As we have seen, the coronation rite is found
existing in the new kingdoms of the West some two
centuries before an imperial coronation rite was called
into existence in the West at the resuscitation of the
Empire by Charlemagne. In Spain the rite is found
in use in the seventh century, in Frankish lands it was
already well established in the eighth century, and in
England a rite was used at the end of the same
century certainly on two occasions though under
special and abnormal circumstances[62].
In the ninth century a Roman rite for the coronation
of a king came into being, partly derived from the
Roman imperial forms but largely influenced also by
the other existing royal rites. From this time there
was a continual reaction of the Roman and the
national rites upon each other, and it is safe to say
that on no two occasions even in the same country
was the rite used in exactly the same form, so
unceasing was the developement.
The classifying of the different developements of
the rite even of one country is a work of considerable
difficulty. The ‘Recensions’ by means of which the
developement of each rite is marked are, to a certain
extent, arbitrary, and simply mark periods at which
the process of developement has evolved definite
changes. There is a vast number of forms in existence,
many of which were probably never used but
simply served to render the Pontificals in which they
occur complete.
The history of the rite is most easy to follow in
the older kingdoms of England and France, in which
both the monarchical and the national spirit were
most marked, and which accordingly were inclined
to shew a somewhat independent spirit towards the
Papacy. Germany and Hungary were largely influenced
in their rite by the Roman, while those
lands, such as the Scandinavian kingdoms and
Scotland, which emerged somewhat late from a
condition of semi-barbarity, only attained to the
dignity of possession of a coronation rite at a time
when the prestige of things Roman was well established,
with the result that their rite appears to have
been more or less Roman.
There are six well-marked recensions of the
English rite.
(1) The Order of the so-called Pontifical of
Egbert.
(2) The so-called Order of Ethelred II.
(3) The Order of the twelfth century.
(4) The Order of the Liber Regalis, which lasted
(in English from the time of James I) until the reign
of James II.
(5) The Order of James II.
(6) The Order of William and Mary, which with
comparatively unimportant changes has been used
down to the present time.
The earliest form of the English rite is that
which is found in the so-called Pontifical of Egbert,
Archbishop of York 732-766. Of this rite Dom
Cabrol[63] says that it is ‘sans doute le plus ancien
qui existe.’ But the whole question of the date
of this Pontifical, and its connection with Egbert
is one that much needs investigation, and in the
absence of any recent and thorough discussion of
these points, it is precarious to deal with this document
as belonging to the eighth century.
As to the existence of a coronation rite among
the Anglo-Saxons, we find two allusions to a religious
ceremony in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle at the end
of the eighth century. Thus under the year 785 we
are told that Ecgferth, who was associated on the throne
by his father Offa, was in that year ‘hallowed as
king[64]’ (to cyninge gehalgod). The same authority
speaks of the consecration of Eardwulf on his
accession to the Northumbrian throne in the year
795; ‘he was then consecrated and raised to his
throne’ (geblestod ⁊ to his cinestole ahofen).
Eardwulf who was of the old line of kings had been
called to the throne after a usurpation.
Both these kings were, however, raised to the
throne under peculiar circumstances, and we cannot
therefore regard this evidence as proof that a coronation
rite was definitely established in England by
the end of the eighth century because of these isolated
instances occurring in the two Saxon kingdoms
of Mercia and Northumbria, all the more so as in
both cases it was the influence of the Church that set
these kings on the throne. We are also told by Asser
a story of the consecration of Alfred as king by Pope
Leo IV at Rome, whither he had been sent by his
father Ethelwulf. This story is embellished and
repeated by other writers[65], who add that Alfred
retained the regalia and vestments used at this
Roman coronation, and that they were preserved
henceforward among the English regalia. But a
fragment of a letter from Pope Leo to Ethelwulf
disposes of this legend altogether, for in it he informs
King Ethelwulf that he has invested his son Alfred
with the insignia of a Roman consul[66]. Asser makes
no mention of any coronation of Alfred in England.
The Order then of the Pontifical of Egbert must
be used with caution. All that we can say with
respect to its date is that a comparison between it
and the so-called Order of Ethelred, which is of the
tenth century, shews that the former is an earlier
compilation than the latter, and much simpler and
less fixed in character.
The Order[67] is called Benedictio super regem noviter
electum, and the Mass into which it is inserted is
called Missa pro regibus in die benedictionis. The
Mass collect is Deus regnorum omnium et Christiani
maxime protector imperii, da servo tuo regi nostro
N. triumphum virtutis suae scienter excolere, ut cuius
constitutione sunt principes eius semper munere sint
potestates.
The Epistle is Lev. xxvi. 6-9, and the Gospel is
that which is used in the English rite to this day,
Matt. xxii. 15-22. After the Gospel the coronation
service begins, and seven prayers are contemplated
as being used.
1. Te invocamus.
2. Deus qui populis tuis, or (alia)[68] In diebus
eius oriatur.
3. Deus electorum fortitudo. This is the consecration
prayer, and while one bishop says it all the
other bishops anoint the king on the head. During
the unction is sung the anthem Unxerunt Salomonem
and the Ps. Domine in virtute tua.
