The original church on this site was part of the Franciscan Monastery which occupied this area. It was the 2nd largest Medieval church in London. It had a strong royal connection and those buried within its building or grounds included:
Marguerite of France, Queen of Edward I
Isabella of France, Queen of Edward II
Joan of the Tower, Queen of Scotland
Princess Isabella, daughter of Edward III
Princess Beatrice, daughter of Henry III
The heart of Eleanor of Provence, Queen of Henry III
The medieval church became a parish church following the dissolution of the monasteries in 1538. It was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and was rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren.
One of the wall capitals
The rebuilt church was destroyed on the night of 29th December 1940 during one of the heaviest nights bombing of World War II. There were no plans to rebuild the church and the site was acquired by the corporation of London and laid out as a garden.
