HM The King smiling as he meets choristers outside Westminster Abbey
On Monday we'll be welcoming The King and Queen to the Abbey for the annual Commonwealth Day service.
Ahead of this year's celebration, explore the Abbey's enduring links with this worldwide family of nations: www.westminster-abbey.org/history/explore-our-history/celebrating-the-commonwealth
Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey, with memorials to writers in the floor and on the walls
'You can't get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me' - C. S. Lewis
From Chaucer and Dickens to Austen and the Brontë sisters, explore the memorials to some of the great writers remembered in here Westminster Abbey: www.westminster-abbey.org/history/famo...
#WorldBookDay
A crucifixion scene from the High Altar screen in Westminster Abbey
Teachers! Our catalogue of free online learning resources includes guides to Christian festivals for primary and secondary students.
You can explore our Lent, Holy Week and Easter resources at: www.westminster-abbey.org/learning/teaching-resources/catalogue?typ=keyword&tag=Christian%20festivals
A group of children gathered around a pen petting donkeys in Westminster Abbey's College Garden. The scene is lively and filled with interaction.
An actor wearing Roman armour and holding a spear, standing in the medieval cloisters at Westminster Abbey
An qctress dressed in colorful, flowing clothing, including an orange garment, patterned shawl, and a burgundy turban, stands in a garden setting. She is engaged in animated conversation, with hands gesturing expressively. The blurred foreground suggests an onlooker, while lush greenery and a wooden bench are visible in the background.
Thank you to all the schools who joined us in College Garden last week for our Step into Holy Week event.
Held in partnership with Wintershall Education, the events gave students the chance to explore the events of the Easter story with the help of costumed interpreters - and Denzel the donkey!
The work is part of our preparations for opening The King Charles III Sacristy - a new building adjoining the Abbey which will transform the welcome we offer our visitors.
You can find out more about the Sacristy project at: www.westminster-abbey.org/sacristy
The memorial was dedicated in 1801 and was moved to a new position in the north transept in 1933. Work is now underway to return it to its original location close to Murray's grave.
William Murray, Lord Mansfield, was born #onthisday in 1705. He served as Lord Chief Justice of England from 1756-88 and played a decisive role in ending slavery in England.
His Abbey memorial shows his seated figure wearing judicial robes, flanked by the figures of Wisdom and Justice.
A historic brick building with arched windows is surrounded by vibrant green grass and blooming white and yellow daffodils. In the background, the spires and intricate architecture of Westminster Abbey rise majestically. Leafless tree branches arch across the top of the image under a clear blue sky.
A lush lawn filled with vibrant purple crocus flowers in full bloom, surrounded by fresh green grass. The flowers' delicate petals are open, revealing vivid orange stamens, creating a picturesque scene of early spring.
'Sweet as springtime flowers'
- Taming of the Shrew (II, 1)
Some springtime views of the Abbey's 900-year-old College Garden, with daffodils, narcissi and crocuses all in flower
#ShakespeareSunday
An aerial photograph of a stone mason carving a memorial stone to PG Wodehouse
Actors Hugh Laurie and Sir Stephen Fry, both wearing dark suits, stand either side of the memorial to PG Wodehouse in Westminster Abbey
He is perhaps the greatest English humourist, but PG Wodehouse’s journey to recognition in the UK was without controversy.
Discover more about how he came to be memorialised in the Abbey:
www.westminster-abbey.org/about-the-abbey/abbey-review/features/ar_2026_the-life-and-legacy-of-pg-wodehouse
A lush field of purple and white crocuses covers the foreground, basking in sunlight. Behind them stands a stately building with arched windows, set against a backdrop of bare winter trees and a clear blue sky.
Close-up of bright yellow daffodils with green stems, in focus against a blurred background of purple and white crocuses.
Close-up of a vibrant, deep red hellebore flower with a cluster of pale yellow stamens at its center. The petals have subtle dark speckles, surrounded by lush green foliage. Soft sunlight illuminates the background, creating a warm, natural setting.
Some signs of spring in College Garden, where thousands of crocuses are carpeting the lawn, and hellebores, daffodils and snowdrops and all in flower 💐
The garden has been in cultivation for more than 900 years, and you can enjoy a peaceful moment here from Monday-Friday throughout the year.