4. A series of 15 benedictions, said probably by
different bishops, following the delivery of the
Sceptre to the king: Benedic Domine hunc praesulem,
etc.
5. The Verge or baculus is delivered to the king
with the form Omnipotens det tibi Deus de rore caeli.
6. The crowning takes place. All the bishops
set the Crown on the king’s head with the prayer
Benedic Domine fortitudinem regis. The people
immediately acclaim the king with the cry Vivat rex
N. in sempiternum, and the nobles salute him with
a kiss[69].
7. The last prayer is Deus perpetuitatis auctor.
After this the Mass proceeds, and there is a
special Preface. It is noticeable that all the variable
Mass prayers are Roman.
At the end of the rite there is appended a short
charge on the three chief duties of a king, Rectitudo
regis est noviter ordinati ... haec tria praecepta populo
Christiano sibi subdito praecipere, namely to secure
the peace of Church and people, to repress violence
and rapine, and to be just and merciful. Probably
in such words as these the king’s oath ran. The
oath in the next recension is in almost the same
words, and most of the prayers reappear later in
other rites. There is no provision made for the
coronation of a Queen consort, just as in the Eastern
rite there is no provision made for the ceremonial
crowning of the Empress. But there seems to have
been some prejudice among the Anglo-Saxons against
any very close association of the king’s consort with
him on the throne[70], apparently on account of the
matrimonial irregularities of which Saxon kings were
guilty in common with most other Teutonic monarchs.
It is to be noticed that the crown is called the
Galeus, a word which recalls the περικεφάλαιον
Καισαρίκιον of the Eastern Emperor. The Saxon
kings of later date called themselves βασιλεῖς. And
in the charter of Burgred and Aethelswyth, to
which reference has already been made, one of the
regular Greek terms for the imperial crown is actually
used ‘Ego Burgred rex necnon ego Aethelswytha
pari coronata stemma regali Anglorum regina.’ These
facts may possibly indicate the influence of the
Eastern Empire on the courts of the West, though
they may simply illustrate the Latin of the period.
The order that marks the second recension of the
English rite, and which is called the Order of King
Ethelred, was in all probability that used at the
coronation of Edgar in 973.
In this second recension of the English rite every
portion of the older is represented but there is more
solemnity. In the delivery of the insignia there is
a greater formality; and whereas the rite in ‘Egbert’s’
book is simply called Benedictiones super regem, in
this order it is called Consecratio Regis. Alternative
forms are provided, and whereas in ‘Egbert’ the rite is
inserted into the Mass, in later recensions the whole
rite precedes the Mass.
As the king enters the church the anthem
Firmetur manus is sung. Then the king prostrates
himself before the altar during the singing of Te Deum.
After this the king takes the oath, which is the charge
at the end of ‘Egbert’s’ order transformed into a direct
oath by a slight alteration of the first few words[71].
Then is said Te invocamus, (alia) Deus qui populis,
(alia) In diebus eius oriatur. Here probably the
‘alia’ means ‘or’ though it may mean ‘also.’ Now
comes the Consecratio, Omnipotens sempiterne Deus
creator ac gubernator, (alia) Deus electorum fortitudo,
(item alia) Deus Dei Filius. Of these three prayers
the first is found in the rite used by Abp Hincmar at
the coronation of Louis II in 877, and also in the
Ordo Romanus of Hittorp of about the same date;
the second is the consecration prayer of ‘Egbert’; the
third is an early Roman form, and is found in nearly
all subsequent rites. Then follows a new feature,
the investiture with the Ring, with the form Accipe
anulum signaculum videlicet sanctae fidei and the
prayer Deus cuius est omnis potestas, both of them
found in Hittorp’s Ordo Romanus. The king is
then girt with the Sword with the form Accipe hunc
gladium, which is different from the Roman form,
and now first occurs, and the prayer Deus qui providentia
tua, which also now first appears, and is
based on a collect in the Gregorian Sacramentary for
use in time of war. The king is crowned with the
form Coronet te Deus, which was used at the coronation
of Charles the Bald at Metz in 869; and the
prayer Deus perpetuitatis follows. The Sceptre is
delivered with the form Accipe sceptrum regiae potestatis
followed by the prayer Omnium Domine fons
bonorum, both of which occur first here and in the contemporary
French order of Ratold. The Verge is then
delivered with the form Accipe virgam virtutis atque
aequitatis[72], which first occurs in the Ordo Romanus
of Hittorp. A series of nine benedictions follows, six
of which occur in the orders of Charles the Bald (869)
and Louis II (877), and the last three in ‘Egbert’s’ rite.
Finally the king is enthroned with the form Sta et
retine, a form which first occurs here and in Ratold’s
rite, followed by the blessings Omn. det tibi Deus
de rore, (alia) Benedic Domine fortitudinem principis,
both of which occur in the forms of ‘Egbert.’
The Mass prayers, which are different from those
of ‘Egbert,’ are found in the Missa quotidiana pro
rege of the Gregorian Sacramentary.
