Editing Westminster Abbey (section)

===20th century===
[[File:Replica of the Stone of Scone, Scone Palace, Scotland (8924541883).jpg|thumb|left|Replica of the [[Stone of Scone]] at [[Scone Palace]] in Scotland|alt=A large grey stone with two rings attached, propped up on two smaller stones.]]

The abbey saw "Prayers For Prisoners" [[suffragette]] protests in 1913 and 1914. Protesters attended services and interrupted proceedings by chanting "God Save [[Emmeline Pankhurst|Mrs Pankhurst]]" and praying for suffragette prisoners. In one protest, a woman chained herself to her chair during a sermon by the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]].<ref name="Historic England" /> On 11{{Nbsp}}June 1914, a [[Suffragette bombing and arson campaign|bomb planted by suffragettes]] of the [[Women's Social and Political Union]] exploded inside the abbey.{{sfn|Webb|2014|p=148}} No serious injuries were reported,{{sfn|Jones|2016|p=65}} but the bomb blew off a corner of the Coronation Chair.{{sfn|Webb|2014|p=148}} It also caused the Stone of Scone to break in half, although this was not discovered until 1950 when four Scottish nationalists broke into the church to steal the stone and return it to Scotland.{{sfn|Webb|2014|p=148}}

In preparation for bombing raids during [[World War&nbsp;II]], the Coronation Chair and many of the abbey's records were moved out of the city, and the Stone of Scone was buried.{{sfn|Cannadine|2019|pp=336-338}} In 1941, on the night of 10{{Nbsp}}May and the early morning of 11{{Nbsp}}May, the Westminster Abbey precincts and roof were hit by incendiary bombs.<ref>{{Cite news |date=13 May 1941 |title=General Structure of the Abbey Intact |pages=5 |work=The Scotsman |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000540/19410513/109/0005 |access-date=31 January 2023}}</ref> Although the [[Auxiliary Fire Service]] and the abbey's own fire-watchers were able to stop the fire spreading to the whole of the church, the deanery and three residences of abbey clergy and staff were badly damaged, and the lantern tower above the crossing collapsed, leaving the abbey open to the sky.<ref>{{Cite news |date=12 May 1941 |title=Famous London buildings severely damaged |pages=5 |work=Irish Independent |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001715/19410512/069/0005 |access-date=31 January 2023}}</ref> The cost of the damage was estimated at £135,000.<ref>{{Cite news |date=17 May 1941 |title=Westminster Abbey: £135,000 Damage in Raids |pages=6 |work=Belfast News-Letter |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000038/19410517/170/0006 |access-date=31 January 2023}}</ref> Some damage can still be seen in the [[RAF Chapel]], where a small hole in the wall was created by a bomb that fell outside the chapel.{{sfn|Wilkinson|2013|p=22}} No one was killed, and the abbey continued to hold services throughout the war. When hostilities ceased, evacuated objects were returned to the abbey, 60,000 sandbags were moved out, and a new permanent roof was built over the crossing.{{sfn|Cannadine|2019|pp=336–338}} Two different designs for a [[narthex]] (entrance hall) for the west front were produced by architects [[Edwin Lutyens]] and [[Edward Maufe]] during World War II, but neither was built.{{sfn|Cannadine|2019|p=341}}<ref>{{cite web |last=Lutyens |first=Edwin Landseer |date=1943 |title=Preliminary designs for a proposed narthex for Westminster Abbey |url=https://www.ribapix.com/Preliminary-designs-for-a-proposed-narthex-for-Westminster-Abbey-London-elevation-and-plan_RIBA31131 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221128143242/https://www.ribapix.com/Preliminary-designs-for-a-proposed-narthex-for-Westminster-Abbey-London-elevation-and-plan_RIBA31131 |archive-date=28 November 2022 |access-date=1 October 2022 |website=Royal Institute of British Architects }}</ref>

Because of its outstanding universal value, the abbey was designated a [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage Site]] in 1987, together with the nearby Palace of Westminster and [[St Margaret's, Westminster|St Margaret's Church]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey including Saint Margaret's Church |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/426/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124045550/https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/426/ |archive-date=24 January 2023 |access-date=30 January 2023 |website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre |language=en}}</ref>

In 1997, the abbey, which was then receiving approximately 1.75&nbsp;million visitors each year, began charging admission fees to visitors at the door<ref>{{cite news|date=6 March 2002|title=Westminster Abbey now example of how to handle tourists|url=https://www.episcopalchurch.org/library/article/westminster-abbey-now-example-how-handle-tourists|work=Episcopal News Service|access-date=18 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918110522/https://www.episcopalchurch.org/library/article/westminster-abbey-now-example-how-handle-tourists|archive-date=18 September 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> (although a fee for entering the eastern half of the church had existed prior to 1600).{{sfn|Jenkyns|2004|p=112}}