Westminster Abbey, London, United Kingdom. Architect: Several, 1745. View from City Hall.

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Westminster Abbey, located near the houses of Parliament, began its extraordinary life in 1050 when English King Edward the Confessor established a monastery on the site. Since that time every royal coronation has taken place here, with the exception of Edward V and Edward VII. Architecturally, the Abbey is a series of buildings and extensions. Most of the present building is in the gothic style and dates from 1245 to 1272. The Abbey was expanded between 1503 and 1512 with Henry VII's chapel; the two west towers date from 1745. The youngest part of the abbey is the north entrance, completed in the nineteenth century. The Abbey serves as a burial ground for scores of sovereigns, politicians, academics writers and artists - notably Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton and David Livingstone. It's also a place of royal weddings, most recently between Prince William and Kate Middleton.

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Photo credit: © James Brittain-VIEW / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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