Westminster Abbey in History

Crowned King of Wessex

Helps Edward design Westminster Abbey

Founds Westminster Abbey

Edward's great abbey church at Westminster is completed shortly before its consecration.

Consecrates Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey is consecrated on 28 December, but Edward is too ill to attend the ceremony.

Edward's new abbey church is consecrated on 28 December 1065.

Edward's new Westminster Abbey is consecrated while the king remains gravely ill and unable to attend.

Present at the consecration of the new abbey church of Westminster, last public act

Present at the consecration of the new abbey church of Westminster

Stigand is associated with the royal church at Westminster when the new abbey is consecrated.

Crowns Harold II as King of England

Crowns Harold II as King of England

Harold Godwinson is crowned king after the death of Edward the Confessor

Ignores the oath made to William Duke of Normandy in 1064. Crowned King of England, on the same day Halleys comet is seen, an ominous portent

Harold ignores the oath made to William Duke of Normandy in 1064

Harold ignores the oath made to William Duke of Normandy in 1064

Harold Godwinson is crowned king after the death of Edward the Confessor

Ignores the oath made to William Duke of Normandy in 1064. Crowned King of England, on the same day Halleys comet is seen, an ominous portent

Harold ignores the oath made to William Duke of Normandy in 1064

Harold ignores the oath made to William Duke of Normandy in 1064

Crowns William I the Conqueror as the King of England

Ealdred of York performs the coronation of William as king of England

Crowned King of England on Christmas day, the 1st coronation in the Abbey

At his coronation William promises to uphold the laws and customs of his new kingdom.

Crowns William I the Conqueror as the King of England

Crowned King of England on Christmas day, the 1st coronation in the Abbey

Ealdred of York performs the coronation of William as king of England

Ealdred presents William to the congregation and conducts the English part of the Christmas Day coronation ceremony.

William's wife Matilda is crowned Queen of England, reinforcing the legitimacy and public standing of the new dynasty.

Crowned King of England

Crowned in Westminster Abbey

Crowned in Westminster Abbey

Crowned King of England, on St Stephens Day

Stephens wife, Matilda, was crowned Queen Consort at Westminster Abbey

Crowned for a 2nd time with Stephen by Archbishop Theobald

Crowned King for the 3rd time

Crowned in Westminster Abbey, "By The Grace Of God, Henry II, King Of England", thus the first to be crowned "King of England", as opposed to "King of the English".

Henry used the title Rex Angliae, Dux Normaniae et Aquitaniae et Comes Andigaviae (King of England, Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, Count of Anjou).

The 1st Angevin King.

The Count of Anjou, son of Matilda daughter of Henry I & Geoffrey Plantagenet.

Henry used the title Rex Angliae, Dux Normaniae et Aquitaniae et Comes Andigaviae (King of England, Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, Count of Anjou)

Crowned by the Archbishop of York despite the rights of the Archbishop of Canterbury

Infringes the rights of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Crowns Prince Henry against public opinion

Offers Becket the chance to return to England & recrown Prince Henry, Becket accepts. Crowned by Archbishop Roger of York in violation of the rights of Thomas a Becket

Crowns Henry II King of England

Recrowns Henry II

Will spend 6 months of his reign in England. Crowned King of England, 1st time

Crowned King of England

John & Isabel are crowned together at Westminster Abbey

A simple golden band was placed on the young boys head, not by the Archbishop of Canterbury but by another clergyman-either Peter des Roches, Bishop of Winchester or Cardinal Guala Bicchieri, the Papal legate.

Henry III is inducted for a 2nd time.

Henry III swears an oath to defend the Church of God.

Henry III swears an oath to protect the peace of clergy and people and to defend the law.

Henry III was the first monarch to be crowned while still a minor.

Lays the foundation stone of Lady Chapel

Crowned for a 2nd time, in Westminster Abbey. A second coronation is ordered by Pope Honorius III who did not consider that the first had been carried out in accordance with church rites

Carries out the 2nd coronation of Henry III

Officiates at the Coronation of Eleanor of Provence at Westminster

The 19 year old is crowned Queen

Officiates as High Steward at the coronation of Henry IIIs Queen, Eleanor of Provence

Lays the foundation stone for the complete rebuilding of Westminster Abbey

Edwards remains are moved from his tomb behind the high alter to a new shrine. Confessors Day

Placed in Westminster Abbey where the Confessors bones had been removed

Crowned King of England

Crowned at Westminster Abbey by the Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Kilwardby

Crowns Edward I at Westminster Abbey

Buried at Westminster Abbey

Crowned King of England, son of Edward I

Buried in Westminster Abbey

New coronation oath binds the King to keep laws passed by consent of the realm

New coronation oath binds the King to keep laws passed by consent of the realm

New coronation oath binds the King to keep laws passed by consent of the realm

Crowned 3 months before the birth of her 1st son, the Black Prince

Given a state funeral and interred at Westminster Abbey. Her tomb was placed on the northeast side of the Chapel of Edward the Confessor and on the opposite side of her husband's grandparents Edward I and Eleanor of Castile and great grandfather Henry III

Bears the sword & spurs at Richard IIs coronation

Crowned in Westminster Abbey, 10 yr old grandson of Edward III

Crowns Richard II at Westminster Abbey

Crowned at Westminster Abbey

Buried in Westminster Abbey

With the agreement of Parliament becomes the 1st Lancastrian King of England. Founds the House of Lancaster, 1399-1461