In this recension the coronation of the queen
consort first occurs. She is anointed on the head
with the form In nomine Patris ... prosit tibi haec
unctio olei in honorem, etc., and the prayer Omn.
semp. Deus affluentem spiritum[73]. Both these forms
here first occur. The Ring is then given with the
form Accipe anulum fidei signaculum sanctae Trinitatis,
and the prayer Deus cuius est omnis potestas
(which is not the same prayer as that found elsewhere
with the same beginning in the coronation of a king),
both of which appear now for the first time. Lastly
the queen is crowned with the form Accipe coronam
gloriae, and the prayer Omnium Domine fons bonorum;
the second of which is a shortened form of the corresponding
prayer in the order for the coronation of
the king, while the former is a slightly different
edition of the form in Hittorp’s Ordo Romanus.
It may be noted that the forms for the coronation
of a queen given in the order of Ratold, and
forming the second recension of the French rite,
are almost identical with those of the English
recension.
The developement of the rite in this second recension
is most marked, and it is interesting to note
that the same influences have been at work on the
French rite of this period, which is very close to the
second English recension.
In the twelfth century a third recension of the
English rite[74] appears, in which the rite has been
subjected to a very considerable Roman influence.
The Ordo Romanus of Hittorp or some kindred order
has been followed to a large extent in preference to
the old national order.
As the king enters the church the anthem
Firmetur manus is sung, and the king lies prostrate
before the altar during the Litany. The introduction
of the Litany is a new feature and Roman.
After the Litany the king takes the oath, In Christi
nomine promitto haec tria populo Christiano. A bishop
then asks the people whether they accept the Elect
as king, Si tali principi, etc., and they answer
Volumus et concedimus. This recognition is a new
formal feature, but informally it had taken place
long before, e.g. at the coronation of William I.
It also appears in the French order of Louis VIII,
but disappears again from the French rite later on.
Then is said the prayer Omn. aeterne Deus creator
omnium, followed by a series of benedictions, the
same as those which follow the delivery of the
sceptre in ‘Egbert,’ but in a shorter form. Next
is said the prayer Deus ineffabilis auctor mundi,
which is first found in the order by which Pope
John VII crowned Louis II at Troyes in 877. It
occurs henceforward in practically every order, but
whereas the word ineffabilis is always used in the
English orders (and the German Aachen order) elsewhere
inenarrabilis is always found. The anointing
is much more elaborate than heretofore; first the
hands are anointed Unguantur manus istae, etc., then
follows the consecration prayer (Roman) Prospice
omnipotens Deus, after which the king is anointed on
head, breast, shoulders and bends of arms, Unguantur
caput istud, pectus, etc., and during the anointing
the Responsory Deum time is sung. This elaborate
unction is identical with that prescribed in Hittorp’s
order, though the forms are not the same. After
the anointing is said Deus Dei Filius, (alia) Deus qui
es iustorum gloria. The investitures are then made;
the Sword with the Roman form Accipe gladium per
manus, etc.; the Armills and the Pallium with forms
now first appearing, Accipe armillas sinceritatis, and
Accipe pallium, etc. Then comes the coronation,
the crown being blessed with the prayer Deus tuorum
corona, and the king being crowned with the form
Coronet te Deus, which is first found at the coronation
of Charles the Bald in 869. The prayer Deus perpetuitatis
follows the coronation. The ring is given
with the Roman form Accipe regiae dignitatis anulum;
the sceptre with the old form Accipe sceptrum regiae
potestatis, and the prayer Omnium Domine fons bonorum;
and lastly the verge with the old form. The
benedictions which follow are those contained in
Hittorp’s order, and finally the king is enthroned
with the form Sta et retine.
The queen’s coronation follows in substance
Hittorp’s order, while retaining some of the features
of the last English recension.
The first prayers Omn. semp. Deus fons et origo
and Deus qui solus habes both follow the Roman
order. At the unction the Roman prayer Spiritus
sancti gratia is found, while the actual form of
anointing In nomine Patris and following, Omn. semp.
Deus affluentem, etc., are of the last English order.
The ring is given with the old English form slightly
altered and the prayer Deus cuius est omnis potestas,
also from the English rite. There is the same benediction
of the queen’s crown as of the king’s, and she
is crowned with the old form or (alia) the Roman
Officio nostrae indignitatis, and the rite ends with
the English Omnium Domine fons bonorum.
A fourth recension is that of the Liber Regalis[75],
and was probably the order used for the first time at
the coronation of Edward II. This recension, which
represents the English rite in its most elaborate form,
returns in part to the second recension and combines
it with the Romanised rite of the last recension. This
conflation renders it very long. This fourth recension
remained more or less unchanged until the time of
James II, although in English for James I onward.
The recognition takes place as a preliminary to
the rite, and then the rite begins with the anthem
Firmetur manus as in the last recension, and the
king makes his first oblation, and then is said a
prayer now first appearing, Deus humilium visitator,
which is adapted from a collect in the Gregorian
sacramentary ‘in adventu fratrum supervenientium.’
