Westminster Abbey

David Hockney tells us what inspired his design for The Queen's Window.

The stunning Queen's Window by David Hockney and Barley Studio inc. Helen Whittaker Stained Glass & Sculpture revealed!
David Hockney has been inspired by the lyrical landscapes of the Yorkshire Wolds, and the design features hawthorn blossom and uses a palette of popping colours which fits surprisingly but beautifully amongst the Abbey’s existing stained glass.
Hockney has respected traditional stained glass techniques for the window, and combined them spectacularly with a b...old contemporary design.
The window was designed by the artist on an iPad, which he says lends itself to stained glass design as it is an illuminated backlit screen.
The window was created by Barley Studio with a project team of ten craftspeople. The glass for the window was sourced in Germany, and produced by Lamberts Glass who could offer the bright colours which Hockney wanted for the window. They use traditional methods to produce mouth-blown window glass. No paint was used on the window except for the artist’s signature in the bottom right-hand panel.
More about the window: https://www.westminster-abbey.org/…/que ens-window-david-ho…/
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Today we are revealing our new stained glass window, The Queen's Window, designed by David Hockney and created by Barley Studio inc. Helen Whittaker Stained Glass & Sculpture.
Westminster Abbey commissioned David Hockney to design the window to celebrate the reign of Her Majesty The Queen. His response was to design a country scene, set within his beloved Yorkshire featuring hawthorn blossom, using his distinct colour palette of yellow, red, blue, pink, orange and greens. Th...e subject reflects The Queen as a countrywoman and her widespread delight in, and yearning for, the countryside.
We'll post more photos later, but for the moment, here's Hockney's signature in the bottom right corner of the window. The signature is the only part of the window to have been painted.
More about the window: https://www.westminster-abbey.org/…/que ens-window-david-ho…/
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Tomorrow, a new stained glass window will be unveiled. It has been designed by one of Britain's most influential contemporary artists, David Hockney.

Bookings are open for our Service of Solemn Remembrance and Hope on the 80th anniversary of Kristallnacht, to be held on 8th November. All are welcome to attend. If you'd like to apply for tickets (free), please visit our website: https://www.westminster-abbey.org/…/kri stallnacht-80th-ann…/

Booking is open now for this autumn's Westminster Dialogues, exploring how we can embrace global challenges:
Have We Killed the Planet? - Tuesday 23rd October Speaker: Michael McCarthy, writer and journalist Chair: Claire Foster-Gilbert, Director, Westminster Abbey Institute
... Has Migration Overwhelmed Us? - Tuesday 30th October Speaker: Fr Alejandro Olayo-Mendez, Jesuit Catholic priest Chair: Mark Easton, BBC Home Editor
Have the Machines Taken Over? - Tuesday 20th November Speaker: Professor Stuart Russell, University of California, Berkeley Chair: Richard Sargeant, Chief Commercial Officer, ASI Data Science
For more information and to book (free) ➡️ https://www.westminster-abbey.org/…/the -…/public-programmes/
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Join us in this feast to commemorate the life and work of St Edward, king and confessor, in prayer and praise, 11th-14th October 2018.
More information: https://www.westminster-abbey.org/…/ser vices-ti…/edwardtide/

Our monument to Elizabeth Russell, maid of honour to Elizabeth I, shows Russell's arm pointing to a skull. This led to the idea that she died by pricking her finger, but in fact, the skull is merely a symbol of mortality.
Learn more about Elizabeth Russell: https://www.westminster-abbey.org/…/joh n-and-elizabeth-rus…/

To mark #StMatthewsDay, our bells will ring after the 5:00pm Evensong. All are welcome to the service.
This depiction of St Matthew is on the grave of George Edmund Street, a noted architect who's buried in the Abbey: https://www.westminster-abbey.org/‚Ķ/c‚Ä ¶/george-edmund-street/

Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (1848 - 1918) was one of the key figures in the British musical renaissance of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Our Free Organ Recitals throughout October are dedicated to the work of Parry, his contemporaries and students, marking the 100th Anniversary of Parry’s death. Find out more here: bit.ly/2OEK58r

Join us on 17th November for a special Evensong to mark the canonisation of #OscarRomero. The service is organised in partnership with the Archbishop Romero Trust (Jesuits in Britain), Churches Together in England, Christian Aid and CAFOD.
🎫 Free tickets available here: https://www.westminster-abbey.org/…/sol emn-evensong-of-tha…/

Organ recitals are held in Westminster Abbey every Sunday afternoon at 5.45pm. These 30-minute concerts are free of charge and a wide range of music is presented, showcasing the Abbey’s magnificent Harrison & Harrison organ.

The Life and Times of Sir Walter Raleigh: 400 years after his death, we will be remembering the Elizabethan courtier, explorer and writer with a day of special events on Monday 29th October.
Join us for a lecture and symposium in St Margaret's Church, where Raleigh's body is buried, with speakers including Dr Eric Klingelhofer, Dr Beverley Straube and Dr Mark Nicholls.
For more information and to book (free): https://www.westminster-abbey.org/…/oct …/sir-walter-raleigh/

Listen to the Address given by The Venerable (Air Vice-Marshall) John Ellis at our recent Battle of Britain Sunday service.

A Service of Thanksgiving and Rededication to mark the 78th anniversary of the Battle of Britain took place at Westminster Abbey on Sunday 16th September 2018.
The service included an Act of Remembrance during which the Battle of Britain Roll of Honour was borne from the Grave of the Unknown Warrior to the Sacrarium by Battle of Britain veteran Wing Commander Paul Farnes DFM and serving Royal Air Force pilots and aircrew. At the start of the service the Standard of Number 92 Squadron was borne through the Abbey church and laid by the Dean upon the High Altar.

#OTD in 1859, Isambard Kingdom Brunel died. A memorial window was erected in Westminster Abbey in 1868 to commemorate this famous engineer. It depicts six Biblical scenes concerned with the building of the Temple and Christ's teaching there.
https://www.westminster-abbey.org/…/isa mbard-kingdom-brun…/…

On Tuesday 16th October, the Rt Hon Baroness Scotland will give the annual One People Oration in the Abbey.
Book now for her lecture on Embracing Global Challenges - part of Westminster Abbey Institute's autumn events season.
For tickets (free), visit: www.westminster-abbey.org/…/one-people- oration-embracing-g…/

This new stamp featuring the Grave of the Unknown Warrior is part of a special set issued today by the Royal Mail to mark 100 years since the end of the First World War.
The Grave is one of the most poignant memorials in the Abbey, with the Warrior representing all of the unknown dead of the Great War.
One hundred holders of the Victoria Cross lined the nave as a guard of honour at the funeral service on 11 November 1920, which was attended by King George V and Queen Mary.
... The grave contains soil from the battlefields of France and is covered by a slab of black Belgian marble with an inscription composed by Herbert Ryle, Dean of Westminster.
Read more about the Unknown Warrior: www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemora …/…/unknown-warrior
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wonderful historic building, but don't forget the beautiful gardens in the back - go through the arch to Deans Yard and you can enter the cloisters area for free where you can sit under the trees and in the summer, listen to free live music or plays...

it is worth seeing it, for its history, for all it represents, of course if you like to know about history ... but for me it was worth it ...ÔøΩÔøΩ

We queued from 4.30 to attend Evensong which is a free service every day at 5pm. We sat in the choir stalls and spent a wonderful hour at the service with others.

Thought it was absolutely great. We had problems in the beginning and half way round with our audio equipment but was soon sorted by helpful staff. You do need the audio tour though to guide you through and to tell you where the kings and queens were. We went up to the jubilee galleries which were amazing. Great to recognise all of our kings and queens. Loved the tomb of the unknown warrior. Very emotional. Poets corner too. Will go again.

