Coronation Fever: behind closed doors!

Westminster Abbey - heart of the nation is a hive of activity! This historic and special building epitomises our fabulous living history and billions of us will tune in for the first time in our lives to see a live coronation of a British monarch. It will the 39th ceremony and King Charles III will be the 40th monarch to be crowned in the Abbey - William III and Mary II had a joint coronation in 1689. Over a thousand years, only two reigning monarchs were not crowned - boy King Edward V (one of the "Princes in the Tower"who vanished presumed murdered in 1483) and King Edward VIII who abdicated in 1936.

It's now closed to enable preparations for the coronation of King Charles III whose colourful coronation invitations epitomise our modern times. On a recent visit, I was shown photos of the oldest known coronation tickets,found under the floors of the Triforium (now the Diamond Jubilee Galleries). This floor high above St Edward the Confessor's shrine, was laid down in Sir Christopher Wren's time as Surveyor of the Abbey and the torn invitations were for the coronation of last Stuart monarch Queen Anne in 1702!