Keeping in the spirit of today's Royal Wedding, I thought I would provide some tidbits of royal information you might not know or perhaps would like to revisit because your in a royal mood!

In 2002, I ventured to England to visit my sister while she was living  there.  We spent an entire day walking the streets of London and found ourselves exploring the historical church, Westminster Abbey.  My favorite part of the Abbey was visiting the royal tombs and learning about the mystery tomb that all of you saw on television during the wedding! The Abbey is a resting place for kings, statesmen, poets, scientists, musicians. aristocrats, admirals and politicians, it contains around 600 monuments, statues and wall tablets. These three tombs I find very interesting especially being a fan of The Tudors.

Tomb of Queen Elizabeth I

The effigy depicts the Queen in her last years of reign holding the orb and scepter.  Her  half sister Queen Mary, daughter of Henry the VIII of the Tudors lays beside her.  On the base of the tomb it reads "Partners both in throne and grave, here rest we two sisters, Elizabeth and Mary, in the hope of resurrection". 

Queen Catherine de Valois
Henry the V's wife dies in 1437 and was buried in the Abbey.  During the reign of Henry the VII, the coffin was found decaying and the body was put in a wooden box where it was left open for 200 years for looking at.  Westminster school boys would steal her skin, bones, and clothes.  Someone wrote in his diary that he kissed her 200 year old lips!

There is a tomb of "The Unknown Soldier" is buried in the floor of the Abbey.  The tomb contains the remains of an unknown soldier found and later buried in the Abbey as a symbol of the soldiers dead unknown and where they fall.  If you watch William and Kate's royal wedding today, you would have seen the Duke and Duchess pass by it on their way out of the Abbey. Read the history of this to this tomb here: http://www.westminster-abbey.org/our-history/people/unknown-warrior

Only fifteen royal weddings have taken place at Westminster Abbey, Queen Elizabeth married The Duke of Edin borough in 1947 and her son Prince Andrew married Sara Ferguson in 1986.

Royal families of the world: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_royal_houses

Fabulous Hats worn at royal weddings:

Hope you enjoyed some royal fun! See you next week.

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