Westminster Abbey unlocks hidden area to unveil historical treasures.
ADVERTISEMENTWestminster Abbey in London is opening up an area of the medieval church previously closed off to the public, where hundreds of artefacts are displayed to tell about its thousand-year history.
The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries are in the 13th-century triforium, some 16 metres above the floors of the church used for royal coronations and weddings as well as a resting place for famous Britons.
From the Westminster Retable altarpiece to the funeral effigy head of King Henry VII, displayed items are exhibited along four themes - "Building Westminster Abbey", "Worship and Daily Life", "Westminster Abbey and the Monarchy" and "The Abbey and National Memory".
"Quite a few of the objects are new and have never been displayed before," said the Head Conservator at Westminster Abbey Vanessa Simeoni.
The galleries open on June 11.
Writer: Doloresz Katanich with Reuters