This is one of the must see locations in London. Be sure to do a little reading an research before you visit to make the experience more memorable. The audio tour was fantastic. I remember every visit (three) because they have all been so wonderful.

Such a beautiful place to visit and we did not give it the time it deserved! Definitely going to go back and make a day of it! Such incredible history in one place.

Well worth the visit for Brits and Non-Brits alike!

Over a thousand years gathered in one place. Very few buildings have fascinated me as much as this church.

Just love this place I’ve been a couple of times this year and could do it all over again - it’s quite exciting looking for who’s in there... 🇬🇧

I'm glad I survived the 1.5hours queue on a Sat. Fabulous weather and the wait was all worthwhile. Be prepared to Soak in over 900 years of history and walk among the famous. All while taking in the breathtaking architecture and exquisite sculptures. Stephen Hawking was buried alongside Isaac Newton here. Do check the opening times on the website. You can attend a service free of charge and get to see parts of the interior of the church.

Great visit, the new Queens gallery gives an amazing view of the Abby from on high. Booking online speeds entry

A very inspiring visit on all respects but especially the spiritual one : of course this historical monument is impressive and interesting. But above all we were very moved by the symbolics of the tombs of great personae of the British/world's History. Particularly touched by Mr. Hawking's tomb and plaque : he was so vividly present in the media in the pas few years that it was difficult to realize that he was actually buried there. We also attended the Evensong and left the Abbey with a very serene mind and a moving memory of a special moment of prayer.

A great sense of history as I walked through through a labyrinth of hallways.

Truly a wonderful experience.

Lots of history inside! A bit crowded but I suppose if it wasn’t we would have to wait even longer in line.

I no longer believed in lending money because all the banks rejected my file; In fact, I was stuck in my bank. But one day a friend advised me a particular lender, she gave me the email. I tried it with him by sending him an email and it worked. He had the right person, an honest individual lender who had been looking for years. I got my loan that allows me to live well now and I regularly pay my monthly payments. You can contact him if you need a loan for several personal reasons. Two of my colleagues also received loans without any difficulty. Here is your email: perezlucas735 @ gmail. com Tell him you are coming from CHARLE HIEN and that you will succeed at a safe cost

Definitely a place you must visit if in London. Beautiful Cathedral with so much history. Lives were long but moved quickly. Suggest to arrive early. Love the audio commentary.

Apparently no advantage to booking on line as I still had to stand in the que for almost an hour. Very crowded but at least people pretty much kept moving. My goal was Stephen Hawking ‘s gravesite and it was lovely. I wish I could have taken a picture or at least purchased a postcard of it.

It was an interesting place to visit, but hardly any of the tombs have signs telling you who they are, so if you don't do the audio tour you don't know what you're looking at. I didn't see any guide books available at the front desk either.

The tickets were quite expensive at £22 per person, it could atleast come with a complimently map or list of tombs so they are recognizable. I understand its a large place to run and keep in good repair, but other similar sights around the country are much, much cheaper- or free with a suggestion to donate. Even the tower of London is cheaper and there is much more to see there- it only took us about 40 minutes to see everything at the Abbey.

Despite booking online we had to stand in the heat for two hours as we were all over 60 this was not good

It isn't made clear on booking that this was the case

The actual abbey and the new queens gallery is fantastic however but we will have to return our of season to really see the rest.

The audio guide is messy, not enough pointers in key areas telling you at which point you’re at. Should have booked a guided tour.

wonderful historic building, but don't forget the beautiful gardens in the back - go through the arch to Deans Yard and you can enter the cloisters area for free where you can sit under the trees and in the summer, listen to free live music or plays...

it is worth seeing it, for its history, for all it represents, of course if you like to know about history ... but for me it was worth it ...ÔøΩÔøΩ

We queued from 4.30 to attend Evensong which is a free service every day at 5pm. We sat in the choir stalls and spent a wonderful hour at the service with others.

