Object of the Day, Museum Edition: A Photograph from the 1902 Coronation

Photograph
Sir Benjamin Stone, 1902
The Victoria & Albert Museum

In many ways, the Shrine of Edward the Confessor is the heart of Westminster Abbey. King Edward ruled Britain from 1044-1066 and, in the Anglican Church, is considered a saint for what has historically been regarded as his pious nature. Since the Confessor’s shrine is near the altar and is in plain view of important events, it has been historically draped with an embroidered cloth for occasions such as coronations.

Here, we see a photograph by Sir Benjamin Stone taken at the 1902 Coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. The Confessor’s tomb has been draped, according to tradition, with an elaborately embroidered textile.