The tomb of Prince Edmund, Earl of Lancaster in Westminster Abbey. Edmund's effigy lies on top of the tomb, with an ornate wooden canopy above.
A wooden carving depicting a medieval knight mounted on a horse, set within a decorative, pointed arch. The knight is wearing armor and his hands are held in prayer.
'My noble steed'
- Coriolanus (I, 9)
Prince Edmund 'Couchback' was the second son of Henry III and Eleanor of Provence.
He is buried beside the Abbey's High Altar and in the wooden canopy above his tomb, Edmund is depicted as a praying knight on horseback.
#ShakespeareSunday #Horses
A gold crucifix standing on the nave altar in Westminster Abbey
Everyone is welcome at Westminster Abbey this #Lent and #Easter.
Join us from wherever you are in the world for services, prayer and reflections.
Find out more: www.westminster-abbey.org/easter
Discover the significance and symbolism of #AshWednesday, and how we're marking the start of #Lent in the Abbey today ⤵️
We're marking Ash Wednesday at our services today. Everyone is welcome to join us for Sung Eucharist with the Imposition of Ashes at 5pm (GMT), either in the Abbey or online via our live stream.
Find out more:www.westminster-abbey.org/worship-music/watch-services?id=19290
#Lent #AshWednesday
Close-up of a vibrant burgundy hellebore flower with speckled petals and a cluster of yellow stamens at the center. The flower is surrounded by lush green leaves, and another bud is partially visible. The background is softly blurred, highlighting the flower's delicate texture.
White hellebores flowering in a garden
Deep purple hellebore flowers with five petals, featuring light green centers and surrounded by lush green leaves in a garden setting.
#Lent begins tomorrow and these hellebores - also known as Lenten roses - are flowering in the Little Cloister garden.
The garden is on the site of the monastic infirmary and was originally set aside for recuperation after illness.
A gold crucifix standing on the nave altar in Westminster Abbey
Today is #ShroveTuesday, the day before the start of #Lent.
The name is derived from the word shrive, meaning to absolve. It is a day of penitence when Christians confess their sins and receive forgiveness, as well as a day of celebration before the abstinence of Lent.
In our short film for families, find out all about Lent, how Christians mark this holy season - and why we eat pancakes at this time of year! ⤵️
#Lent #Lent2026
A group of choristers wearing red cassocks and white surplices and holding lit candles stand in Westminster Abbey. The tall, arched architecture is visible in the background, creating a dramatic setting as the boys share smiles and conversations, their faces softly illuminated by the candlelight.
'Most heavenly music!'
- Pericles (V, 1)
From daily worship to great state occasions, music is at the heart of life at the Abbey - with our Choir continuing a tradition dating back to the plainsong chanted by the monks of the 10th-century monastery.
#ShakespeareSunday #Music
📷 PA Wire/PA Images
Historian Alice Loxton holding a lit candle and smiling towards the camera as she stands beside the tomb of Eleanor of Castile in Westminster Abbey
On #ValentinesDay, discover one of the most romantic stories in British history as historian Alice Loxton traces the 200-mile route of Eleanor of Castile’s memorial crosses:www.westminster-abbey.org/about-the-abbey/abbey-review/features/ar_2026_on-the-trail-of-love
An oil painting of Charles Darwin, depicting him with a white beard, gazing forward. He wears a dark, heavy overcoat. The background is a muted brown, adding a somber and reflective tone to the portrait.
The white marble gravestone of Charles Darwin in Westminster Abbey, inscribed with black lettering reading: Charles Robert Darwin Born 12 February 1809 Died 19 April 1882
Scientist Charles Darwin was born #onthis day in 1809. Darwin is best known for his book On the Origin of Species, published in 1859, which introduced his theory of natural selection. Darwin is buried in Scientists’ Corner beside other great scientists including Sir Isaac Newton.
An engraved portrait of Olaudah Equiano
An oval memorial tablet on a stone wall reading: 'The African' Olaudah Equiano Baptized Gustavus Vassa in this church 9 February 1759 Author and abolitionist
Our memorial to Olaudah Equiano was dedicated #onthisday in 2009.
Equiano lived as a slave before buying his freedom in 1768. He became an author and a leading figure in the British movement for the abolition of the slave trade.
