A regular visitor to the Chapel since he was a kitten, William the Chapel Cat became a firm favourite with thousands of visitors. He was often to be found curled up inside the Chapel or outside patrolling the grounds.

Sadly, William passed away in August 2021, aged 17. We are so grateful to our near neighbours, the Smith family, for sharing him with us – and in turn, sharing him with hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world.

He was featured in cat magazines in Germany and Japan and inspired a range of products in our gift shop, including a wonderful children’s book, written by The Countess of Rosslyn and illustrated by Rosie Wellesley.