Edward the Confessor, St

(c.1003-1066) Anglo-Saxon king and saint (reigned 1042-1066), whose shrine remains in Westminster Abbey. Son of Aethelred (reigned 978-1016, often known as the 'Unready') and his second wife, Emma, the daughter…

(c.1003-1066) Anglo-Saxon king and saintSaint In the New Testament applied to all Christians. Later used of those who were martyred or showed exceptional holiness and whose status was confirmed by the church. The practice of venerating the saints and their relics and asking for their intercessions (prayers) can be observed from the second and third centuries onward and played a central role in popular medieval religion. (reigned 1042-1066), whose shrineShrine In origin a Germanic word meaning a chest or reliquary, this term describes something which contains a sacred object. It can thus be applied to an elaborate tomb around the body of a saint, a cabinet containing a relic or to the whole architectural complex where such a body or relic rest remains in Westminster AbbeyWestminster Abbey Originally a small Benedictine monastery founded c.960, Westminster Abbey underwent significant periods of development under two kings of England: Edward the Confessor (1042-66), whose shrine it eventually became, and Henry III (1207-77). Edward built a very substantial new Romanesque church in honour of St Peter, which was consecrated in 1065. Edward himself died shortly afterwards and was buried in front of the High Altar. In the mid-13th century, Henry III had the Abbey almost entirely rebuilt and Edward's body was moved to a magnificent new shrine behind the High Altar. Henry himself and other kings and their consorts (including Edward I and Eleanor of Castile, Edward III and Philippa of Hainault, Richard II and Anne of Bohemia, and Henry V) were subsequently buried nearby, their tombs clustered around that of the royal saint. The Abbey is the burial place of 18 monarchs and Poets Corner has memorials to many famous writers.. Son of Aethelred (reigned 978-1016, often known as the ‘Unready’) and his second wife, Emma, the daughter of Richard I, Duke of Normandy. One of only two English saints whose shrines survived the Reformation intact