His memorial is in St Margaret's Church, where he was baptised.
The gilt tomb effigies of Anne of Bohemia and Richard II
A painting of Edward I showing the king wearing long robes, holding a sceptre and wearing a crown
The gilt tomb effigy of Eleanor of Castile, showing the queen with long hair and wearing a crown
'A contract of true love to celebrate'
- The Tempest (IV, 1)
These are the tombs of some of the most devoted royal couples buried in the Abbey: Henry VII and Elizabeth of York; Richard II and Anne of Bohemia; and Edward I and Eleanor of Castile.
#ShakespeareSunday #Love
The nave of Westminster Abbey with soaring arched ceilings and towering columns. Stained glass windows line the walls, casting colorful light. In the foreground is the Grave of the Unknown Warrior, surrounded by a border of red poppies.
If you're visiting the Abbey over the next four weeks, please be aware that part of the nave is closed for essential conservation works. This means that the Grave of the Unknown Warrior is unavailable for visiting until 6 March.
We apologise for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.
A painted portrait of Elizabeth II by Ralph Heimans, showing Queen Elizabeth II wearing her State dress and robe and standing on the Cosmati Pavement in Westminster Abbey.
Queen Elizabeth II acceded to the throne #onthisday in 1952, upon the death of her father, King George VI.
She was crowned in the Abbey the following year, and went on to become the longest-reigning monarch in British history.
A view from an open wooden door into a garden with a lawn and a blossom tree, with historic buildings running along the left hand side
A historic walled garden with a lawn and flower beds
An arcaded stone wall in a historic garden, with yellow and purple flowers in bloom in the foreground
This garden, just off the Abbey's Little Cloister, is set in the ruins of the 12th-century St Catherine's chapel. Important political and religious gatherings were held in the chapel, and it was here in 1267 that Henry III swore on the Gospels to uphold Magna Carta.
#Februinary
Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey, with the tomb of Geoffrey Chaucer standing behind a group of memorials to other great writers in the floor
The gravestone of Charles Dickens in Westminster Abbey. The black marble stone is set with gold-coloured lettering reading: Charles Dickens Born 7th February 1812 Died 9th June 1870
A memorial stone on a wall in Westminster Abbey, carved with the words: Charlotte Brontë 1816 - 1855 Emily Brontë 1818 - 1848 Anne Brontë 1820 - 1849 'With courage to endure'
This #NationalStorytellingWeek we're celebrating the much-loved authors remembered in Poets' Corner here at the Abbey.
So from Chaucer and Dickens to Austen and the Brontë sisters, if you're looking for a great book to read, here are some inspiring writers to choose from... 📚
A page from a medieval manuscript, with handwritten text on the left and an illustration of two hedgehogs on the right. One hedgehog stands on its feet while the other is on its back, and a tall tree stands between them against a blue sky.
To celebrate #NationalHedgehogDay, this illustration of two playful hedgehogs is from a Bestiary - a medieval book of beasts - in our Library collection.
Bestiaries were popular in the Middle Ages and feature creatures, both real and mythical, and a moral lesson about each one.
A group of four choristers, wearing red cassocks and white surplices, standing together in Westminster Abbey, each holding a lit candle
We'll be celebrating the Presentation of Christ in the Temple at Sung Eucharist with the Blessing of Candles in the Abbey at 5pm (GMT) today.
Everyone is welcome to join us, either in person or via our live stream:
www.westminster-abbey.org/worship-music/watch-services?id=19224
#Candlemas
Snowdrops flowering in Westminster Abbey's College Garden, with the church seen in the background
A close-up picture of flowering snowdrops
A close-up picture of snowdrops in a flower bed
Perfect timing! These snowdrops are coming into flower in College Garden just in time for #Candlemas tomorrow.
Snowdrops were traditionally known by names including Candlemas bells and Candlemas lilies, thanks to their pure white petals and late winter flowering.
A large stained glass window depicting a nurse in historical attire, kneeling with outstretched arms
'Her valiant courage and undaunted spirit'
- Henry VI, Part I (V, 5)
This stained glass window in the Abbey's Florence Nightingale chapel is dedicated to all those from the nursing professions who lost their lives serving during the Second World War
#ShakespeareSunday #Heroes
