I visited last year. I think it's good that they don't allow public to take pictures, because it can get crowded and the passages aren't exactly wide enough to accommodate for people trying to take pics whilst other people wanna walk past. Not to mention, taking pics obviously takes a few seconds and in that time, you're expected to walk on to the next area. I sneakily took pics, but it turns out, it didn't come out that well, and better quality pics are available online.
The rules tend to be against using the flash, as it causes light damage. Now we live in a world where you can hold your phine to your chest recording as you walk through something without causing a problem.
I knew about the policy of no photography and so I made sure I was among the very first in line to enter the Abbey on the day I visited. I went directly to the tomb and was alone for about five minutes before another person showed up. I got a very good video with my phone.
It has been awhile since I was there but two nights a week you were allowed to go back and take photos. We went on a group tour thru my travel agent and were told no cameras. If we wanted to take pictures, and we did, we had to return, I believe it was a Thursday night.
Thank you for your effort in making this. I live in the US and have always dreamed of coming to the UK but I know that won't ever happen. I can see this through your eyes and I have really enjoyed it.
I have been living in London for 17 years and have never seen this! I must see the grave for myself. Tudor history of all sorts fascinates me, especially the fashion.
I was fortunate enough to visit England in July 1990. I saw London, including Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, St. Paul's Cathedral, Hampton Court Palace, St. George's Chapel, Runneymede, Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon, Dover, Canterbury, Leed's Castle, and other sights. It was a memorable experience, and it is hard to believe it was over 20 years ago. It would be nice to see it all again.
Also What is shown is the tomb Effigy of Elizabeth, the casket is below in the vault which isn't accessible to the public, MaryI is in the vault with Elizabeth but not on top etc This is her sister Mary Tudor. Some of the comments entered seem to confuse Mary with Mary, Queen of Scots, who has her own tomb effigy in the Abbey. thank you for this post- Ernesto
...And I don't think she would've disapproved of being accessable to her people, even in death. I believe she would've felt humbled to know that all these, 500 odd years later she is still regarded as one of the greats!
Now this is awesome and thank you for sharing this with us! Elizabeth (bless her soul), was very nice to several of my ancestors, and they to her. I MUST visit this Tomb and pay my respects asap :) History is fastinating and my Geneology has become very "exciting". this video will become part of it all-cheerz! :) xx
If you ever get the chance to visit you should :) You are right, there are some beautiful parts. I live in Manchester now and have recently got myself a car so I intend to travel around and visit castles etc. York for example is a lovely city with a rich history. I would recommend it.
Who would have thought that an innocent video such as this would have attracted the negative comments of so many cinematographic perfectionists?!! For my part, I congratulate you on your surreptitious documentation of this important tomb of Good Queen Bess!
Thanks for the footage! I live in the US and hope someday to travel to the UK. There isn't much on the internet about Mary I's tomb, as I think Elizabeth overshadows it, but it's so nice to see it all close up and get more of an understanding of Mary. She is so overlooked. Thanks again!
Thanks for sharing this. I admire Queen Elizabeth I the most of all monarchs. She was the people's Queen & they loved her for it. I went to Westminster Abbey for the first time recently.It is part of our history & our heritage & belongs to us. The people help pay for the upkeep so it was a shame we were not allowed to take photos or footage. I don't find it disrespectful, but honourable. For a person, like Elizabeth - someone so great, this is the only way for us to be close to them.
This is so cool I love history. I wonder if they opened the tomb what would the body of Queen Elizabeth look like? I remember reading about King Edward "Longshanks Hammer Of The Scotts" how his tomb was opened some 467 years after his death and they found his body had been well preserved.
It's so stupid that on the brochure guide when you visit W.A. it more or less begs for donations (on top of the entry fee you already pay) because "the abbey gets no funding from the public or the crown..." All the history fans, like myself, who visit would HAPPILY pay a fee to able to take photographs inside! Seems to me that would completely solve their "Poor us, we're so under-funded" problem. Peterborough Cathedral in England as well as St. Davids Cathedral in Wales are both "holy houses" and have exactly that system set up, a photography fee, and I was thrilled to contribute towards it and no disrespect was shown to the buildings themselves by doing so.