A sermon is now introduced, after which the king
takes the oath, no longer directly, but in answer to
interrogations as in the Roman rite. Finito quidem
sermone ... metropolitanus ... interroget, Si leges et consuetudines
ab antiquis iustis et Deo devotis regibus
plebi Anglorum concessas cum sacramenti confirmatione
eidem plebi concedere et servare voluerit; et praesertim
leges, consuetudines, et libertates a glorioso rege
Edwardo clero populoque concessas.
The king promising that he will maintain these
rights, the Archbishop then puts to him the following
questions:
Servabis ecclesiae Dei cleroque et populo pacem ex
integro et concordiam in Deo secundum vires tuas?
Resp., Servabo.
Facies fieri in omnibus iudiciis tuis aequam et
rectam iustitiam et discretionem in misericordia et
veritate secundum vires tuas? R. Faciam.
Concedis iustas leges et consuetudines esse tenendas,
et promittis eas per te esse protegendas, et ad honorem
Dei roborandas quas vulgus elegerit secundum vires
tuas? R. Concedo et promitto.
Then follows the bishops’ petition Domine Rex a
vobis perdonari and the king’s promise to preserve
the rights and privileges of the Church, which is
probably derived from the French rite. After this
Veni Creator is sung, and then is said the old prayer
Te invocamus—reintroduced into the rite—and the
Litany, after which are sung the Penitential psalms—a
new feature.
The consecration section of this recension is a
curious conflation of a number of consecration
prayers. Omn. semp. Deus creator omnium[76], (alia)
Benedic Domine hunc regem, (alia) Deus ineffabilis,
followed by the restored Deus qui populis tuis, and
then the actual consecration prayer, the old Deus
electorum fortitudo, introduced by Sursum corda and
Preface. The king is now anointed on the hands
with the form Unguantur manus, the anthem Unxerunt
Salomonem being sung the while, and after
the prayer Prospice omn. Deus serenis obtutibus (the
Roman consecration prayer) the king is anointed in the
form of a cross on the breast, each shoulder, between
the shoulders, at the bend of each arm, and on the
head. After the anointing the prayers Deus Dei
Filius and Deus qui es iustorum are said. The king
is now arrayed in the ‘Colobium sindonis,’ and the
Archbishop proceeds to bless the regalia, using for
the purpose the prayer here first occurring, Deus
rex regum. The king is then arrayed in tunic, hose,
and buskins, and the Archbishop then blesses the
sword, using the prayer Exaudi Domine preces
nostras, which now appears for the first time. The
investiture with sword, armills, pallium, and crown
then takes place, the accompanying forms being
those of the last recension. After the crowning the
anthem Confortare et esto vir is sung, and the ring
is first blessed with two prayers now first occurring,
Deus caelestium terrestriumque and Benedic Domine
et sanctifica anulum, and then delivered with the
form of the last recension followed by the prayer
Deus cuius est omnis potestas. The sceptre and
verge are then delivered with the forms of the last
recension, and finally after the three benedictions
and Te Deum comes the enthronisation. The king
being enthroned the homage is done.
In this recension the coronation of the queen
consort is very similar to the rite of the last recension,
the differences being that the first prayer in the third
recension, Omn. semp. Deus fons et origo, is omitted,
the prayer Spiritus Sancti gratia before the unction
disappears, and Officio indignitatis is no longer an
alternative form, but is said after the coronation has
taken place with the older English form. The queen
is anointed on head and breast.
The Mass prayers are similar to those of the
second recension, but there are some differences;
a collect is said for the queen as well as for the king;
the two prayers Omn. Deus det tibi de rore and
Benedic Domine fortitudinem (which are said immediately
after the enthronisation in the second
recension, but had disappeared from the third) are
said at the king’s second oblation of a mark of gold;
an alternative Secret is given, that of the Roman
Missa pro Imperatore; a blessing of the king and
people is inserted before the Agnus Dei; and the
alternative Postcommunion is different from the
alternative of the second recension.
The rite of the Liber Regalis was used, as has
been said, until the time of James II. It was rendered
into English for James I[77], and served in an almost
identical form for the coronations of Charles I and
Charles II. The version is not very elegant, but
it is certainly as good an English composition as the
original is a Latin. The miraculous chrism[78] was
last used at the coronation of Elizabeth, and was
then either exhausted or had become unfit for
further use. The form with which Archbishop
Laud consecrated the chrism for the coronation of
Charles I still exists[79].
The Recognition becomes at this time an integral
part of the rite, and is introduced by an anthem.
Immediately after the Recognition the anthem
Firmetur manus and Ps. lxxxix are sung. The
king then makes his first oblation and the Archbishop
says the prayer O God which visitest those
that are humble (Deus visitator humilium). The
king now takes the oath, which is given in Latin
and French as well as English, and the petition
of the bishops, Domine Rex a vobis perdonari, which
is left untranslated. Veni Creator is then sung,
followed by We beseech thee, O Lord, Holy Father
(Te invocamus), and the Litany in English with
a special petition proper to the occasion. Then
are said the four prayers O Almighty and everlasting
God, Creator of all things (Omn. semp. Deus creator
omnium); O Lord, thou that governest all kingdoms
(Benedic Domine); God the unspeakable Author
(Deus ineffabilis); and God which providest for thy
people (Deus qui populis). The consecration follows,
God the strength of thy chosen (Deus electorum fortitudo),
introduced by Sursum corda and Preface, the
prayer being slightly altered in some of its phrases.
