On This Day
·

Henry I is crowned King of England in Westminster Abbey, London

Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England.

Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British monarchs and a burial site for 18 English, Scottish, and British monarchs. At least 16 royal weddings have taken place at the abbey since 1100.

Although the origins of the church are obscure, an abbey housing Benedictine monks was on the site by the mid-10th century. The church got its first large building from the 1040s, commissioned by King Edward the Confessor, who is buried inside. Construction of the present church began in 1245 on the orders of Henry III.

Historical Significance

Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England.

Events Before

  1. First Crusade: 15,000 starving Christian soldiers march in religious procession around Jerusalem as its Muslim defenders

    First Crusade: 15,000 starving Christian soldiers march in religious procession around Jerusalem as its Muslim defenders look on

  2. City of Jerusalem is captured and plundered by Christian forces during the First Crusade

    The Massacre of Jerusalem was a mass slaughter of thousands of Muslims and Jews by the sieging Crusaders in mid-July 1099, following the Siege of Jerusalem during the First Crusade.

  3. Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of the Kingdom of Jerusalem during the First Cru

    Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of the Kingdom of Jerusalem during the First Crusade

  4. Crusaders set fire to Mara, Syria

    Crusaders set fire to Mara, Syria

  5. The First Crusaders begin the siege of Hosn al-Akrad, Syria

    The First Crusaders begin the siege of Hosn al-Akrad, Syria

Events After

  1. Henry I of Limburg becomes Duke of Lower Lorraine

    Henry I of Limburg becomes Duke of Lower Lorraine

  2. Dedication of the transept and choir of Abbey of Ste Madeleine Vezelay, France, a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture

    Dedication of the transept and choir of Abbey of Ste Madeleine Vezelay, France, a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture and an important place of pilgrimage

  3. Maginulf is elected Antipope Sylvester IV

    Sylvester IV, born Maginulf, was a claimant to the Papacy from 1105 to 1111 in opposition to Paschal II. A priest before his election, he was probably a native of Rome.

  4. Rabbi Nathan ben Yehiel of Rome completes Talmudic dictionary

    Rabbi Nathan ben Yehiel of Rome completes Talmudic dictionary

  5. Henry I of Limburg loses the duchy of Lower Lorraine to Godfrey of Louvain

    Henry I of Limburg loses the duchy of Lower Lorraine to Godfrey of Louvain

More from the 1100s

English King Henry I marries Princess Matilda of Scotland at Westminster Abbey in London

Matilda of Scotland (originally christened Edith, 1080 – 1 May 1118), also known as Good Queen Maud, was Queen consort of England and Duchess of Normandy as the first wife of King Henry I.

Dedication of the transept and choir of Abbey of Ste Madeleine Vezelay, France, a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture

Dedication of the transept and choir of Abbey of Ste Madeleine Vezelay, France, a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture and an important place of pilgrimage

Henry I of Limburg loses the duchy of Lower Lorraine to Godfrey of Louvain

Henry I of Limburg loses the duchy of Lower Lorraine to Godfrey of Louvain

Burchard becomes bishop of Utrecht

Burchard becomes bishop of Utrecht

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on August 5, 1100?
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British monarchs and a burial site for 18 English, Scottish, and British monarchs. At least 16 royal weddings have taken place at the abbey since 1100.
Why is Henry I is crowned King of England in Westminster Abbey, London significant?
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England.

Explore More

August 5 in HistoryYear 1100