On February 7, 2012, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall attended a ceremony at Westminster Abbey to celebrate the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Dickens. According to the British newspaper, Telegraph, the “…congregation at Westminster Abbey included the largest ever gathering of descendants of the Victorian novelist as well as representatives from the worlds of literature, film, theatre and the media.”
During the ceremony the Prince of Wales laid a wreath at Dickens’ grave in Poets’ Corner, listened to a speech by the Dean of Westminster Abbey, the Very Reverend Dr. John Hall, as well as listened to British actor, Ralph Fiennes read “…an extract…” from the novel, Bleak House.
Prior to the ceremony, the royal couple visited the Charles Dickens Museum in London where they listened to the American actress, Gillian Anderson, read various works by the legendary author.
Click the links below to watch a video as well as to view photos:
Sources: Royal.gov.uk and Telegraph