The king’s hands are then anointed with the form
Let these hands be anointed (Unguantur manus),
followed by the anthem Zadok the priest (Unxerunt
Salomonem) and the prayer Look down, Almighty God
(Prospice omnipotens); the king is then anointed[80] on
the breast, between the shoulders, on both shoulders,
on the boughts of the arms, and on the crown of the
head. Then follow the prayers God the Son of God
(Deus Dei Filius) and God which art the glory of the
righteous (Deus qui es iustorum gloria). The king is
now vested with Colobium and Dalmatic, after which
the Archbishop says the prayer O God the King of
kings (Deus Rex regum); then with the Supertunica
or close pall, hose, and sandals by the Dean of
Westminster, and with the spurs by a nobleman.
The Sword is blessed with the form Hear our
prayers (Exaudi quaesumus), and is delivered to
the king with the form Receive this kingly sword
(Accipe gladium). He is invested with the Armill,
Receive the armill (Accipe armillas); with the
Mantle or open pall, Receive this pall (Accipe
pallium); with the Crown, the Archbishop taking
it in his hands and saying God the crown of the
faithful (Deus tuorum), and O God of eternity (Deus
perpetuitatis), and crowning the king with the form
God crown thee (Coronet te Deus). The choir in
the mean time sings the anthems Be strong (Confortare)
and The king shall rejoice (Deus in virtute).
The Archbishop now blesses the Ring with the
prayers O God the creator of all things in heaven
(Deus caelestium) and Bless, O Lord, and sanctify
(Benedic Deus), and places it on the king’s right
wedding finger, saying Receive the ring of kingly
dignity (Accipe regiae dignitatis anulum). Then
the prayer O God, to whom belongeth all power (Deus
cuius est), after which the king offers the sword and
it is redeemed. The Archbishop delivers the Sceptre,
Receive the sceptre (Accipe sceptrum), and prays
O Lord, the fountain of all good things (Omnium
Domine fons); likewise the Verge, Receive the rod
(Accipe virgam). The Archbishop then blesses the
king, The Lord bless thee (Benedicat tibi); Te Deum
is sung, and the king is enthroned with the form
Stand and hold fast (Sta et retine), after which the
peers do their homage.
The order of the queen’s coronation follows that
of the Liber Regalis. First is said by a bishop at
the west door of the Abbey the prayer O Almighty
and everlasting God, the fountain (Omn. semp. Deus
fons et origo), then at the altar God, which only hast
immortality (Deus qui solus). She is then anointed
on the crown of her head with the form In the name
of the Father (In nomine), and then on the breast,
the same form being repeated, after which is said the
prayer O Almighty everlasting God, we beseech thee
(Omn. semp. Deus affluentem). She is then given
the Ring with the form Receive this ring (Accipe
anulum), and the prayer God, to whom belongeth
all power (Deus cuius est omnis potestas). The Archbishop
blesses the Crown saying O God the crown
of the faithful (Deus tuorum), and crowns her with
the form Receive the crown of glory (Accipe coronam),
adding: Seeing you are by our ministry solemnly consecrated
(Officio indignitatis), after which he says the
prayer O Lord, the fountain (Omnium Domine fons),
and so ends the queen’s coronation.
The Communion service follows, beginning at the
collect O Almighty God, we beseech thee that this thy
servant (Quaesumus omn. Deus ut famulus). The
epistle and gospel are the same as in the Liber
Regalis. The offertory is sung, and the king offers
bread and wine and a mark of gold. At this point
are inserted the two blessings Almighty God give thee
(Omn. Deus det tibi) and Bless, O Lord, the virtuous
carriage (Benedic Domine fortitudinem), which occur
in the Liber Regalis after the enthronisation. The
Secret is the old prayer Bless, we beseech thee, O Lord,
these thy gifts (Munera Domine quaes. oblata). There
is no longer a special preface as heretofore.
In the Order of Charles I there are a few unimportant
variations. A sermon is introduced
before the king takes the oath. In the Consecration
prayer (God the strength) a return is made to the
original, which had been slightly altered for James I.
The old order of the prayers God crown thee and
O God of eternity is reverted to. The first of the
two blessings of the ring disappears. Perhaps the
prayer God the unspeakable author was not used[81],
as it does not occur in the copy of the order which
the king himself used on his coronation day. In the
Eucharist the two blessings after the offertory are
said after, instead of before, the Secret.
Queen Henrietta Maria was not crowned.
At his trial, among the many accusations brought
against him, Laud was accused of having tampered
with the coronation oath[82] in two particulars. He
was charged with adding to the first section the
qualifying words ‘agreeable to the King’s prerogative,’
and of omitting from the last section the words
‘quae populus elegerit.’
There was an alteration made in the first section.
This concludes in the old oath of the Liber Regalis,
which was used in English at the coronation of
James I, with the words ‘granted to the clergy and
people by the glorious King, Saint Edward your
predecessor.’ In the oath as taken by Charles I
the words ‘and people’ were omitted, while there
was added at the end of the section ‘according to
the laws of God, the true profession of the Gospel
established in this kingdom, and agreeing to the
prerogative of the kings thereof and the ancient
customs of this realm.’ Laud denied any knowledge
of this alteration.
