The Shrine of Edward the Confessor

The shrine of Edward the Confessor, built by Henry III was a momentous occasion for those involved. Henry III himself helped move the saint’s body into the tomb and into the former king's final resting place. Henry III threw a great ceremony at the moving of the body and invited royalty all over Europe to come and bear gifts to the man Henry believed to be the patron saint of England. Medieval Kings and queens brought jewelry, gold and gifts for the former king to appease King Henry III. The shrine was ordained with precious jewels and even fitted with a gold lid at the top of the tomb. It also shows the icon of the saint, and provided areas for people to pray around the shrine. Also, it should be noted that King Edward's wife is also buried alongside him, but she is not marked in her grave.

The tomb seen today is not the marvel that it once was. This is because during the reign of Henry VIII, he disbanded the monks from the abbey because of his excommunication from the Roman Catholic Church. While the monks were not able to protect the cathedral, the shrine was looted of all its precious metals and the gold fitted top was forced to be replaced with wood. Even though there have been efforts in the past, most notably Queen Mary, the shrine was not given the resources to rebuild its great treasure.