St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge, is an English

Grade II* listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

church of the

Anglo-Catholic Anglo-Catholicism comprises beliefs and practices that emphasise the Catholicism, Catholic heritage (especially pre-English Reformation, Reformation roots) and identity of the Church of England and various churches within Anglicanism. Anglo-Ca ...

tradition located at 32a Wilton Place in

Knightsbridge Knightsbridge is a residential and retail district in central London, south of Hyde Park, London, Hyde Park. It is identified in the London Plan as one of two international retail centres in London, alongside the West End of London, West End. ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

History and architecture

The church was founded in 1843, the first in London to champion the ideals of the

Oxford Movement The Oxford Movement was a theological movement of high-church members of the Church of England which began in the 1830s and eventually developed into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose original devotees were mostly associated with the Un ...

, during the incumbency of the Rev. W. J. E. Bennett. The architect was Thomas Cundy the younger. After the building's consecration in 1843, the chancel with its

rood screen The rood screen (also choir screen, chancel screen, or jubé) is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, o ...

and striking

reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a Church (building), church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular a ...

was added in 1892 by the noted church architect George Frederick Bodley, who also decorated St Luke's chapel, which stands in the place of a

lady chapel A Lady chapel or lady chapel is a traditional British English, British term for a chapel dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus, particularly those inside a cathedral or other large church (building), church. The chapels are also known as a Mary chape ...

to the south of the sanctuary, the lady chapel of St Paul's having traditionally been seen as being the church of

St Mary's, Bourne Street St Mary's, Bourne Street, is an Anglican church on Bourne Street near Sloane Square in London. It was built 'quickly and cheaply' in 1874 by Robert Jewell Withers, with the intention of providing ministry to the poor living in the nearby slums of ...

. The tiled panels around the walls of the nave, created in the 1870s by

Daniel Bell Daniel Bell (May 10, 1919 – January 25, 2011) was an American sociologist, writer, editor, and professor at Harvard University, best known for his contributions to the study of post-industrialism. He has been described as "one of the leading ...

, depict scenes from the life of

Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

. The

Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Via Dolorosa, Way of Sorrows or the , are a series of fourteen images depicting Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and acc ...

that intersperse the tiled panels, painted in the early 1920s by Gerald Moira, show scenes from the crucifixion story. The font dates from 1842 and is carved with biblical scenes from both the Old and New testaments. There are statues of the

Virgin and Child In Christian art, a Madonna () is a religious depiction of the Blessed Virgin Mary in a singular form or sometimes accompanied by the Child Jesus. These images are central icons for both the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. The word ...

(1896) above the entrance to the chapel and of St Paul (1902) above the lectern. A memorial in the church commemorates 52 members of the

First Aid Nursing Yeomanry The First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (Princess Royal's Volunteer Corps) (FANY (PRVC)) is a British independent all-female registered charity structured like a military reserve unit. which primarily provides surge relief to civil and military authoriti ...

who died on active service during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

while carrying out secret intelligence work for the

Special Operations Executive Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a British organisation formed in 1940 to conduct espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance in German-occupied Europe and to aid local Resistance during World War II, resistance movements during World War II. ...

in occupied countries in addition to providing transport drivers for the

Auxiliary Territorial Service The Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS; often pronounced as an acronym) was the women's branch of the British Army during the World War II, Second World War. It was formed on 9 September 1938, initially as a women's voluntary service, and existe ...

. Among the names on the memorial are three holders of the

George Cross The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational Courage, gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, ...

. St Paul's sister parish is the Church of St. Paul's, K street, in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Notable events

Weddings

* 15 January 1857: Sir Edward Colebrooke, 4th Baronet, and Elizabeth Richardson * 28 November 1865: The Rev. Basil Wilberforce and Charlotte Langford * 13 February 1884:

George Osborne George Gideon Oliver Osborne (born 23 May 1971) is a British retired politician and newspaper editor who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2010 to 2016 and as First Secretary of State from 2015 to 2016 in the Cameron government. A ...

