Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey, officially the Collegiate Church of St Peter in Westminster, is an Anglican church in
the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066 it has been the coronation site of 39 English and
English kings [5] and the burial place of 18 English, Scottish and English kings [6]. At least 16 royal
marriages have been performed at this monastery since 1100.[7]

Although the origins of the church are unclear, there must have been an abbey on the site that housed
Benedictine monks in the mid-10th century.[8] The church received its first major construction in 1060
under the patronage of the English King Edward the Confessor, who is buried in it.[9] Construction of
today's church began in 1245 by order of Henry III.[10] The Priory was abolished in 1559 and the church
was converted by Elizabeth I into a royal church - a church of the Church of England that answered
directly to rulers.[11] In 1987 the Abbey, together with the Palace of Westminster and St Margaret's
Church, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its Outstanding Universal Value.[12]