+Lori Davies there's a point you may have overlooked. Every cathedral is under the control of a Dean & Chapter. It is they who lay down the rules in their respective churches. Westminster Abbey is not an 'ordinary' church - it is a "Royal Peculiar" (ie not subject to a diocesan bishop) and is under direct royal authority. I'm not saying the ban of photography is an order direct from HM - but the Dean and Chapter of the Abbey are probably erring on the side of caution - the Abbey being visited by so many people - hundreds of flashing cameras could well destroy the atmosphere - after all, it's not a museum. Personally, I think scarletgunn's behaviour is a typical example of bad manners - total disrespect. She should be ashamed of herself.
I too used to feel I was denied the opportunity to take photos. But over the years with the influx of mobile phone and electronic camera users, and arrogant selfie addicts elbowing their way to take photos, it very difficult and almost impossible to "take in" and enjoy the atmosphere of the historical displays in churches, museums, palaces and other places of historical interest. Buying a commemorative book, or post cards is a much better way to recall what I saw, and to spend time actually seeing the sights. I appreciate the decision to ban photography from such locations, and hope it is done universally.
I may be american I have studied about her in school. I admired her and I still do, she defintely was a great woman and a great leader who inspired others.
I’ve been all through that place and still have so many questions such as how were they entombed? what’s the process like entombing them? How were their sarcophagi made? Do they open the sarcophagi every once in a while? Do they still make sarcophagi like that today with marble and stone? I wish they made documents and videos on stuff like this because every time I visit Europe and see stuff like this in basilicas and cathedrals, it just drives me crazy with questions!
I’m pretty sure that since she died after Mary she knew where she was going to be laid to rest. Now, Mary on the other hand probably wouldn’t be too pleased to be next to the woman whom she had imprisoned and almost executed...
I think she would love it. Her sister Mary I is interred literally underneath Elizabeth with only a black Square stone plaque marking her resting place. Elizabeth I would not be thrilled over her cousin, Mary Queen of Scotts, lying adjacent in another chamber. Mary's son, James IV and I, reinterred his mother nearby after Elizabeth's death in 1603 and his ascension to her throne.
There is another interesting monument in the same chapel near the tomb. You just see a glimpse - but on the wall opposite Elizabeth's feet is where the bones of the two litltle Princes in the Tower are placed. (And before the comment starts controversy - I believe the bones are most likely those of the Princes and I also think Richard did ithe deed and had them killed. Note "think" not "know").
4 года назад
The coffins are not there, they are deep under the Abbey with the coffin of Elizabeth resting on top of her sister Mary, this is just a memorial.
@hamefurgid I have nothing but respect for Westminster and those buried there, I think my main reason for filming was to capture the feeling I had when I first walked into that room. Sometimes on very special occasions like these, I cannot really recall the memory that well...I guess it's a little overwhelming or I hurry to take in every single detail that I just can't remember it so well. Who knows! So for me, it's nice to have this video so I can go back to it and kind of relive the moment.
I wouldn't mind visiting England myself, from what I hear England is a very beautiful country with beautiful scenery, not to mention the old castle ruins all over England. England is ripe with historical signifcance, and I wouldnt mind visiting to see where alot of historical events took place.
I'm not trying to argue or anything, and I certainly won't tell you to take this video down, but I'm genuinely curious, how were you able to film this? I've been to Westminster Abbey before, and they said no filming. This is a great video, by the way.
I think it's because I wasn't filming the entire time. I have other pieces of footage which are only short and the idea was to edit it all together. Sadly life and motherhood got in the way of me doing that, maybe one day I'll get around to doing it :)
thank you for filming this i wish one day to go there but i think will take a whille ...ignore this idiots with they "disrispect" bla bla bla its history ppl ...tnx for share
I think these people need to look up what disrespect means, i wasn't doing any harm just quietly walking around filming small parts. Thanks for your comment
+scarletgunn - you need to look up what 'disrespect' means - you claim you weren't doing 'any harm' - you were deliberately breaking a condition visitors are required to obey.
There are over 10,000 bodies buried inside and around Westminster Abbey. The exact number will never be known as there are no records of many burials in the medieval periods. All the bodies of the monarchs buried in Westminster Abbey lie undisturbed in their tombs within the Abbey.
Although the location is not suitable, I fully support your brave shooting. This is not only to safeguard the basic freedom and rights of human beings, but also the correct behavior to protect historic site.
well, the bodies are under a vault that is under the monuments. but it's not directly under it. they have to go in the basement to do so i believe that, or they have to move the monuments and under would be stairs leading to the vaults. something along those lines.
