St Edward the Confessor at Westminster Abbey

• Accessible insight into this influential figure in British history.
• Features lively, specially commissioned artwork.

Behind the high altar of Westminster Abbey is the shrine of St Edward the Confessor, who was King of England between 1042 and 1066. It was Edward who built the first great church on the site over 1,000 years ago, and it was he who forged the special relationship between the abbey and the Crown. This book for children details Edward’s life from his birth in the small village of Islip in Oxfordshire to his death and eventual canonisation. The story includes the removal of his body, three times, from its resting place – twice to grander tombs befitting a saint, and thirdly into hiding when Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries. Mary I returned Edward’s body to the abbey. His shrine is unique in England in that it contains the whole body of its saint, and many pilgrims still flock there every year to pray.

The Venerable Dr Jane Hedges is Canon Steward and Archdeacon of Westminster Abbey. The artist Alison Gardiner, who is well known for her quirky take on the buildings and landscape of the British Isles, has been commissioned by a variety of organisations including the BBC, RSPB and Royal Collection.