Westminster Abbey NOT the venue for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wedding
By Chandralekha Mukerji
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their engagement yesterday and the internet has not stopped buzzing about the news since then. The royal and his american fiancee who have been dating for over a year now, plan to get married in the spring of 2018. The happy couple's engagement was announced at 10 am yesterday and the wedding date and venue has been announced to be May 2018 at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, Kensington Palace has said
Most had guessed the month to be May as the ceremony is not expected to take place too close to the birth of Kate Middleton and Prince William's third child, due in April. The venue however, they got wrong.
The couple has ditched the most favourite venue of the British Monarch's, the Westminster Abbey, over Windsor Castle. So far, Abbey has hosted 16 royal weddings since 1066 AD, including the last one between Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton took place on 29 April 2011
Formally titled the Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, the Abbey’s recorded origin dates back to the 960s or early 970s. It is basically a Gothic church in the City of Westminster. It was rebuilt in 1517 and was a monastery that was dissolved in 1539. Between 1540 and 1556 it was a cathedral and four years later, in 1560, it assumed the status of a Church of England "Royal Peculiar"—a church responsible directly to the sovereign. It is the UK’s one of the most notable religious buildings: a site for the crowning of kings and queens, weddings, christenings and proclamations and burial site for British monarchs.
Since the coronation of William the Conqueror in 1066, all coronations of English and British monarchs have been in Westminster Abbey. There have been at least 16 royal weddings at the abbey since 1100. Westminster Abbey also conducts Royal Weddings and Weddings for family members of those knighted by Her Majesty The Queen into the Most Honourable Order of the Bath.
There are 6 rooms and corresponding event packages for hire at Westminster Abbey, starting from the cheapest 646 sqft Cheyneygates at £1800 per session (the birthplace of Edward V) going up to £7500 per session for the 900 year old college garden, which is believed to be the longest continually cultivated garden in England. The other four are: the Cellarium (at £6600/per session) that dates back to the 14th century, the Cellarium Terrace (at £3600/ session) that offers fantastic views of the Abbey's West Towers, The medieval 13th century Chapter House (£3000/ session) and The 14th century Cloisters (at £5400/session) that is adjacent to the Nave of Westminster Abbey with a view of the Garth.
Think you can never afford to hire one. You have another way to get a closer look at the magnificent building. The administration also offers private tour of the Abbey for you in case you ever made it to any of their guest lists. So all you need the right wedding invite!