(later 10th Duke of Leeds) and Katherine Lambton * 9 February 1886: Ailwyn Fellowes (later 1st

Baron Ailwyn Baron Ailwyn, of Honingham in the County of Norfolk, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 1 July 1921 for the Conservative politician Sir Ailwyn Fellowes. He was the younger son of Edward Fellowes, 1st Baron de Ram ...

) and Agatha Joliffe * 19 October 1886: Evelyn Boscawen (later 7th Viscount Falmouth) and Kathleen Douglas-Pennant * 1 November 1894:

James Hamilton James Hamilton may refer to: Dukes *James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton (1606–1649), heir to the throne of Scotland *James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton (1658–1712), Scottish nobleman *James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton (1703–1743), Sco ...

(later 3rd

Duke of Abercorn The title Duke of Abercorn () is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1868 and bestowed upon James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Abercorn. Although the Dukedom is in the Peerage of Ireland, it refers to Abercorn, West Lothian, and t ...

) and Rosalind Bingham * 28 November 1899: Sir James Reid and the Honourable Susan Baring * 28 July 1900: George Cornwallis-West and Jennie Churchill (née Jerome; mother of

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

) * 30 April 1902: Julian Byng (later 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy) and Evelyn Moreton * 25 July 1905: George Montagu (later 9th Earl of Sandwich) and Alberta Sturges * 29 November 1909: Charles Greville, 3rd Baron Greville and Olive Kerr * 19 January 1916: Lieutenant (later Admiral) Frederic Wake-Walker and Muriel Elsie Hughes * 2 January 1946: Bruce Shand and Rosalind Cubitt (parents of

Queen Camilla Camilla (born Camilla Rosemary Shand, later Parker Bowles, 17 July 1947) is List of British royal consorts, Queen of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms as the wife of King Charles III. Camilla was raised in East ...

) * 3 February 1977:

Charles Wellesley Charles Wellesley (November 17, 1873 – July 24, 1946) was an Irish-born American actor of the silent era. He appeared in more than 80 films between 1913 and 1928. He was born in Dublin and died in Amityville, New York. Partial filmograph ...

(later 9th

Duke of Wellington Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they ar ...

) and Princess Antonia of Prussia * 21 Dec 2015:

Frank Lampard Frank James Lampard (born 20 June 1978) is an English professional football manager and former player who is the manager of English club Coventry City. Widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time, one of Chelsea's greates ...

and

Christine Bleakley Christine Louise Lampard (''née'' Bleakley, born 2 February 1979) is a Northern Irish television presenter. She has presented various television programmes with Adrian Chiles, such as '' The One Show'' (2007–2010) and '' Daybreak'' (2010–20 ...

Funerals and memorial services

* 1937: J. Bruce Ismay * 1985: The Rev. Walter Hussey * 2007: Mark Birley * 2012: Angharad Rees * 2017:

Patricia Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma Patricia Edwina Victoria Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma, Baroness Brabourne, , , (née Mountbatten; 14 February 1924 – 13 June 2017), was a British peeress and third cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. She was the elder daughter of ...

* 2018: Annabelle Neilson

Gallery

File:St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge, interior.jpg, Interior File:St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge, chapel window 04.jpg, Stained glass by Lavers and Westlake (1895) File:St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge, tiled panel, Nativity.jpg, Tiled panel by Daniel Bell File:St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge, chapel altar.jpg, Altar by Arthur Blomfield (1889) File:St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge, reredos.jpg, Reredos File:St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge, rood 1.jpg, Rood cross File:St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge, Women's Transport Service WW2 War Memorial.jpg, Women's Transport Service WW2 War Memorial File:St Pauls War Memorial.jpg, Memorial to Old Boys of St Paul's School

References

External links

*
Diocese of London

A Church Near You
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Pauls Church, Knightsbridge 1843 establishments in England 19th-century Church of England church buildings Anglo-Catholic church buildings in London

Churches completed in 1843 Diocese of London Grade II* listed churches in the City of Westminster Knightsbridge Thomas Cundy (junior) church buildings