Monday, December 20, 2010

Abbey revamp for Royal Wedding

Precious works of art in Westminster Abbey, London, are to be restored ahead of the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in April.

The Dean of Westminster, The Very Reverend Dr John Hall, congratulated the couple on the occasion of their engagement in November and said at the time, “We assure them of our prayers and best wishes as they prepare for their wedding.  May God bless and protect them with his love.”

Fifteen royal weddings have been held in Westminster Abbey ranging from Prince William’s grandparents, the current Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, right back to King Henry I, who married in 1100.  

For royal wedding in 2011, up to 3,000 guests are expected including royalty and heads of state from around the world.

Before they arrive, eleven of the Abbey’s most famous treasures are to be returned to their full glory, thanks to a donation from America estimated to be £1million (€1.2m).  

Bank of America Merrill Lynch, through its new Art Conservation Programme, is funding the work at the Abbey.  

It is just one of 10 international restorations funded this year.  

Another is The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife, which is considered an iconic painting and in the National Gallery of Ireland. 

The Louvre Museum in Paris and the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg also receive grants this year from the charity.

In Westminster Abbey restoration works include the Cosmati Pavement. 

This crowning glory of the Abbey is a mosaic tile with 88,000 pieces and measuring 50 square metres.  

It is situated in front of the High Altar where Prince William and his bride are expected to take their vows.

Portraits on wooden panels and stained glass, silk embroidery, church music, and a coronation chair are among other items for restoration.  

So too is the Liber Regalis, one of the Abbey’s great treasures, a manuscript outlining the shape of the liturgy for coronation. 

It was first used in the crowning of Ann of Bohemia and remains the basis for the order of service today.

Also for restoration is the Charter of 1560 written under Elizabeth 1, which established the Abbey as Collegiate Church of St Peter Westminster, and as a Royal Peculiar, making it accountable directly to Sovereign and not the Archbishop of Canterbury.

SIC: CIN/IE