Westminster Abbey: A Dazzling Theatre of Coronation
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Westminster Abbey: A Dazzling Theatre of Coronation

As we prepare for the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on 6 May, we can be sure that one place will provide the perfect, dazzling backdrop, just as it has done for countless centuries. I am talking, of course, about Westminster Abbey.

The abbey has a long and noble association with the English monarchy, stretching over 1000 years. While you may be glued to the spectacle of the coronation ceremony unfolding, you might be surprised to learn that the physical spaces that form the backdrop to the event are equally significant.

To appreciate the profound importance of the abbey to the coronation, the place in which, traditionally, a monarch is transmuted from human to divine, I have written this blog to summarise the abbey’s history, how and why it has become so deeply linked with the Crown, as well as pointing out a couple of feature and objects that come together to form the ‘theatre of coronation’….

The Blounts of Kinlet & Their Incredible Tombs
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The Blounts of Kinlet & Their Incredible Tombs

In this episode, I head to the lush green county of Shropshire. Situated in the West Midlands and not far from the Welsh border, Kinlet is a tiny village nestled in the rural countryside. Although it once stood next to the Blount’s country manor house, today, the parish church of St John the Baptist appears to stand in solitary grandeur on top of a hill surrounded by parkland and green pastures.

However, this modest and unassuming medieval church is home to some glorious Tudor tombs belonging to the Blount family. In this episode of The Tudor History & Travel Show, Elizabeth Norton, author and historian, joins me as we explore the church and its connection to the family.