Her Majesty The Queen opens Jubilee Galleries

Friday, 8th June 2018

Her Majesty The Queen with His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales visited Westminster Abbey on Friday 8th June to open The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries.

The Queen and The Prince of Wales were greeted by the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr John Hall, who escorted them on a tour of the Galleries, where they viewed objects including the 13th century Westminster Retable, the funeral effigy head of Henry VII, and the marriage licence of TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

The Queen and The Prince of Wales met some of the major donors to the project from Britain and the United States, along with contractors and members of Abbey staff who have been involved in the development of the Galleries.

Before departing, The Queen unveiled a plaque commemorating the opening of the Galleries.

The Queen enters the Galleries with The Dean of Westminster

Prince Charles meets some of those who worked on the Galleries

The Queen looks down into the Abbey church from the Galleries

Prince Charles views the effigy head of Henry VII

The Queen is shown wooden effigies in the Galleries

The Queen views the Liber Regalis, a 14th century guide to staging coronations

The Queen unveils a plaque to mark the opening of the Galleries

The Queen and Prince Charles meet Alan Titchmarsh, who helped develop a memorial fountain to 'Capability' Brown

The Queen receives a posy from Sarah Bish, aged 8

Set high above the Abbey floor in the medieval triforium - which has never before been open to the public - the Galleries display 300 objects from the Abbey collection, many of them for the first time.

The Galleries will open to the public at 10.00am on Monday 11th June.

The Dean said:

We look forward to welcoming visitors to the Galleries. The views are breathtaking; the space astonishing; the displays fascinating. The visitor will gain far greater insight into the life and history of the Abbey than ever before. The fulfilment of this vision is a shared achievement with so many people involved. We are profoundly grateful.

Order of Service (PDF, 193KB)