Westminster Abbey has hosted royal coronations since the medieval period, and the next monarch to be crowned there will be King Charles III.

Speaking with David Musgrove, Professor David Carpenter (who grew up in the abbey) answers listener questions on the lengthy history of this iconic building – from marvellous medieval acoustics to the destruction of its brightly coloured art.

Authors

Professor David CarpenterProfessor of medieval history

David Carpenter is a leading historian of Britain in the central Middle Ages and professor of medieval history at Kings College London. His father was former dean of Westminster Abbey. His books include Henry III: The Rise to Power and Personal Rule, 1207–1258 (Yale University Press, May 2023), which fully covers the final consecration of Henry's abbey in 1269.

Dr David MusgroveContent director, HistoryExtra.com

David Musgrove is content director of the HistoryExtra.com website and podcast, plus its sister print magazines BBC History Magazine and BBC History Revealed. He has a PhD in medieval landscape archaeology and is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.