Thought it was absolutely great. We had problems in the beginning and half way round with our audio equipment but was soon sorted by helpful staff. You do need the audio tour though to guide you through and to tell you where the kings and queens were. We went up to the jubilee galleries which were amazing. Great to recognise all of our kings and queens. Loved the tomb of the unknown warrior. Very emotional. Poets corner too. Will go again.

This is one of the must see locations in London. Be sure to do a little reading an research before you visit to make the experience more memorable. The audio tour was fantastic. I remember every visit (three) because they have all been so wonderful.

Such a beautiful place to visit and we did not give it the time it deserved! Definitely going to go back and make a day of it! Such incredible history in one place.

Well worth the visit for Brits and Non-Brits alike!

Over a thousand years gathered in one place. Very few buildings have fascinated me as much as this church.

Just love this place I’ve been a couple of times this year and could do it all over again - it’s quite exciting looking for who’s in there... 🇬🇧

I'm glad I survived the 1.5hours queue on a Sat. Fabulous weather and the wait was all worthwhile. Be prepared to Soak in over 900 years of history and walk among the famous. All while taking in the breathtaking architecture and exquisite sculptures. Stephen Hawking was buried alongside Isaac Newton here. Do check the opening times on the website. You can attend a service free of charge and get to see parts of the interior of the church.

Great visit, the new Queens gallery gives an amazing view of the Abby from on high. Booking online speeds entry

A very inspiring visit on all respects but especially the spiritual one : of course this historical monument is impressive and interesting. But above all we were very moved by the symbolics of the tombs of great personae of the British/world's History. Particularly touched by Mr. Hawking's tomb and plaque : he was so vividly present in the media in the pas few years that it was difficult to realize that he was actually buried there. We also attended the Evensong and left the Abbey with a very serene mind and a moving memory of a special moment of prayer.

A great sense of history as I walked through through a labyrinth of hallways.

Truly a wonderful experience.

Lots of history inside! A bit crowded but I suppose if it wasn’t we would have to wait even longer in line.

I no longer believed in lending money because all the banks rejected my file; In fact, I was stuck in my bank. But one day a friend advised me a particular lender, she gave me the email. I tried it with him by sending him an email and it worked. He had the right person, an honest individual lender who had been looking for years. I got my loan that allows me to live well now and I regularly pay my monthly payments. You can contact him if you need a loan for several personal reasons. Two of my colleagues also received loans without any difficulty. Here is your email: perezlucas735 @ gmail. com Tell him you are coming from CHARLE HIEN and that you will succeed at a safe cost

Definitely a place you must visit if in London. Beautiful Cathedral with so much history. Lives were long but moved quickly. Suggest to arrive early. Love the audio commentary.

Apparently no advantage to booking on line as I still had to stand in the que for almost an hour. Very crowded but at least people pretty much kept moving. My goal was Stephen Hawking ‘s gravesite and it was lovely. I wish I could have taken a picture or at least purchased a postcard of it.

It was an interesting place to visit, but hardly any of the tombs have signs telling you who they are, so if you don't do the audio tour you don't know what you're looking at. I didn't see any guide books available at the front desk either.

The tickets were quite expensive at £22 per person, it could atleast come with a complimently map or list of tombs so they are recognizable. I understand its a large place to run and keep in good repair, but other similar sights around the country are much, much cheaper- or free with a suggestion to donate. Even the tower of London is cheaper and there is much more to see there- it only took us about 40 minutes to see everything at the Abbey.

Despite booking online we had to stand in the heat for two hours as we were all over 60 this was not good

It isn't made clear on booking that this was the case

The actual abbey and the new queens gallery is fantastic however but we will have to return our of season to really see the rest.

The audio guide is messy, not enough pointers in key areas telling you at which point you’re at. Should have booked a guided tour.

wonderful historic building, but don't forget the beautiful gardens in the back - go through the arch to Deans Yard and you can enter the cloisters area for free where you can sit under the trees and in the summer, listen to free live music or plays...

it is worth seeing it, for its history, for all it represents, of course if you like to know about history ... but for me it was worth it ...ÔøΩÔøΩ

We queued from 4.30 to attend Evensong which is a free service every day at 5pm. We sat in the choir stalls and spent a wonderful hour at the service with others.

