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A number of high-profile burials took place in the crypt at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, England. This entry focuses on a handful of those burials as well as some memorials and chapels in the crypt.
Christopher Wren
The first burial in the crypt at St. Paul’s Cathedral took place on March 5, 1723, when Sir Christopher Wren (1632-1723) was laid to rest. The architect of the cathedral is buried in a simple tomb.
Wren’s son, Christopher Wren Jr., wrote the Latin epitaph above the tomb. It translates to:
Here in its foundations lies the architect of this church and city, Christopher Wren, who lived beyond ninety years, not for his own profit but for the public good. Reader, if you seek his monument, look around you. Died 25 Feb. 1723, age 91.
Horatio Nelson
Admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805) died in the Battle of Trafalgar on October 21, 1805. The naval hero was buried at St. Paul’s Cathedral after an incredible funeral procession escorted by 32 admirals, over 100 captains, and 10,000 soldiers. The church service itself took four hours.
Nelson’s elegant sarcophagus was originally carved for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in the early 1500s, but Henry VIII confiscated it for his own use. Henry VIII’s tomb was never completed and the sarcophagus was kept at Windsor Castle until a suitable recipient could be found.
Duke of Wellington
Perhaps the most magnificent tomb in the crypt is that of Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington (1769-1852). Wellington defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. His state funeral was just as grand as Nelson’s and was fitting for his large personality.
Five original flags carried during the funeral procession hang above his sarcophagus. A sixth flag from Prussia was removed during World War I and never displayed again.
Alexander Fleming
The ashes of Sir Alexander Fleming (1881-1955) rest beneath a plaque near the tomb of Sir Christopher Wren. Fleming, a Scottish biologist and physician, discovered penicillin in 1928 and changed medical history forever.
Memorials
While they aren’t buried at St. Paul’s Cathedral, there are memorials to Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) and Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965). Nightingale was the founder of modern nursing and a marble plaque hangs in her honor.
Churchill famously directed Britain’s World War II campaign while Prime Minister, and is memorialized by the Winston Churchill Memorial Screen, a set of steel and bronze gates.
Order of the British Empire Chapel
The Order of the British Empire Chapel became the spiritual home of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1960. The OBE was created in 1917 by King George V to recognize significant civilian contribution to the war effort during World War I.
The chapel is also known as St. Faith’s Chapel. St. Faith’s was a church connected to Old St. Paul’s Cathedral and burned down during the Great Fire of London in 1666.
Knights Bachelor Chapel
The Knights Bachelor Chapel is dedicated to the Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor, which was formed in 1908. The chapel opened in 2008 in a ceremony led by Queen Elizabeth II. It’s decorated with English oak panels containing registers of every deceased Knights Bachelor from 1257 as well as the Founder Knights’ and Benefactors’ Book. Queen Victoria’s sword, which was used to knight many famous men, is on display nearby. The chapel is also known as St. Martin’s Chapel.
