Pope John Paul II raised the shrine to the status of minor basilica on 25 February 2005.

The history of the foundation of the church dates back to 1813, when Tomasz Kłossowski, a Polish soldier fighting under Napoleon near Leipzig, was seriously wounded.

The church is dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, Queen of Poland, whose icon, perhaps dating back to the 18th century, is displayed on the basilica's main altar.

[6] Between 2002 and 2007, Polish organbuilder Zych - on the base of the project made by Prof. Andrzej Chorosiński - built a 157-stop pipe organ (6 manuals and pedalboard).

[8] In 2007, parts of the Polish museum in Fawley Court were translocated to the shrine by the Marian Fathers.