Henry VII is buried in Westminster Abbey

Henry VII is buried in Westminster Abbey

At 1 pm on the 10th May 1509, Henry VII’s funeral procession left St Paul’s Cathedral, and travelled to Westminster Abbey.

As the procession passed, alms were distributed to the poor and, somewhat strangely, also to prisoners.

Henry’s burial took place at 6am the next morning, the 11th May 1509.
The burial took place in the Lady Chapel he had commissioned and constructed as his final resting place.

Three masses were sung for the king’s soul, the last being led by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Then something amazing occurred…..

Sir Edward Howard, the son of the Earl of Surrey, entered the abbey.

Sir Edward Howard was dressed in the King’s armour holding his shield and poleaxe, and riding the dead King’s warhorse!

Sir Edward Howard slowly led the horse up the nave to the altar.
He dismounted and was ceremonially stripped of the armour and weapons by the Duke of Buckingham and the Earl of Northumberland.

The coffin of Henry VII was then gently lowered into the vault, that already held the remains of his wife and queen, Elizabeth of York.

The Archbishop then threw a symbolic hand of soil into the grave.

Finally, each of the officers of the King’s household broke their staves of offices, and cast them in the vault.

The Garter King of Arms then declared in Latin,

“The Noble King Henry VII is dead”

He then paused before continuing,

“God send the noble King Henry VIII long life.”

The new seventeen-year-old King Henry VIII, did not attend his father’s burial.

On Henry’s tomb, are the words…

“Henry VII rests within this tomb,
he who was the splendour of kings and light of the
world.
A wise and watchful monarch, a courteous lover of
virtue, outstanding in beauty, vigorous and mighty.
Who brought peace to his kingdom, who waged
very many wars, who always returned victorious
from the enemy, who wedded both his daughters to
kings, who was united to kings, indeed to all, by
treaty, who built this holy temple, and erected this
tomb for himself, his wife, and his children.

He completed more than fifty three years, and bore
the royal sceptre for twenty four.
The fifteenth hundredth year of the Lord had
passed, and the ninth after that was running its
course, when dawned the black day, the twenty first
dawn of April was shining, when this so great
monarch ended his last day.

No earlier ages gave thee so great a king, O England;
hardly will ages to come give thee his like”

King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, were the first King and Queen to be buried in the abbey under the floor in a vault, as opposed to a tomb above ground.

They were also the first burials in the Lady Chapel.

They are now joined by their grandchildren, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I.

Other burials in the Lady Chapel include –
James I.
Charles II.
Queen Anne.
The Princes in the Tower have an urn there.
George II.
Mary II.
William III.
Mary Queen of Scots.
Catherine of Valois.
Caroline of Ansbach.
Margaret Beaufort.