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A Guide’s Eye View of Westminster Abbey
Our day trip called Coronations & Celebrations
tells the life story of HM Queen Elizabeth II
from humble beginnings in London’s Mayfair
to her wedding and coronation at Westminster
Abbey. With
a coach tour including royal routes
normally out of bounds and an intimate and an
entertaining tour of Westminster Abbey - scene
of every coronation since 1066
and at
least 16
royal weddings this is an ideal trip to mark the
coronation of H.M. Queen Elizabeth in 1953 and
it might be just the ticket for groups who have
enjoyed the three-part Westminster Abbey
documentary shown this month on BBC2.
Arrive at 10-30am to buy morning coffee in the
Westminster Central Hall right opposite the Abbey
which we are going to visit in the morning while
your legs are fresh. Westminster Abbey enshrines
in stone the history of our nation. Kings, queens,
statesmen and soldiers, poets, priests, heroes and
villains - the Abbey is a living pageant of British
history. At this “Royal Peculiar” every English or
British monarch since 1066 has been crowned and
there have been at least 16 royal weddings includ-
ing Prince William, the Queen and the Queen
Mother.
The Abbey can be phenomenally busy so we would
always recommend coming out of main tourist sea-
son if possible. You will not have to queue to get in
and your group will be joined by a second Blue Guide
from our award-winning team to make for a more
intimate visit and to abide by the Dean’s rules - groups
only admitted if accompanied by a Blue Badge Guide
and only 26 people per guide (so a maximum of 52
people on this tour please). Lunch in the new Abbey
cafe or back across the road in Westminster Central
Hall.
The afternoon is largely coach based and tells the life
story of the Queen in London. You’ll see the house
where the Queen was born during the chaotic days of
the 1926 General Strike and hear of her incognito
London adventures with her governess Crawfie. We
locate the Harley Street premises where her father,
Bertie, the Duke of York, overcame his stammer and
discover where the teenage princess first met her future
husband. With our special permit we take you off the
beaten track to follow royal routes not normally
accessible by coach – through Hyde Park where the
Queen learned to ride on Rotten Row, along Birdcage
Walk and along the Mall to Buckingham Palace where
the fates took her when, in the space of one very
dramatic year, her beloved “Grandpa England” died
and her Uncle David abdicated. This is a fond and
quite fascinating look at the making of Her Majesty
the Queen. To round off the day we enjoy a flavour of
Her Majesty’s childhood home patch of Mayfair
walking, just a short distance, in the footsteps of the
young Queen through the distinctly upper class