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The Great Britain Guide

Chapels · London

Henry VII Chapel

Henry VII Chapel — chapel within Westminster Abbey, England.

Henry VII Chapel

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Plan your visit

Typical visit
20 min–45 min
Nearest railway station
Westminster · 0.3 km

About

Henry VII Chapel is a chapel in the United Kingdom. Built in the Gothic art style. Affiliated with Church of England. Named after Mary. Part of Westminster Abbey. Wikidata describes it as: "chapel within Westminster Abbey, England". Coordinates: 51.4993°, -0.1266°.

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From the Wikipedia article

The Henry VII Lady Chapel, now more often known just as the Henry VII Chapel, is a large Lady chapel at the far eastern end of Westminster Abbey, England, paid for by the will of King Henry VII. It is separated from the rest of the abbey by brass gates and a flight of stairs. The structure of the chapel is a three-aisled nave composed of four bays, leading to an apse, which contains the altar, and behind that the tombs of Henry VII and his wife Elizabeth of York as well as of James I. There are five apsidal chapels. The chapel is noted for its pendant fan vault ceiling. The chapel is built in a very late Perpendicular Gothic style, the magnificence of which caused John Leland to call it the orbis miraculum (the wonder of the world). The tombs of several monarchs including Henry VII, Edward VI, Mary I, Elizabeth I, James I, Charles II and Mary, Queen of Scots are found in the chapel. The chapel has also been the mother church of the Order of the Bath since 1725, and the banners of members hang above the stalls.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

In the 13th century, a movement toward devotion to the Virgin Mary inspired the building of chapels in her honour across Europe. Henry III’s Lady Chapel at Westminster Abbey was part of this trend. In 1502, Henry VII planned a new chapel. The old one was demolished in 1502 and construction of the new foundation began January 24, 1503. Henry VII had three goals when planning his chapel. The first was to build a shrine to honour and hold the body of Henry VI, who was expected to be canonized. Ultimately, canonization did not occur and Henry VII and his wife, Elizabeth of York, were interred in the tomb intended for Henry VI. Second, Henry VII wished to dedicate a more elaborate chapel to the…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
51.4993, -0.1266
District
Westminster
Parish
Westminster, unparished area
Postcode
SW1P 3JX
Parliamentary constituency
Cities of London and Westminster
Nearest railway station
Westminster0.3 km
Opening
Mo-Fr 10:00-16:30; Sa 10:00-14:30

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Henry VII Chapel?
Henry VII Chapel is in London, in the United Kingdom — coordinates 51.4993°, -0.1266°. The nearest railway station is Westminster, around 0.3 km away.
Who founded Henry VII Chapel?
Henry VII Chapel was founded by Henry VII of England.
What are the opening hours for Henry VII Chapel?
OpenStreetMap records opening hours as: Mo-Fr 10:00-16:30; Sa 10:00-14:30. Check the official site to confirm seasonal changes.