Conclusion

The Westminster Cathedral has a story like no other, as it is intertwined with the will of Henry III. His dedication to his patron saint King Edward the Confessor led to the abbey being nearly completely torn down and rebuilt in the way that Henry saw fit, in the style of contemporary gothic cathedrals. But, he and other kings after he died, realized that the cathedral needed to remain an English church despite Henry's love of foreign design. From keeping the Coronation Chair for every following king, to building a new chapel in the gothic style, to making the lavish shrine to hold the body of St. Edward, Henry III will remain linked with the Westminster Cathedral. The result was a new cathedral, one made as the ultimate shrine to Edward the Confessor.