This trip to London had been initiated by a desire to visit the family memorials at Westminster Abbey. From the coronation of William the Conqueror on Christmas Day 1066 through Edward I, my ancestors occupied the throne of England. After that various relatives led, sheriffed, knighted and served in various offices. But the ones who made the history books were easiest to track down.
Westminster Abbey was founded in 960 by Benedictine monks as a center for spiritual devotion. Its hard to imagine the skills and the architectural abilities needed to construct these enormous edifices in the eras of hand-building.
Many of my family members are buried at Westminster and others are commemorated there. All British royalty has been crowned at the Abbey since William the Conqueror’s coronation on Christmas Day 1066. We saw the tombs of Edward I, Henry VII, Queen Anne, and his wife Elizabeth of York, plaques in remembrance of Shakespeare and other writers, poets and notables.
As we exited the Abbey, we saw television crews and groups in the streets near Parliament. After the Brexit vote, the legislators were working out the details for Britain’s exit from the European Union.
A few blocks away, you’ll find the Tate, home of many of Britain’s favorite works of art.