Death of Henry IV, has a stroke praying in the Jerusalem Chamber, as prophesised

Coronation of Catherine of Valois, Queen to Henry V

Coronation of Catherine of Valois, Queen to Henry V

Coronation of Henry VI

Crowned King of England

Secures Henry VIs coronation as King of France after arresting Joan of Arc

Crowns Henry VI as King of France

Buried in Westminster Abbey

Returns to England to witness the coronation of his brother Edward IV

Crowns Edward IV

Crowned King after the Battle of Towton & founds the House of York, 1461-85

Crowns Edward IVs Queen, Elizabeth Woodville

Crowned Queen of England

Crowns Richard III

Makes arrangements for the coronation of Richard III

Carries the Sword of State into Westminster Abbey for Richard IIIs coronation

Carries the crown into Westminster Abbey for Richard IIIs coronation

Carries Queen Annes train at Richard IIIs coronation

Crowned in Westminster by Cardinal Bourchier

Buried in Westminster Abbey in an unmarked grave to the right of the High Altar, next to the door to the Confessors Chapel

Crowned King of England, 1st Tudor monarch

Crowns Henry VII

Henry VII marries Elizabeth of York, uniting the Tudor claim with the senior Yorkist line.

Elizabeth of York is crowned Queen Consort at Westminster Abbey.

It was not until more than a year after their first child, Arthur, was born on September 20, 1486, that Elizabeth is crowned queen. Henry VII has Elizabeth crowned as his Queen Consort, eldest daughter of Edward IV

The foundation stone of Henry VII's Lady Chapel is laid at Westminster Abbey as a major royal religious and dynastic project.

Elizabeth of York is buried at Westminster Abbey

Crowns Henry VIII & Catherine of Aragon

Henry VII is buried beside Elizabeth of York in the Lady Chapel he had founded at Westminster Abbey.

Crowned Queen of England

Followed by a banquet in Westminster hall, "greater than any Caesar had known". Crowned at Westminster

Death of Margaret Beaufort

Buried in the Henry VII Lady Chapel of the Abbey, in a black marble tomb topped with a bronze gilded effigy and canopy. She is now situated between the later graves of William and Mary and the tomb of Mary, Queen of Scots

Crowned Queen of France

Sends 200 men to guard over James Vs coronation, invited by the Earl of Angus

Appointed Steward of Westminster Abbey

Refuses to attend the coronation of Anne Boleyn

Goes from Greenwich to the Tower of London by the River Thames escorted by 50 barges

Crowned on Whit Sunday, the last Queen Consort to be accorded a separate coronation

Anne Boleyn is crowned Queen

Anne Boleyn is crowned Queen of England at Westminster Abbey.

Crowns Anne Boleyn Queen of England

Edward VI is crowned at Westminster Abbey while still a minor.

Archbishop Thomas Cranmer preaches at Edward's coronation and presents the young king's rule in strongly reforming religious terms.

Helps get Lady Jane Grey crowned Queen, married to his 2nd son Lord Guildford Dudley

Proclaims Lady Jane Grey Queen after Edward's death. Helps get Lady Jane Grey crowned Queen, married to his 2nd son Lord Guildford Dudley. Gets Edward VI to alter the succession to Lady Jane Grey

Under the influence of the Duke of Northumberland, lady Jane Grey is crowned Queen. Mary & Elizabeth were removed from the succession

Edward VI is buried in Henry VII's Lady Chapel at Westminster Abbey using the reformed English service.

Crowned Queen of England, the 2nd Queen since the Norman conquest

Buried in Westminster Abbey

A Coronation procession is held in the streets of the City of London

Elizabeth is crowned Queen of England at Westminster Abbey

Buried in Westminster Abbey

Elizabeths funeral takes place in Westminster Abbey

Coronation of James I, great grandson of James IV & Margaret Tudor

Crowned King of England

Attends the burial of James I in state as the chief mourner at Westminster Abbey

Charles I attends in state as the chief mourner at Westminster Abbey

Charles I buries the Buckingham in the Chapel of Henry VII, reserved for royalty

Buried in Westminster Abbey

Given a Presbyterian Coronation at Scone

Charles II is crowned at Westminster Abbey on Saint George's Day.

Charles II is crowned at Westminster Abbey, formalising the restored monarchy.

James Duke of York takes part in the coronation ceremony of his brother Charles II.

Juxon crowns Charles II at Westminster Abbey during the Restoration coronation.

Buried in Westminster Abbey after a state funeral honouring his role in the Restoration.

Buried in Westminster Abbey

Crowned alongside Mary of Modena, using Anglican rights in Westminster Abbey

Crowned jointly with William III at Westminster Abbey

William III of Orange and Mary II are crowned jointly at Westminster Abbey as King and Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland.

Crowned jointly with Mary II at Westminster Abbey

Swears the coronation oath jointly with William III

Swears the coronation oath under the Revolution settlement

Performs the coronation of William III and Mary II after William Sancroft refuses

At his coronation, William III of Orange swears the revised oath to govern according to statutes agreed in Parliament.

Normally, the Archbishop of Canterbury performs coronations, but the Archbishop at the time, William Sancroft, although an Anglican, refused to recognise the validity of James IIs removal. Crowned jointly with William III, Queen of England, Scotland & Ireland

The Convention of the Estates of Scotland - which was much more divided than the English Parliament - finally declares that James is no longer King of Scotland

Purcell wrote special anthems & Archbishop Tenison preaches the service. Attended by both Houses of Parliament

Crowned Queen of England, last Stuart monarch

Anne is crowned at Westminster Abbey while suffering from gout.