Crown

Pilgrim badge, possibly from the shrine of St Edward the Confessor at Westminster Abbey. The badge is in the form of a crown but only part of it survives. Edward the Confessor, king of England, died in January 1066. He was buried at Westminster in the church of the abbey he had re-founded. He already had a reputation for piety, chastity, generosity to the poor and for his miraculous ability to cure the sick. In 1161 Edward was canonised. He was a very popular saint with English royalty but may not have had such a wide appeal for the general public. There are very few confirmed Edward pilgrim souvenirs found in London, though the shrine keepers’ receipts at Westminster Abbey show that pilgrims’ offerings peaked in the 14th century.