Download Your Own Royal Wedding Route Map

Are you going to be standing at the side of the road to watch the Prince William and Kate Middleton, or are you going to be one of the lucky ones outside Westminster Abbey to watch the Royal Wedding?

Why not download our Royal Wedding Route Map? Here you can see the route from Buckingham Palace, down The mall, through Horse Guards Parade and onwards past the government offices on their way to Westminster Abbey for their Royal Wedding ceremony.

Let Books On London show you the way with our handy Royal Wedding Route Map.

As Westminster Abbey is going to be the focal point of the world’s attention, here are some interesting facts about the world famous Abbey that not everyone knows.

Some 16,000 visitors a day visit Westminster Abbey, and who wouldn't? It is the nation’s church and as well as being the burial place for past kings, queens as well as some very special national figures. It is the scene of every coronation since William the Conqueror in 1066. In fact in the first 500 years of its life Westminister Abbey was a monastery and much of it remains intact within the walls of the Abbey. It is rare to see monasteries from that era because many of the monasteries were destroyed back in the 1530s.

Although if you are going to visit the Abbey after the Royal Wedding, the best days to visit are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday because these are when the Abbey garden is open. This used to be the monks herb garden and not many are aware of this secret in the heart of London.

The origins of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

This was the idea of David Railton who served in WW1. He got the backing of the Dean of Westminster, the king, prime minister and the military. 6 working parties were despatched to Ypres, Marne, Cambrai, Arras, Somme and Aisne. The bodies of 6 dead were taken to a hut in St Pol and examined to ensure they were British. The Director of the War Graves Commission in Flanders, Brigadier-General Wyatt was blindfolded, taken into the hut at midnight and asked to touch one of the coffins. Other unknown soldiers were also buried on the same day in other countries. He was the last person to be buried at Westminster Abbey.

The Confessors Tomb

Henry III (reigned 1216-72) was the person responsible for the construction of the present Abbey from Edward the Confessors original 200 year old design. The Confessor had been made a saint by the pope, so Henry wanted to create a church fitting for the Confessors tomb. When you get to the tomb you will notice at the bridge end that the stones are worn into hollows by the knees of medieval pilgrims who came here pray. Catholics still do as it is the only important shrine in the country that is still in its original position and contains the body of its saint.

Download your Royal Wedding Map here and it is free!

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