The strongest door-to-door son-in-law

Chapter 1266 Tour and Visit
William I, from Normandy, France, was the first king to be crowned in Westminster Abbey.

At the Battle of Hastings, he defeated King Harold II of England.

His coronation ceremony was held on Christmas Day in 1066, and the local residents of England gathered in front of the door to celebrate with joy.

The nervous Normans misunderstood this scene, and William feared death throughout the ceremony.

After the coronation, Norman soldiers attacked the crowd and burned some of the surrounding houses.

Since then, the coronation of the royal family has been held in Westminster Abbey, including that of all British kings, including Queen Elizabeth.

Except for Edward V and Edward VIII, all were crowned in Westminster Abbey and sat on the throne.

Even after a hundred years, they are still buried in the temple.

In the first half of the 18th century, the British architect Nicholas Hawksmoor built the twin towers at the west end of the church.

Starting in 1875, the church's facade was renovated by George Gilbert Scott, a British architect and leader of the Gothic Revival architectural style movement.

The architect, who was obsessed with the Gothic architectural style, often caused controversy by arrogantly destroying many beautiful non-Gothic works when undertaking restoration work.

However, this style is not a bad thing for Westminster.

It is said that after Cromwell, the British bourgeois revolutionary protector, was killed, his head hung on the spire of Westminster Abbey for 61 years.

Voltaire, who witnessed Newton's funeral, was deeply shocked. He once said with emotion: "When you walk into Westminster Abbey, what people admire is not the tombs of the kings, but the country's gratitude to those who have brought glory to the country." A monument to a great man. Such is the respect the British people have for talent."

After pausing outside for a moment, Ye Feng followed the tourists and bought tickets before walking into Westminster Abbey.

Westminster Abbey is entirely made of stone and mainly consists of two parts: the church and the monastery.It is composed of a temple, a wing gallery, a bell tower and other halls.

Entering the arched dome of the church, walking through the solemn but somewhat gray passage, your eyes suddenly light up and you enter the luxurious and gorgeous inner hall.

The broad, tall and complex dome in the church is beautifully decorated, and the large chandeliers hanging from the dome are gorgeous, bright and radiant.

The floor is covered with a gorgeous red carpet, leading to the altar covered with bright red velvet and decorated with splendor. This is the official place for royal coronations and royal weddings.

There are many buildings dedicated to the dead monarchs like the Henry VII Chapel inside, such as the St. Edward's Chapel at the east end of the altar. The Edward's Tomb in the center was built in 1269 and is a place of pilgrimage for pilgrims from all over the world.

Surrounding the main temple are the tombs of Henry III and other kings, forming a sculpture museum of various eras. Especially the tomb of Henry V at the east end is famous for its gorgeous carvings.

The original intention of building Westminster Abbey was not as a cemetery for British kings. However, in fact, more than 20 kings from Henry III to George II are buried here.

On the west side of St. Edward's Chapel is the famous coronation throne of Edward I, which stands high on the high platform in front of the altar.

There is a sacred stone called "Scoon" under the throne. It was originally the traditional coronation seat of the Scottish kings and a symbol of their power. In 1297, Edward I brought it to London.

The pointed-backed chair in front of the altar of the church was used by emperors during their coronations. It is said that this chair has a history of more than 700 years.

There is a large stone under the seat of the chair, known as the "Stone of Destiny". It was plundered by Edward I in the 13th century.

Inside the church, there is also a special chapel.It is special because this chapel is not dedicated to the monarch, but to those who bravely fought for the national disaster - the Royal Air Force soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the "Battle of Britain".

The stained glass in the chapel is painted with the team emblems of the 68 air force squadrons that participated in the war.

This injects a vigorous and tragic atmosphere into the royal luxury.

Unfortunately, some places inside the church are off-limits and are guarded by dedicated personnel.

There was a tour guide among the tourists, and the tour guide would explain things while walking, which allowed Ye Feng to gain a lot of knowledge that he had never known before.

Next we visited the south and east sides of the church.

On the south side of the church is a Catholic Benedictine monastery founded in the 13th century. It is a square courtyard surrounded by open arcades and many ancillary buildings around the arcades.

In addition, there is a treasury hall and an underground chapel on the southeast side of the monastery courtyard.

The latter is a rectangular hall, now a temple museum, which displays statues of kings, queens and nobles placed in open coffins for people to pay homage to during funerals.

These statues are all molded according to their post-mortem faces, and their shapes are realistic and vivid.

Among them, the statue of Edward III is the oldest, and the statue of British Vice Admiral Nelson, Viscount Nelson, is the most exquisite.

Known as "the embodiment of maritime authority," Nelson was the most outstanding naval commander in British history. He once defeated Napoleon in a naval battle, which ultimately led to the latter's defeat at Waterloo.

The colonnade of Westminster Abbey is magnificent and dignified, the arches are beautifully carved, the screens are exquisitely decorated, the glass is colorful, and the twin towers are towering. The whole building is both magnificent and quiet, and it is considered a masterpiece of British Gothic architecture.

The east end of the church, which is the end of the central axis of the church, was originally the chapel of Our Lady, which was later destroyed.

In the early 16th century, a larger chapel was built on this location, the famous Henry VII Chapel, which is the most outstanding representative work of British medieval architecture.

The chapel itself is a small church, with an independent main church and side aisles on both sides, and the mausoleum is located at one end.

Its huge fan-shaped pendants and crystal-clear and gorgeous stalactite vaults that look like hanging upside down are bold in design, ingenious in conception, and have unique arch rib patterns, which are the most exciting features of the entire building.

The interior walls are covered with niches, and there are a total of 95 statues in the niches.

The chapel is richly decorated and considered "the most beautiful of all Christian countries."

The cathedral is adjacent to the majestic Houses of Parliament and the towering Big Ben clock tower.

The Thames flows slowly through Westminster, protecting the souls of the 4000 sages who are buried underground in the cathedral.

Ye Feng walked out of the church after visiting until almost six o'clock when the church closed.

This trip to Westminster Abbey is worthwhile even if it is not for the treasures that may exist inside.

After wandering by the Thames River for a while and finding food nearby to fill his stomach, Ye Feng returned to the hotel along the same route.

(End of this chapter)