Queen Camilla got emotional as she unveiled a foundation stone for the King Charles III sacristy at Westminster Abbey on Wednesday.
The 77-year-old Queen, who is patron of the new sacristy, made an emotional statement, saying: “I just want to say how delighted I am to unveil this foundation stone, I can’t believe the last time I was here – there’s now a floor – the last time I came here there were quite a lot of skeletons.
“I just hope that in 2026 when it’s due to finish, God willing my husband and I will be back here again to open the King Charles III sacristy.”
The royal family shared heartwarming images from the ceremony on its official Instagram as the Queen honoured the monarch.
The King Charles III sacristy will offer state-of-the-art welcoming, ticketing and security facilities for the abbey.
Building, according to reports, is under way after archaeological excavations in 2020 of the site. The £13m building will allow visitors to enter the abbey through the great west door, rather than the north door, using the entrance reserved for monarchy for royal weddings, funerals and coronations for hundreds of years.
The single-storey building, which is being made from English stone, oak and lead, is adjacent to the abbey and designed by Ptolemy Dean, the abbey’s surveyor of the fabric.
As per reports, Edward the Confessor initiated the construction between 1042 and 1052, which was rebuilt by Henry III between 1220 and 1272.