@cocatwoman7 How very interesting for you. We Scots just find it quite amusing (in the nicest possible way) that thousands of Americans find our tiny country so fascinating. I suppose that we just take our historical surroundings for granted. I am Glasgow born but living as I said, a stones throw from the Walllace monument in Stirling. It's gorgeous here right beside the Ochil Hills. :)
England is accessible from the u.s.,you also have a shared language.I was fascinated by your long history.We Americans don't have a Westminster Abbey or a Tower of London to visit because we are such a young country.Having said that the English and yes the Scottish people were so friendly and helpful unlike their neighbors across the channel.
@TheMegan0582 Hello from the States I am one of those ppl and so in awe right now I get to see the final resting place of QEI. She represents so much to me first demonstrating how difficult it is for women in power. I hope before I die I get to see this in person so God bless the uploader of this video
@MitchieTorres93 Why thank you for liking my video! Elizabeth was amazing, she went through so much when she was young yet remained strong and changed England for the better. I feel very sorry for Mary though.
There isn't much room in the Abbey for burials, even back in the seventeenth century. From the late 18th Century the royals have been buried at Windsor. Total burials in the Abbey are well over 10,000. Only one vault is currently in use - the Northumberland Vault, reserved for the Percy family, Dukes of Northumberland.
I enjoyed the video and now understand why the filming was shaking at times. I had been there over 30 years ago and had wondered why I never took pictures, since I Forgot about the ban of photography. I think the reason that Elizabeth I is portrayed is that she ruled longer, was a Protestant Queen, and left the throne to James I. Mary was a Catholic queen whose rule wasn’t that long in the scheme of things. Mary and Elizabeth weren’t always on the best of terms as half sisters from rival mothers.. Elizabeth also had ordered the beheading of James I mother, Mary Queen of Scots. So maybe JamesI was having a small revenge by combining their gravesite. I don’t know if their bones were mixed together or are separate in the plot.
Queen Elizabeth defintely was defintely a very inspiring leader. Leading england through its darkest hours and helping england to prosper. The spanish armada perhaps was one of her darkest hours but not the only one. Though I dont know much about mary the first, was she the one elizabeth executed and for what reason I do not know.
@MarilynDarling Buried beneath the monument in a vault with also the coffin of Queen Mary I. Family vaults were common practise in England for those who could afford them. In the case of the Royal family the funerary monuments are lavish with the vault below holding the immediate family members.
@hamefurgid De Denne's from france-my french ancestors first went to England, later went to Scotland (Knights Templars) & some DID keep records, as did their decendents. Patrick Denny of Dumbarton was a glass blower and was a great uncle to the Denny Bros. Shipbuilders of Dunbarton in the 1800's & He came over to America to NJ. I even have the ship manifest showing he and his family arrived in Salem NJ. It does come down to WHO you know and did not cost a dime :)
+leslie schmidt Yes Leslie, both Mary I and Elizabeth I are buried in that tomb which is a bit disgraceful considering it's basically a shrine to JUST Elizabeth and funny enough Mary was buried there first as well. It very much follows how history has looked at Mary, just a small little footnote in her younger sister's MUCH more successful shoes. That sentiment is true of course when you compare their reigns but it's a big injustice if you ask me, sure Mary has the "Bloody Mary" stain that's followed her through the years, but she still was the very first woman to rule England as queen in her own right and that is pretty monumental. I personally think they should move her to Peterborough Cathedral to rest near her mother, Catherine of Aragon...as she wanted.
And not to be forgotten: this same Mary's grandparents were none other than King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain who gave the ships and provisions to Christopher Columbus in hopes of his finding an all water route to India, where he could procure the many spices so prized in Europe at the time. Columbus accidentally stumble into islands in the Caribbean Sea and thought he had reached India, when in fact he had discovered what later became known as the Americas.
Please rectify sound quality on videos chosen Some sound like only whispers and some had no sound at all.N Very disappointed as l was quite interested in the subject matter.Thank you.
@cocatwoman7 Thank you for the nice comment and I am glad you enjoyed the video. Your geneology sounds very interesting, I bet that was quite the discovery! I'm a tad jealous lol
Absolutely stunning entombment for both of them. Also fascinating that they would be stacked 'bunk bed' style in above ground fashion. I wonder whose idea it was to entomb them that way. That's interesting that the two 1/2 sisters were buried together. For some reason I always thought / assumed that they were buried in separate locations.