Thought it was absolutely great. We had problems in the beginning and half way round with our audio equipment but was soon sorted by helpful staff. You do need the audio tour though to guide you through and to tell you where the kings and queens were. We went up to the jubilee galleries which were amazing. Great to recognise all of our kings and queens. Loved the tomb of the unknown warrior. Very emotional. Poets corner too. Will go again.

This is one of the must see locations in London. Be sure to do a little reading an research before you visit to make the experience more memorable. The audio tour was fantastic. I remember every visit (three) because they have all been so wonderful.

Such a beautiful place to visit and we did not give it the time it deserved! Definitely going to go back and make a day of it! Such incredible history in one place.

Well worth the visit for Brits and Non-Brits alike!

Over a thousand years gathered in one place. Very few buildings have fascinated me as much as this church.

Just love this place I’ve been a couple of times this year and could do it all over again - it’s quite exciting looking for who’s in there... 🇬🇧

I'm glad I survived the 1.5hours queue on a Sat. Fabulous weather and the wait was all worthwhile. Be prepared to Soak in over 900 years of history and walk among the famous. All while taking in the breathtaking architecture and exquisite sculptures. Stephen Hawking was buried alongside Isaac Newton here. Do check the opening times on the website. You can attend a service free of charge and get to see parts of the interior of the church.

Great visit, the new Queens gallery gives an amazing view of the Abby from on high. Booking online speeds entry

A very inspiring visit on all respects but especially the spiritual one : of course this historical monument is impressive and interesting. But above all we were very moved by the symbolics of the tombs of great personae of the British/world's History. Particularly touched by Mr. Hawking's tomb and plaque : he was so vividly present in the media in the pas few years that it was difficult to realize that he was actually buried there. We also attended the Evensong and left the Abbey with a very serene mind and a moving memory of a special moment of prayer.

A great sense of history as I walked through through a labyrinth of hallways.

Truly a wonderful experience.

Lots of history inside! A bit crowded but I suppose if it wasn’t we would have to wait even longer in line.

I no longer believed in lending money because all the banks rejected my file; In fact, I was stuck in my bank. But one day a friend advised me a particular lender, she gave me the email. I tried it with him by sending him an email and it worked. He had the right person, an honest individual lender who had been looking for years. I got my loan that allows me to live well now and I regularly pay my monthly payments. You can contact him if you need a loan for several personal reasons. Two of my colleagues also received loans without any difficulty. Here is your email: perezlucas735 @ gmail. com Tell him you are coming from CHARLE HIEN and that you will succeed at a safe cost

Definitely a place you must visit if in London. Beautiful Cathedral with so much history. Lives were long but moved quickly. Suggest to arrive early. Love the audio commentary.

Apparently no advantage to booking on line as I still had to stand in the que for almost an hour. Very crowded but at least people pretty much kept moving. My goal was Stephen Hawking ‘s gravesite and it was lovely. I wish I could have taken a picture or at least purchased a postcard of it.

It was an interesting place to visit, but hardly any of the tombs have signs telling you who they are, so if you don't do the audio tour you don't know what you're looking at. I didn't see any guide books available at the front desk either.

The tickets were quite expensive at £22 per person, it could atleast come with a complimently map or list of tombs so they are recognizable. I understand its a large place to run and keep in good repair, but other similar sights around the country are much, much cheaper- or free with a suggestion to donate. Even the tower of London is cheaper and there is much more to see there- it only took us about 40 minutes to see everything at the Abbey.

Despite booking online we had to stand in the heat for two hours as we were all over 60 this was not good

It isn't made clear on booking that this was the case

The actual abbey and the new queens gallery is fantastic however but we will have to return our of season to really see the rest.

The audio guide is messy, not enough pointers in key areas telling you at which point you’re at. Should have booked a guided tour.