Explore Christianity in 10 objects

Christianity in 10 Objects tells the artefacts’ fascinating stories, and presents them alongside storytelling resources and creative learning activities for primary and secondary-aged students. Together, the resources shed light on the beliefs, practices and history of Christianity for young people.

The ten treasures are:

• The Westminster Retable – the original altarpiece of Henry III's Abbey, and the oldest to survive in England
• Prayer book of Lady Margaret Beaufort - dating from 1500, this was the private prayer book of Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond, and mother of Henry VII
• St Edward the Confessor chalice - a communion cup by English silversmith Omar Ramsden (1873–1939), incorporating a figure of St Edward
• The marriage licence of TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – issued by the Archbishop of Canterbury for the royal wedding in April 2011
• Stained glass from the medieval Abbey – fragments of coloured glass dating from 1250 – 1500
• A column capital from St Edward the Confessor’s Abbey – carved with scenes from the Old Testament story of the Judgement of Solomon
• The Litlngton Missal – a 14^th-century service book made for the Abbey’s High Altar, and richly decorated with coloured inks and gold leaf
• Maquette of a statue to Dr Martin Luther King Jr – plaster model of one of the ten statues to 20th-century Christian martyrs which stand above the Abbey's Great West Door
• Maquette of the memorial to Lady Elizabeth Nightingale – model of a dramatic Roubiliac memorial in the Abbey’s north transept
• The Liber Regalis – the ‘royal book’, a 14^th-century illuminated manuscript giving the ceremonial instructions for the coronation service

Explore the 10 objects in more detail.

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries

Each of the ten featured objects can be seen on permanent display in The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries. Set high above the Abbey floor in the medieval triforium, the museum tells the story of the Abbey’s thousand-year history and offers spectacular views down into the church below. The Galleries can be included in school visits to the Abbey, and special activities for families are planned in the museum this summer.

Resources for schools and families

The Christianity in 10 Objects resource is part of the Abbey’s growing digital offer for schools and families, which also includes

• themed online tours
• virtual classroom sessions
• a catalogue of free-to-download teaching resources