Henry VII Chapel, Westminster Abbey

Henry VII Chapel, Westminster Abbey, London, begun 1503. Speakers: Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris

[@javierpacheco8234]

That has to be one of the most beautiful interiors in a church. It is so beautiful.

[@sarribel]

Splendid, actually looks like a piece of jewellery

[@SKF358]

Brilliant video. Well done by all. I was mesmerized by this church I learned about only through you.

[@YendorSignemeck]

Excellent, informative video of a beautiful church. My favorite of the churches I visited in Britain.

[@SKF358]

BTW, I am so thankful for the work that Steven and Beth do to make gorgeous art known to us all.

[@passionmabvure8678]

Amazing

[@KorKhan89]

Excellent, I was waiting for this one!

[@johnfromengland2620]

This is a really interesting video, full of historical, architectural and structural information, beautifully photographed and well presented. Just one point of detail: although the Houses of Parliament main building dates from the 19th century, one part of the complex is much older. At 4.25 in the video, the greyish-coloured building with heavy buttresses which can be seen immediately under the "Big Ben" clocktower is Westminster Hall, erected in the late 11th century, remodelled with a magnificent timber roof in the late 14th century (see Wikipedia under "Palace of Westminster" entry). Unfortunately the Hall is not open to the public.

[@kentwang44]

4:25 - if you write it with a colon, KZbin turns it into a link that can be clicked on

[@johnfromengland2620]

Thanks for the tip!@@kentwang44

[@nealg58]

I remember visiting here in 1975 - went to Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland on a high school band trip!

[@noraly444]

WONDERFUL !!!!!!!!!!

[@gordonsmith8899]

The building at 4.26 is Westminster Hall. It's a mediaeval building, one of the oldest surviving parts of the Palace of Westminster. It dates from the reign of William II It's famous hammer-beam roof dates from the reign of Richard II Many famous state trials have been heard there including that of Charles I (1648/9) The stonework on the street front is modern.

[@ds1868]

@Gordon Smith Good post. The Palace of Westminster is a mixture of very old and 19th Century Gothic Revival.

[@ianport2185]

Bear in mind Henry VII had a tenuous claim to the throne so you might argue the purpose of the chapel is to place the new Tudor dynasty at the centre of the Abbey and hence the realm.

[@stonesinmyblood27]

He also built it to create the connection between himself and Henry VI of Lancaster

[@MandyJMaddison]

This is very well done. Very useful to students. Good potted history of Gothic prior to the emergence of the Perpendicular style. The illustrations o the history are all pertinent, and the information accurate. Good explanation of structural engineering. Good relating of exterior to interior. Good introduction and brief explanation of Gothic Revival at Palace of Westminster.

[@mkmc94]

The british do know for sure how to build a beautiful church !

[@Sasha0927]

I've never been so stunned by a ceiling, my goodness.. Everything else was lost on me, lol.

[@davidalexallen]

Great video! I was wondering about those hanging pendants in the chapel -- did those serve any structural purpose, or were they purely decorative? Is there anything in the architecture to indicate they had to build extra support to have those?

[@AntPDC]

See partially hidden structural support arches at 3:23

[@alphonsobutlakiv789]

Why do the buttresses towers have niches clearly for statues, yet there are none? Were there ever any statues in those niches?

[@arturocostantino623]

Edward the Confessor was the first royal burial in 1066

[@gioseanuandrei5489]

If only all the windows were of stained glass, it will be close to perfection. I suspect they were but were destroyed at a later time.

[@MercurialRed9]

I prefer it this way, allows natural light to illuminate the chapel.

[@mkmc94]

@@MercurialRed9 Amiens Cathedral did the same and i agree it allow way more light inside the church and it's beautiful

[@Thelongestshrimp]

19nth😃

[@SKF358]

Why didn't Henry VIII destroy this as he rejected Catholicism as he did so many other Catholic buildings?

[@smarthistoryvideos]

Much of the damage, as I understand it, was focused on monastic properties which might have their roofs removed for example. Cathedrals were often stripped of precious materials but were often largely spared, until the civil war.

[@mkmc94]

How could he destroy such a beauty ?

[@MercurialRed9]

The Abbey is not a Catholic building.