St Paul's Cathedral
A Cathedral
dedicated to St Paul has overlooked the City of London since 604AD, a constant
reminder to this great commercial centre of the importance of the spiritual side
of life.
The current Cathedral – the fourth to occupy this site – was designed by the
court architect Sir
Christopher Wren and built between 1675 and 1710 after its predecessor was
destroyed in the Great Fire of London.
Its architectural and artistic importance reflect the determination of the five
monarchs who oversaw its building that London’s leading church should be as
beautiful and imposing as their private palaces.
Since the first service took place here in 1697. Wren's masterpiece has been
where people and events of overwhelming importance to the country have been
celebrated, mourned and commemorated.
Important services have included the funerals of
Lord Nelson, the
Duke of Wellington and Sir Winston
Churchill; Jubilee celebrations for Queen Victoria; peace services marking
the end of the First and Second World Wars; the launch of the Festival of
Britain; the Service of Remembrance and Commemoration for the 11th September
2001: the 80th and 100th birthdays of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother; the
wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, to
Lady Diana
Spencer and, most recently, the thanksgiving services for both the
Golden Jubilee and 80th
Birthday of Her Majesty the Queen.
In the crypt are effigies and fragments of stone that pre-date the Cathedral,
relics of a medieval world. From Wren’s original vision, Jean Tijou’s beautiful
wrought iron gates of 1700 still separate the quire from the ambulatory;
children still test the acoustics in the Whispering Gallery; and the 1695 organ
which Mendelssohn once played is still in use.
The magnificent mosaics are the result of Queen Victoria’s mid-19th century
complaint that the interior was “most dreary, dingy and undevotional.” The
American Memorial Chapel stands behind the High Altar in an area that was
bomb-damaged during the Second World War – a gesture of gratitude to the
American dead of the Second World War from the people of Britain. An altar has
now been installed on a dais in the heart of the Cathedral, bringing services
closer to those who attend them.
Throughout, St Paul’s
(Pictures) has remained a busy, working church where millions have come to
worship and find peace. It is a heritage site of international importance which
attracts thousands of people each year, a symbol of the City and Nation it
serves and, above all, a lasting monument to the glory of God.
Any Questions email John