The vault is underneath the monument. Elizabeth's coffin lies on top of Mary's. Covered in red velvet. The coffins are oak and elm. Disintegrated some but the lead inside that contains them is intact. Monument built 1607.
@@trussell9899 Someone went down there in the 19th century and it seems also in 1976 as a result of a suspected gas leak. There wasn't one I think but between the two reports the coffin of QE1 is in a narrow vault on top of that of Mary 1 and can in theory be accessed from the east end on the far side by lifting slabs and there are steps underneath apparently. The coffin is inch elm with inch oak panelling, a Tudor rose and initials ER. It is more of a rounded shape at the top unlike Mary's. It has a crack in it near the top, crumbled a bit at the sides and the now tattered velvet is red/purple. From known Tudor practice, the bodies are in sheaths of lead, embalmed etc so probably well preserved. It is cool and dry down there. Mary I was maybe buried dressed as a nun btw.
Mary wanted her mother to rest beside her, but this wish was denied. She wouldn’t have been happy sharing her tomb with the half-sister she hated, but that’s the way it is, Mary.
@catsinhouse No you aren't. You can hear a man who works there saying 'no cameras' right near the end of the video. Needless to say as soon as I went away from that area I started filming again!
I hadnt realized anyone else was interested so of course Id be happy to send it to you. Though I am ill at the moment I will send you a sample just to see what you think. If you like it I will then send you more in the future.
Notwithstanding any security issues it should also be noted that any historic building which relies heavily on tourism would rather said tourists purchase 'official merchandise' to help maintain the building & it's contents.If we're all allowed to freely video-record then we're less likely to purchase the goods on offer.Personally,I don't believe it's disrespectful to video inside these buildings.
@Squeaky1423 I waited in line which didn't take long at all. Basically, you just pay to get in and you can walk around on your own if you like. There are people who can give you tours and they will give you historial information on the abbey and also who is buried there. I personally just walked around alone and found the tombs that interested me, and being a massive monarch nerd I didn't want a tour :P
I will be visiting Westminster next month. I've been to London before but it was always mobbed with people. I think I will go with a walking tour. Did you enter on your own and wait in line, or did you take a tour to get in? How long was your visit inside?
@hamefurgid I didn't think so, or at least it wasn't permitted when I was there a few years ago, for understandable reasons. It was just a huge thrill to be there so respecting their rules came with the territory and the privilege of taking it all in. St. George's Chapel at Windsor was the same as well.
I’ve heard she was adored by many for her fire red hair and pale skin. There was also rumored that the makeup she used to perfect that look is the cause of her death.
Thanks for posting this. I don't get why some think cameras in the Abbey is disrespectful. It seems to me camera's and video are not a problem or deemed disrespectful at weddings and funerals for the royal family at Westminster Abbey. And the Abbey in a way belongs to the people-it's upkeep comes in part from taxes if I'm not mistaken not just private donations. Why shouldn't they be allowed to snap some photos or quietly videotape the area as a keepsake?
It's a difficult line to draw. Some people, sadly, have no sense of place - the Abbey is just another building 'to do.' The wear and tear on floors + condensation from the breath of thousands of visitors does do damage. An alternative, followed at some historic sites is to have a maximum number of admissions per day or limited opening hours.
@Tonganpride1000 the tomb is one big cavernous room underneath the floor. *Everyone* is in there. What you're actually asking about is the marble effigy that the public sees. Most likely the reason why Mary doesn't have her own effigy and tomb is because England became and stayed Protestant after Elizabeth took the throne. No one of any sway or importance has had the stomach to honor someone who persecuted and slaughters so many of her subjects.
@Squeaky1423 Your welcome, it is a breath taking place. Let me know how you get on if you like :) Oh and also if you can, check out Hampton Court Palace.
wow.. mustve been great to visit west minster abbey! thanx for sharing it with us..wholl probably never get to visit. is elizabeths tomb on top of marys tomb? are their actually human remains inside those tombs?
@kendahke That's not what I meant. I mean, why didn't they just put Queen Mary I's body in one tomb, and Queen Elizabeth I's body in another? Why did they put both of their bodies in ONE tomb?
I heard that guy give you a royal tongue lashing at the end! LOL! :-) I wanted to take a picture of the tombs at Westminster but those guys were on you like white on rice every second.