In the last section of the oath the Liber Regalis
has Concedis iustas leges et consuetudines esse tenendas,
et promittis per te eas esse protegendas quas vulgus
elegerit? Here again in the oath of Charles there
is a modification of the wording, Sir, will you grant
to hold and keep the rightful customs which the
commonalty of this your kingdom have? But this
alteration had as a matter of fact been made at the
time of the last coronation, for this passage is almost
identical with the oath taken by James I. That there
was in Stuart times a deliberate attempt to weaken
the force of some of the language in the oath is
evident. Henry VIII had been dissatisfied with the
terms of the oath and made some attempt to alter it
by the insertion of such modifying expressions as
‘not prejudicial to his jurisdiction,’ ‘not prejudicial
to his crown,’ ‘which the nobles and people have
made and chosen with his consent.’ But his attempted
revision came to nothing, and both he and Edward VI
took the oath at their coronation in the form in which
it stands in the Liber Regalis[83].
It may also be noted here, as a matter connected
with the oath, that up to the time of Henry VII the
years of a king’s reign were reckoned from the day of
his coronation, the oath being regarded as the compact
or covenant made between him and his people,
sealing as it were his election to the throne. From
the time of Henry VIII onwards the king’s reign
has been reckoned from the death of his predecessor[84].
Laud took infinite pains in the preparation of the
coronation ceremony, in which he acted in the place
of the Dean of Westminster. His copy of the Order
with his MS. annotations still exists in the library of
St John’s College, Cambridge. No detail is neglected
and some of his notes are very amusing; for example,
in connection with the putting on of hose and
sandals he remarks, ‘These both—Hose and Shews
the K: would haue putt on vpõ his other shoes:
wᶜʰ had almost indaingered yᵉ tearinge of yᵉ old
Tinsin Hose. It is safer to vnlase them before hand
when they be vsed againe[85].’
The recipe for the preparation of the chrism used
is preserved. The chrism was consecrated by Laud,
who was at that time Bishop of St David’s, and who
was acting for the Dean of Westminster. It is the
dean’s function to bless the chrism if he is a bishop.
If he is not a bishop the archbishop himself consecrates
it.
It is perhaps most convenient at this point to
deal with the coronation of King Charles at Holyrood
by Abp Spotiswoode on June 18, 1633, for the rite
then used was manifestly based on the English order,
and was the work of Abp Laud. There are in it
certain variations from the English rite, which were
probably deliberately made with the intention of imparting
a special Scottish character to the ceremony.
After the Litany, instead of the four prayers of the
English order only one occurs, which is a combination
of the two English prayers O Almighty and everlasting
God, creator of all things and O Lord, thou that
governest all kingdoms. The prayer after the
anointing, God the Son of God, is shortened. At
the investitures the prayer O God, the King of kings,
a prayer of benediction of the ornaments, becomes
a benediction of the king. The form accompanying
the investiture of the Sword is shortened, and O God
of eternity disappears at the crowning. On the other
hand there appears after the crowning what may
be a feature of the old Scottish rite, the ‘Obligatory
oath of the people,’ which is read out by the Earl
Marshal: We swear, and by the holding up of our
hands do promise all subjection and loyalty to king
Charles our dread sovereign: and as we wish God to
be merciful to us, shall be to his majesty true and
faithful, and be ever ready to bestow our lives and
lands and what else God hath given us, for the
defence of his sacred person and crown. The form
at the delivery of the Sceptre is slightly shortened.
After the benediction, as in the English rite, the king
kisses the archbishop and the bishops. The form
of enthronisation is slightly altered, and after the
enthronisation a royal pardon is proclaimed and the
homage of the peers is done. Of the Communion
service which follows no details whatever are given.
With the accession of James II we come to an
important point in the developement of the English
rite. Since James was a member of the Roman
Church he was not allowed to receive the Holy
Sacrament after the use of the English Church, and
Abp Sancroft was accordingly commissioned to edit
the rite and omit the Communion altogether. Unhappily
Sancroft in his work of editing made many
and considerable alterations in the rite itself, which
have never subsequently been properly rectified[86].
