Historical figure

Queen Elizabeth I at Westminster Abbey

Elizabeth I was crowned in Westminster Abbey on 15 January 1559 and, 44 years later, was laid to rest here in a tomb she shares with her Catholic half-sister, Mary I — a quietly powerful piece of Stuart family politics.

Coronation, 1559

Elizabeth was 25 when she was crowned. The Coronation Chair she sat on — the same one used for King Charles III in 2023 — had already been in use for 250 years. She was one of the last monarchs to be anointed with holy oil consecrated by a Catholic archbishop, even as she prepared to steer England back to Protestantism.

Her tomb in the Lady Chapel

Elizabeth died at Richmond Palace on 24 March 1603. Her successor, James I, commissioned a magnificent white marble tomb in the north aisle of the Henry VII Lady Chapel. Her effigy lies on top, wearing full coronation robes and holding the orb and sceptre.

Beneath the same slab lies her sister Mary I, whose short and turbulent reign (1553–58) had preceded her own. The Latin inscription reads Regno consortes et urna, hic obdormimus Elizabetha et Maria sorores, in spe resurrectionis — “Consorts in realm and in tomb, here we sleep, Elizabeth and Mary, sisters, in hope of the Resurrection.”

How to find her

Follow the visitor route through the ambulatory into the Henry VII Lady Chapel. Elizabeth’s tomb is in the small chapel on the north (left) side. Directly opposite, in the south aisle, is the tomb of her cousin and rival Mary, Queen of Scots — moved here by James I so the two queens could face each other for eternity.

What to look for on your visit

• The effigy’s hands: Elizabeth’s long, elegant fingers were her most-praised feature. Look closely.
• The Tudor rose motif that runs through the ironwork and stonework of the whole Lady Chapel.
• Innocents’ Corner nearby — the tiny tombs of two of James I’s daughters who died in infancy.