What is Westminster Abbey?
Westminster Abbey is a large Gothic church in London where English and British monarchs have been crowned since 1066. It is also the burial place of many kings, queens, poets and scientists.
A church was founded on the site in the 10th century, and Edward the Confessor built a large abbey in the 11th century. Most of the current building dates from the reign of Henry III in the 1200s.
William the Conqueror was crowned there on Christmas Day 1066, and every coronation since has taken place in the abbey, including that of King Charles III in 2023.
Burials and memorials
More than 3,000 people are buried or commemorated in the abbey. Poets' Corner contains memorials to writers such as Geoffrey Chaucer, Charles Dickens and Jane Austen.
Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Stephen Hawking are buried or commemorated in the abbey. The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior honors soldiers who died in World War I.
The abbey has hosted many royal weddings, including those of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011 and Queen Elizabeth II in 1947. The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II was held there in 2022.