After the Recognition the king and queen make
their first oblation, and then is said the prayer
O God, who dwellest in the high and holy place,
which is a much altered version of Deus visitator
humilium. The Litany is said, and then follow the
prayers Almighty and everlasting God, creator of all
things, which has been altered and shortened, and
O God, who providest, practically unchanged. The
two prayers O Lord, thou that governest and God the
unspeakable author are omitted. Here follows the
sermon, and the sermon over, the king takes the
oath, which is the same as that of Charles I, except
that in the first question ‘The Gospel established in
the Church of England’ is changed to ‘The Gospel
established in this kingdom’; after which is sung
the Veni Creator in the version now in use. Then is
said We beseech thee, O Lord, Holy Father (unaltered),
and then, introduced by Sursum corda and Preface,
the consecration prayer God, the exalter of the humble
and strength of thy chosen (shortened), after which
the choir sings Zadok the priest. The king is then
anointed as hitherto with the form Be this head
anointed with holy oil; and as kings and prophets
were anointed, etc.; and the archbishop says the
prayer God the son of God; the prayer God which
art the glory of the righteous being omitted. Certain
changes are made in the forms of investiture; the
prayer said after the vesting with the Colobium is
changed into a benediction of the king; from the
form with which the Sword is delivered it is noticeable
that the words for the defence of Christ’s holy church
are omitted, and the reference to the persecution
of infidels and heretics also disappears; the form
accompanying the investiture with the Pallium is
made to include the delivery of the Orb, an
unfortunate innovation which has been retained to
this day, for the orb is perhaps but another form
of the sceptre; at the crowning O God, the crown
of the faithful appears in its present form, much
altered from the original, and the prayers God crown
thee and O eternal God (O God of eternity) are also
altered; the archbishop reads the first anthem Be
strong, and the choir sings the second The king shall
rejoice; the blessing of the Ring is omitted, and the
prayer following its delivery, O God, to whom belongeth
all power, also disappears; the form of the investiture
with the Verge is much changed. At this point the
king makes his second oblation, which should have
taken place at the offertory, and the archbishop
blesses the king with the blessing The Lord give thee
of the dew of heaven, a much altered edition of the
older form, which in the previous order followed the
Secret; and then curiously enough there reappears a
short edition of the old In diebus eius (In thy days
may justice flourish), which last was used in the
second recension of the English rite. A new benediction
appears, The Lord preserve thy life, and the
old, The Lord bless thee and keep thee, is altered,
the last prayer for clergy and people acquiring much
of its present form, And the same good Lord grant
that the clergy and people, etc. After Te Deum the
king is enthroned in much the present form, and
after the homage a final anthem is sung.
At the queen’s coronation the prayer Almighty
and everlasting God, the fountain of all goodness
is somewhat altered, and the next prayer God,
which only hast immortality is omitted. In the
prayer following the anointing the words that as by
the imposition of hands she is this day crowned queen
becomes that as by our office and ministry she is this
day anointed and solemnly consecrated our queen.
The form with which the ring is given is quite
different from the form hitherto used after the
opening words, and the prayer following, God, to
whom belongeth all power, is omitted. At the crowning
God, the crown of the faithful is omitted, and the
forms Receive the crown of glory and Seeing you are
by our ministry are combined into one. The order
ends with the prayer O Lord, the fountain of all good
things and a final anthem.
There was no Communion service, and after the
crowning of the queen three final collects were said
and then the Blessing.
Archbishop Sancroft has been much blamed for
his handiwork on the coronation rite, and it is
certainly much to be regretted that he made so
many and unnecessary alterations in the language
of the old prayers. On the other hand it is a
question whether the rite has not gained by the
omission of some of the prayers, for the order as he
found it was very conflate, many of the prayers being
originally alternatives, which in process of time had
become additional prayers in such a way as to cause
a great deal of repetition and to make the service
unnecessarily long and burdensome.
At the election of William and Mary as King
and Queen the rite was once more subjected to
revision, and this time by one less fitted for the
work than Sancroft, Henry Compton, Bp of London.
The Order of William and Mary[87] is practically that
which has been handed down to the present day.
There is prefixed to the order a feature unique
among English coronation rites, an Order of Morning
Prayer to be said on the morning of the coronation
because ‘it is fit and congruous, and accordingly the
king is to be desired that he will be present at
Morning Prayer in Whitehall, and so begin that
glorious day with Him by whom kings reign.’ The
Order is derived from the Form of Prayer and
Thanksgiving authorized by James II for the day
of his accession.
Another unique feature in this rite is that by it
two joint monarchs were crowned, for both William
and Mary were regnant.
The order begins with the anthem I was glad.
The Recognition is somewhat apologetic in tone, and
in the place of ‘King James the rightful inheritor
of this crown’ appears ‘King William and Queen
Mary, undoubted King and Queen of this realm.’
The new anthem Blessed art thou, O Lord, is then
sung in the place of the old, Let thy hand be
strengthened, and the king and queen make their
first oblation, after which the Bp of London (acting
in the place of Abp Sancroft) says the prayer O God,
who dwellest in the high and holy place, and the
Litany is sung, with the prayer O God, who
providest for thy people in the place of the prayer
of St Chrysostom. The Communion service is now
begun, the commandments being omitted and the
two collects for the king combined into one. After
the Creed the sermon is preached, and then the king
and queen take the oath. This was altered from the
form in which it was taken by James II, and the
expression ‘Protestant reformed religion’ makes its
first appearance; the petition of the bishops also
vanishes at this time. There were also noticeable
changes in the consecration; Veni Creator is sung,
and then is said the consecration prayer O Lord,
holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, the
exalter of the humble and the strength of thy chosen,
but without Sursum corda and Preface. There is
moreover a great deal of alteration in the prayer
itself, which is made to include a blessing of the oil,
and has the conclusion of the prayer said before the
laying on of hands in the Order of Confirmation.
