How She came to be the Saint Queen.

Several years after Etheldreda’s death, her sister would become the new leader of the abbey. During this time Etheldreda body would be exhumed in order to have her bones cleaned. The goal of this was to have them enshrined in the church. However, when her body was uncovered, she was still in perfect condition. In fact, the tumor on her neck was now gone leaving no scar or blemish in its place. As a result of Etheldreda’s body not decomposing and her tumor now healed through divine work the community of Ely believed that she was steadfast in her faith and virginity and therefore a saint . Even the shroud she was buried with was still as clean as it had been upon her death. The community would report that those who came in contact with the shroud would be healed of all illness or alignments. Her body would then be placed in a shrine where it was the focus of many pilgrims.