying: ‘We rejoiced at the news of your appointment. We have heard you call us to be a church for the whole nation and the world and to have the audacity to believe in the promises of God. It is a privilege to share that ministry with you. We offer you our thanks for all that you have done and our support and our prayers in the great task you have before you. You will always be welcome here as our Archbishop and as our friend in Christ.’

'Jesus said: 'I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the br...
04/06/2026

'Jesus said: 'I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.''
John 6: 51

Glance up when you're outside the Abbey and you'll spot these grotesques and gargoyles - including the carved figures of...
04/06/2026

Glance up when you're outside the Abbey and you'll spot these grotesques and gargoyles - including the carved figures of dragons, lions and dogs - decorating the walls and looking out across the London skyline.

Together, they've witnessed centuries of history unfold around them. We wonder what stories they could tell...

Today is the feast of , a day of thanksgiving for the institution of Holy Communion.Everyone is welcome to join us at o...
04/06/2026

Today is the feast of , a day of thanksgiving for the institution of Holy Communion.

Everyone is welcome to join us at our services in the Abbey today, including Eucharist sung by The Choir of Westminster Abbey at 5:00pm.

'Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will ...
03/06/2026

'Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty''
John 6: 35

This is the personal prayer book of Lady Margaret Beaufort, the mother of Henry VII and one of the most significant figu...
03/06/2026

This is the personal prayer book of Lady Margaret Beaufort, the mother of Henry VII and one of the most significant figures of the Tudor dynasty.

The prayer book is more than 500 years old, and its pages are beautifully decorated with gold leaf. On the left hand page here is an illustration of a dove, which symbolises both peace and the Holy Spirit.

You can see the prayer book when you visit our museum, The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries.

Inside the Abbey's St Edmund's chapel is the tomb of Edward Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury (died 1618), and his wife Lady Ja...
03/06/2026

Inside the Abbey's St Edmund's chapel is the tomb of Edward Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury (died 1618), and his wife Lady Jane.

Edward predeceased his wife, and she commissioned a large monument for him made of alabaster and marble. His effigy wears armour, with a talbot (a medieval hunting dog) at his feet. Jane was buried with him following her death in 1626 and her effigy wears an ermine-lined red mantle, with a griffin at her feet.

'Restore us again, O God of our salvation... Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.'Psalm 85:...
02/06/2026

'Restore us again, O God of our salvation... Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.'
Psalm 85: 4, 7

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20 Dean's Yard
London
SW1P3PA

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