Westminster Abbey to open secret area to public from June 11
Westminster Abbey, one of London's most famous tourist sites, is opening up an area previously closed to the public to show off 300 items, including Prince William's marriage licence, to chronicle its 1,000-year history.
The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries are in the 13th-century triforium, some 16m above the level of the church used for royal coronations and weddings, as well as a resting place for famous Britons.
The galleries are accessible through a lift and 108 steps built inside a new tower - the biggest architectural change to the historic abbey since the 18th century.
The items are exhibited along four themes - Building Westminster Abbey, Worship and Daily Life, Westminster Abbey and the Monarchy, and The Abbey and National Memory.
"It is the first time that we have ever, in the history of the abbey, had the public up here," said head conservator Vanessa Simeoni. "Quite a few of the objects... have never been displayed before."
The galleries open on June 11. - REUTERS, AFP
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