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12:46 am
August 12, 2009
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Wendy said:
I always thought that Nelson was buried in the sarcophagus that Wolsey had prepared for himself but never got to use?
For some reason I thought that Henry originally took Wolsey's black marble sarcophagus for himself, only to have it taken from him as well. What I can't remember was if he was temporarily placed where he was, and for some reason work stopped and that just ended up being his final resting spot, or if he was actually taken out of the sarcophagus so Nelson could have it.
"Don't knock at death's door.
Ring the bell and run. He hates that."
9:19 am
June 7, 2010
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Wendy said:
I always thought that Nelson was buried in the sarcophagus that Wolsey had prepared for himself but never got to use?
If you look on page one of this thread, I noted that, according to David Starkey, it's Henry VIII's sarcaphogus that Nelson is buried in at St. Paul's. I do not recall if Starkey mentioned if this was orginally Wolsey's or not.
"By daily proof you shall find me to be to you both loving and kind" Anne Boleyn
12:47 pm
June 1, 2010
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Ah I didn't see that. The official St. Paul's Cathedral site says “Nelson's funeral took place at St Paul's on January 9th, 1806 where he was interred beneath the black sarcophagus originally made for Cardinal Wolsey in the early 16th century.” Apparently, where Nelson's coronet sits on the top would have been where the Cardinal's hat would have been placed. 🙂
4:59 am
August 12, 2009
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DuchessofBrittany said:
Wendy said:
I always thought that Nelson was buried in the sarcophagus that Wolsey had prepared for himself but never got to use?
If you look on page one of this thread, I noted that, according to David Starkey, it's Henry VIII's sarcophagus that Nelson is buried in at St. Paul's. I do not recall if Starkey mentioned if this was originally Wolsey's or not.
Duchess – he did. I went to your link and also googled Henry VIII sarcophagus. The Starkey link says
“The present cathedral is the fourth on this site, built by Christopher Wren after its predecessor was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. In the crypt is the sarcophagus created for Cardinal Wolsey and then intended for Henry VIII but not used to entomb the king's body in St George's Chapel, Windsor. Instead it contains the body of Admiral Nelson.”
Google's search link led me to a site that explained the hows and whys
“Henry was buried in St George's Chapel, Windsor, and had a large marble sarcophagus built over the burial spot. Today, however, Henry's burial place is marked only by a small memorial plaque on the floor. His sarcophagus had to be moved in the 18th century when George III ordered a new enlarged vault to be made under the floor of the chapel, large enough to contain 48 coffins.
Oddly enough, Henry VIII's sarcophagus was never put back in its rightful place, but was commandeered in the next century and is now the tomb of Vice-Admiral the Viscount Nelson in St Paul's in London.”
ETA: So if I'm reading that correctly, Henry was always in the crypt beneath the chapel, but he originally had the ornate sarcophagus above on the chapel floor, marking the spot where he lays. They had to move his sarcophagus to be able to pull up the floor and enlarge the crypt. But it sounds like Nelson is actually inside the sarcophagus.
"Don't knock at death's door.
Ring the bell and run. He hates that."
5:37 am
June 7, 2010
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Thanks, Impish_Impulse. I could not recall for the life of me exactly what Starkey said. I think Henry had lavish plans for his and Jane's final resting place, which was always St. George's. But, he wanted a memorial to him much like that of his father's at Westminster. Like you Impish, I believe Henry to have always been buried in the vault, but I am not sure if the sarcopagus was ever used.
"By daily proof you shall find me to be to you both loving and kind" Anne Boleyn
3:59 pm
June 1, 2010
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Thanks Impish. That's one well travelled Sarcophagus! 🙂
11:53 pm
I have always loved reading about Henry VIII and his six wives. I will always be grateful to my husband for taking me to England three times so I could see all of the burial places of the six wives. I call it my pilgrimage. I also saw Diana, Princess of Wales’ home and burial place as well as many other royals.
I saw someone earlier in this post asked about the tomb of Elizabeth I and Mary I. I am curious as well. Why are they buried together without any image of Mary? It seems as if it is disrespectful to have such an elaborate sarcophagus only of Elizabeth? I understand, somewhat, why James I moved his mother’s body and enshrined it in Westminster Abbey though of course he threw her to the wolves while she was alive (so to speak).
4:56 pm
February 24, 2010
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I do wonder what James I was thinking when he buried Elizabeth with Mary. Neither one of these ladies would have wished to be buried together. Mary is barely mentioned except for the plaque.
“Partners both in throne and grave, here we rest two sisters, Elizabeth and Mary, in hope of our resurrection.”