The anthem Zadok the priest is retained. The king
and queen were anointed on the crown of the head,
breast, and palms of the hands only, the hands being
anointed last instead of first as hitherto, the anointing
being followed by the prayer Our Lord, Jesus Christ,
the Son of God, and then the anthem Behold, O God,
our defender. Certain changes are also made in the
forms of investiture; at the investiture of the Sword
the prayer Hear our prayers is slightly altered;
Receive this kingly sword appears as in the present
rite; at the girding Remember him of whom the royal
psalmist did prophesy is also slightly changed; there
is no mention of any delivery of the Armill; the
form with which the Pall and Orb are delivered is
much expanded; the investitures with Ring and
Verge precede the crowning instead of following it
as hitherto, and the form with which the Verge
is delivered is much enlarged; at the crowning the
prayer O God, the crown of the faithful is more or
less unchanged, but that following the crowning,
God crown you, is considerably altered. Then comes
a new anthem, Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem. At
this point is introduced an entirely new feature, the
delivery of a copy of the Bible with a form consisting
of two parts, Thus saith the Lord of old, etc., and
To put you in mind of this rule and that you may
follow it, we present you with this book, etc. Then
comes the Aaronic blessing, followed by the four
benedictions as in the order of James, and the
prayer for clergy and nobles. After the Te Deum
the king and queen are enthroned, the words
‘Whereof thou art the lawful and undoubted heir
by succession from thy forefathers’ being omitted
from the form of enthronisation Stand firm and
hold fast. After the homage a final anthem is sung,
which is really the introit out of place. The Communion
service now proceeds, the king and queen
offering bread and wine, and the Bp of London, who
was celebrant, saying the Secret, Bless, O Lord, we
beseech thee, these thy gifts. The king and queen
then make the second oblation, the same prayer
being used, O God, who dwellest in the high and holy
place, as at the first oblation. A proper preface
appears again, By whom kings reign and princes
rule, etc. Before the blessing three final collects
are said, two of them from those in the Communion
office, and the other that for the king and royal
family used in the corresponding place in the Order
of James II.
The most interesting feature about the rite of
William and Mary is its position in the Eucharist,
a return to the old arrangement of the rite of
‘Egbert,’ which has been preserved at all subsequent
coronations.
The recension of William and Mary is that which
has been followed up to the present time. There
have been certain changes, but none of a far reaching
character.
The anthem after the Recognition from Anne to
George II, The Queen (King) shall rejoice, was at the
coronation of George III and onwards sung after the
crowning. In the Communion service the commandments
were said from George II till Edward VII, but
in the rite of George V, after the introit Let my
prayer come up into thy presence, the Communion
service begins with The Lord be with you, and
proceeds at once to the proper collect O God, who
providest for thy people. From William and Mary
till George III there was no introit, but from
George IV till Victoria the Sanctus was used for the
purpose. The declaration against transsubstantiation
had a place in the coronation oath from the time of
Anne till George III, but since that time has been
made (now in a milder form) before Parliament at
the time of the king’s accession. The anointing on
the breast was omitted from motives of delicacy at
the coronation of Victoria (and of the queen consort
Adelaide), but has since been restored in the case
of the king. The consecration prayer O Lord, holy
Father, who by anointing with oil (the old Deus
electorum fortitudo) has commenced as at present
since the time of George III, and still bears signs of
the preface that once introduced it. From the time
of Anne the sentence blessing the chrism has been
omitted, but the chrism was certainly consecrated
beforehand for the anointing of George II. The
chrism used in the case of Edward VII was consecrated
before the ceremony with the form used by Abp
Sancroft, and King George was anointed with chrism
of that consecration. The Armill was delivered with
a form in the case of the four Georges, but is not
mentioned in the rite of Victoria, though it was used;
it has since been delivered without any form. The
vesting with sandals and buskins has been discontinued
since the time of George II. At the crowning
the prayer O God, the crown of the faithful was
restored for Edward VII to the form in which it
appears in the rite of James II, and the prayer after
the crowning, God crown you with a crown of glory,
which had been omitted from Anne till George III,
restored for George IV and then again omitted, was
brought back once more for George V; also the old
anthem Be strong, which had become an admonition
from the time of William and Mary, became once more
an anthem for our present king. At the delivery
of the Bible only the second section of the form, and
that shortened, has been used from the time of King
Edward VII. Of the benedictions only two remain,
the Aaronic blessing and The Lord give you a fruitful
country. The final anthem has been subjected
to many changes. In the Communion service the
benedictions of the king after the Secret have disappeared
and a proper preface, which was for some
reason omitted from the rite of Edward VII, was
restored to the rite of George V.
Certain changes have also taken place in the
coronation of the queen consort. From the time
of Queen Adelaide there has only been one anointing,
on the crown of the head. The prayer after the
anointing, Almighty and everlasting God, we beseech
thee of thy abundant goodness, has vanished from
the time of Edward VII onwards, and the prayer at
the delivery of the sceptre loses its first sentence and
begins O Lord, the giver of all perfection. The final
anthem has also disappeared in the rite of King
Edward VII. In the order of George V the Te Deum
is ordered to be sung after the Blessing.
