I had a couple of hours to spare in Westminster this week and decided to visit the Abbey where Prince William and Kate Middleton will tie the knot this April. Whenever I pass by there are usually long queues outside of tourists from around the globe who are keen to see the many splendours of the final resting place of some of our famous monarchs and poets, including Elizabeth 1 and Chaucer. However, on this day, I was able to walk straight in.

My initial reaction was how small it seemed for a congregation of world leaders, family and friends – but I was reassured after a guide informed me that tiered benches will be installed to seat 2,800. That is surely enough for any wedding, including royalty, but it still looks like it will be a bit of a crush.

A couple of lesser known attractions caught my eye, including this 900-year-old old oak door which is reputed to be the oldest in Britain and was once thought to be covered in human skin.  I didn’t realise this when when I stroked the study wooden structure as I wanted to connect with its centuries old history, and was relieved to learn that tests showed the skin was that of a cow hide and not, as legend said, the skin of a punished man. It was only identified in 2005 as the oldest door in the UK and  was put in place in the 1050s, during the reign of the Abbey’s founder, Edward the Confessor. It is believed to be the only surviving Anglo Saxon door in Britain. And I touched it!

At the end of the tour, I was also able to observe conservators at work painstakingly restoring the Coronation Chair on which nearly every British monarch has been crowned since 1308; as you can see, there is still lots to be done for it to be completed in time for Prince Charles’s coronation.

The work is being done in an enclave overlooking the grave of the unknown warrior on which nobody is allowed to stand, not even the Queen. So when the Prince William and Kate enter the Abbey through the glass door, as well as the bridesmaids and entourage, they will respectfully walk around it. I certainly never feel comfortable walking on tombstones.

The Abbey is also cashing in on its good fortune to host the royal wedding by selling commemorative plates and books in its shop. It’s a huge commercial bonus for them and a huge blessing for their fundraising.

(click on pics to enlarge)