Home
Welcome to SM4!

Worship & Music
St Paul’s Cathedral has been here for over 1,400 years. It has been built and rebuilt five times, and always its main purpose has been as a place of worship and prayer.

Visit Us
St Paul's, with its world-famous dome, is an iconic feature of the London skyline. Step inside and you can enjoy the Cathedral's awe-inspiring interior, and uncover fascinating stories about its history.
Learning & Faith
Lifelong learning is a core part of the our work, delivered through a variety of events by St Paul's Institute, and the Cathedral's Adult Learning and Schools & Family Learning departments.

History & Collections
For more than 1,400 years, a Cathedral dedicated to St Paul has stood at the highest point in the City. The present Cathedral is the masterpiece of Britain's most famous architect Sir Christopher Wren.

Support Us
Behind the scenes, the cost of caring for St Paul's and continuing to deliver our central ministry and work is enormous and the generosity of our supporters is critical.

Venue Bookings
Widely considered to be one of the world’s most beautiful buildings and a powerful symbol of the splendour of London, St Paul’s Cathedral is a breathtaking events venue.Latest News
Cathedral closed until further notice |
Today in history - a rare royal wedding takes place at St Paul's
14 November 2013
In fact, so unusual was it for the wedding to take place at St Paul's, we have to go back another 480 years from Prince Charles and Lady Diana to find the last royal wedding at St Paul's - another heir to the throne, but one who would never be king.
The marriage had been arranged by both families in an attempt to form an alliance between England and Spain against the French and at the time of their marriage, both Arthur and Catherine were just 15. They had only met for the first time ten days before.
"Stands had been erected in the nave for the most important guests; and for the marriage itself there was a timber platform twelve feet wide and four feet high with steps on every side and covered with red baize.
"The princess was received at the Galilee porch at the west end by a fanfare of trumpeters and processed down the long nave between the
great Norman pillars hung with tapestry to be married to the waiting prince by the Archbishop of Canterbury assisted by the Spanish Legate
and nineteen bishops and mitred abbots. After this they went from the platform through the rood screen and along the choir with its tall
windows to the square east end for high mass at the altar."
Prince Arthur was a hugely significant person in the history of the English (and later British) monarchy. His parents' marriage had brought
an end to the War of the Roses and so his birth was seen as a cementing of the union between the House of Tudor (borne out of the
House of Lancaster) and the House of York. His marriage with Catherine would strengthen ties with Spain and so with Rome.
But just five months after his marriage, Arthur was dead, succumbing to an unknown ailment. Fearing a breakdown of the Anglo-Spanish union,
King Henry VII hurriedly arranged new plans to betroth Princess Catherine to his second son, Prince Henry.
On King Henry VII's death in 1509, Prince Henry became king and quickly married his princess. Together, King Henry VIII and Catherine of
Aragon would become one of the most famous couples in history.
This new marriage would eventually lead to the schism with Rome and formation of the Church of England. Catherine and Henry had six
children together but only one, the future Queen Mary I, survived infancy.
Prince Arthur was buried at Worcester Cathedral; Catherine at Peterborough Cathedral.
Tapestry image © The President and Fellows of Magdalen College, Oxford.
www.magd.ox.ac.uk
-
Share this content
- StumbleUpon