St Paul’s Cathedral is the City of London’s Anglican cathedral – well known for its iconic dome, rich history and survival through the Blitz.
The cathedral was completed in 1710 by Sir Christopher Wren after the Fire of London consumed the cathedral of Old St Paul’s. It has the second largest dome in the world (after St Peters in Rome). And features three shells: an outer dome, an inner dome, and a concealed brick cone for structural support.
In the crypt, protectors of the nation; Wellington and Nelson are buried side-by-side.
Famously, the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer (1981) took place at St Paul’s. Essentially, because Diana was a commoner, thus precluding Westminster Abbey as the venue – a mistake not repeated with William and Kate.
Wren is buried in St Paul’s with the epitaph: Lector, si monumentum requiris, circumspice (“Reader, if you seek his monument, look around you”).
The church of St Augustine, Watling Street is adjacent to St Paul’s. Another Wren church, it is the home of St Paul’s Cathedral Choir School.
