The Henry VII Lady Chapel, now more often known just as the Henry VII Chapel, is a large Lady chapel at the far eastern end of Westminster Abbey, paid for by the will of Henry VII. It is separated from the rest of the abbey by brass gates and a flight of stairs^[1]. The chapel is built in a very late Perpendicular Gothic style, the magnificence of which caused John Leland to call it the orbis miraculum^[2]. The tombs of several monarchs including Henry VII, Elizabeth I, Mary I, James I, Charles II and Mary, Queen of Scots are found in the chapel^[3]. The chapel has also been the mother church of the Order of the Bath since 1725, and the banners of members hang above the stalls.

Contents 1 Construction 2 See also 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Construction

The chapel was intended by Henry VII as a shrine for Henry VI who was expected to be canonised by Pope Julius II^[2]. In the event, the Pope declined to do so and Henry VII died shortly after, ensuring that his tomb now occupies the central part of the chapel^[2].

The foundation stone of the chapel was laid on the 24th January 1503 in the presence of Abbot John Islip, Sir Reginald Bray, Hugh Oldham and others, and construction lasted until 1509^[4], costing a sum of £14,860. Some sources^[5] attribute its design to Sir Reginald Bray, but according to others^[4][3] (including the abbey itself^[6]), the lower half was likely designed by Robert Janyns, with the pendant fan vault being designed by William Vertue (who had also worked on Bath Abbey).

Henry VII was buried in the chapel on his death in 1509 in a tomb designed by the Florentine sculptor Pietro Torrigiano. Alternative plans for the tomb were submitted by Guido Mazzoni, then working on a French royal tomb in Paris. The tomb is one of the first examples of Italian Renaissance style in Britain.

[edit] See also

• Artists of the Tudor court

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Henry VII Lady Chapel - photos at The Courtauld Institute.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Henry VII Lady Chapel

Coordinates: 51°29′57″N 0°07′36″W / 51.4993°N 0.1266°W / 51.4993; -0.1266

This article about a London building or structure is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e