by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

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The original Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace, circa 1910-1911

The building at the core of today’s Buckingham Palace was originally Buckingham House, a large townhouse built for John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham in 1703. It was acquired by King George III in 1761 as a private residence for his wife Queen Charlotte and became known as The Queen’s House. During the 19th century, it was enlarged by John Nash, one of the foremost architects of the Regency and Georgian eras, and then by Edward Blore, a landscape and building architect.

The original Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace was created for Queen Victoria in what had originally been a conservatory. Queen Victoria disliked the octagonal chapel that had formerly been one of King George III’s libraries. Edward Blore was commissioned to convert one of the conservatories created by John Nash into a chapel. The roof had to be raised and many alterations were needed. In 1843, William Howley, Archbishop of Canterbury consecrated the new Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace.

Buckingham Palace: The Private Chapel 1843-4 by Douglas Morrison; Credit – Royal Collection Trust

The purpose of a Private Chapel is to provide a place for members of the royal family to worship when in residence. During the reign of Queen Victoria, six of her nine children and one of her grandchildren were christened at the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace, and during the reign of King George V, four of his grandchildren were also christened there. In addition, several royal weddings were held at the Private Chapel.

During World War II, one non-British, but royal christening, was held at the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace. On May 10, 1940, the German army invaded the Netherlands. A few days later, the Dutch royal family fled to London. Princess Irene, born on August 5, 1939, the second of four daughters of the future Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, had yet to be christened. King George VI and his wife Queen Elizabeth arranged for Princess Irene to be christened on May 31, 1940, the same day as her christening had been scheduled in the Netherlands, in the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace in London, with Queen Elizabeth serving as one of Princess Irene’s godparents. Less than four months later, the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace was destroyed.

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth survey the damage after the September 13, 1940 bombing of Buckingham Palace; Credit – https://www.royal.uk/80th-anniversary-bombing-buckingham-palace-during-blitz

During The Blitz, the German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom during World War II, Buckingham Palace and its grounds were bombed on sixteen separate occasions with nine direct hits. One of those direct hits occurred on September 13, 1940, while King George VI and his wife Queen Elizabeth were in residence. Their daughters Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret had been sent to Windsor Castle for their safety. A water main was ruptured, most of the windows on the southern and western sides of Buckingham Palace were blown out, the Private Chapel was destroyed, and four workers were injured with one later dying. Originally, King George VI had wanted the Private Chapel rebuilt but because of all the reconstruction needed in the country after World War II, the plan was shelved.

In 1962, at the suggestion of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the ruined Private Chapel was redeveloped as a gallery for the Royal Collection. The Queen’s Gallery opened to the public in 1962 to exhibit works of art from the Royal Collection. At that time, a very small Private Chapel was built near The Queen’s Gallery for the royal family’s personal use.

The 1997 renovated Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace; Credit – http://www.johnsimpsonarchitects.com/pa/Buckingham-Palace-cp.html

In 1997, a competition was held for the appointment of an architect (John Simpson Architects Ltd.) to expand and modernize the Queen’s Gallery in honor of Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee. At that time, the Private Chapel was renovated in a manner that is reminiscent of architect John Nash’s work.

Since the bombing of the original private chapel in 1940 and the construction (1962) and renovation (1997) of a new private chapel, which is much smaller than the original private chapel, royal christenings occurring at Buckingham Palace have occurred in the larger Music Room. Those christened in the Music Room include Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince William.

Christenings at the Private Chapel, Buckingham Palace

The Christening of Prince Arthur in the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace by Eugene-Louis Lami; Credit – The Royal Collection

Photograph, above, of a painting depicting the christening of Prince Arthur at the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace. Towards the center of the composition are Prince Albert, Queen Victoria, the Princess Royal, the Prince of Wales, Princess Alice, and Prince Alfred.

(Links are to Unofficial Royalty biography articles.)

• Princess Alice, daughter of Queen Victoria- christened June 2, 1843
• Princess Helena, daughter of Queen Victoria – christened: July 25, 1846
• Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria – christened: May 13, 1848
• Prince Arthur, son of Queen Victoria – christened: June 22, 1850
• Prince Leopold, son of Queen Victoria – christened: June 28, 1853
• Princess Beatrice, daughter of Queen Victoria – christened: June 16, 1857
• Prince Albert Victor, son of the future King Edward VII – christened March 10, 1864
• Princess Elizabeth, daughter of the future King George VI – christened: May 29, 1926
• Princess Margaret, daughter of the future King George VI – christened: October 30, 1930
• Prince Edward of Kent, grandson of King George V – christened: November 20. 1935
• Princess Alexandra of Kent, granddaughter of King George V – christened: February 9, 1937
• Princess Irene of the Netherlands, daughter of the future Queen Juliana of the Netherlands – christened: May 31, 1940

Weddings at the Private Chapel, Buckingham Palace

The Marriage of Princess Louise of Wales with the Duke of Fife at Buckingham Palace, 27th July 1889 by Sydney Prior Hall; Credit – Royal Collection Trust

The painting above depicts the couple kneeling at the altar, Behind them, from right to left: The Prince of Wales; Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine; Queen Victoria; The Princess of Wales and her brothers King George I of Greece, and Crown Frederik of Denmark

 (Links are to Unofficial Royalty wedding articles.)

• Princess Louise of Wales (later Princess Royal) married (July 27, 1889) Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife
• Princess Maud of Wales married (July 22, 1896) Prince Carl of Denmark, future Haakon VII, King of Norway
• Prince George, Duke of Kent married (November 29, 1934) Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark at Westminster Abbey followed by a Greek Orthodox ceremony at the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace
• Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester married (November 6, 1935) Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott:  The wedding was originally set to be held at Westminster Abbey but was changed because Alice’s father died from cancer on October 19, 1935, less than a month before the wedding date. It was deemed more appropriate to have the wedding at the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Buckingham Palace – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckingham_Palace> [Accessed 25 April 2021].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2019. British Royal Christenings: House of Windsor. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/house-of-windsor-christenings/> [Accessed 25 April 2021].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2019. British Royal Christenings: Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, Their Children, and Select Grandchildren. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/christenings-of-queen-victoria-prince-albert-their-children-and-select-grandchildren/> [Accessed 25 April 2021].
• Flantzer, S., 2012. Weddings of British Monarchs’ Children: Tudors – Windsors. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-weddings/british-royal-weddings/weddings-of-british-monarchs-children/> [Accessed 25 April 2021].
• Healey, Edna, 1997. The Queen’s House – A Social History of Buckingham Palace. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, Inc.
• Westendatwar.org.uk. 2021. 13 September 1940 | Buckingham Palace | Bomb Incidents | West End at War. [online] Available at: <http://www.westendatwar.org.uk/page_id__39_path__0p2p.aspx> [Accessed 24 April 2021].

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Model of Old St. Paul’s Cathedral; Credit – By Ben Sutherland – https://www.flickr.com/photos/bensutherland/7083572515, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51702266

• Oprah Book Clubs: Cathedral Floor Plan and Cathedral Building Terms
• Official Website: St. Paul’s Cathedral

Old St. Paul’s Cathedral stood on the site of the present St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, England until it was severely damaged in the Great Fire of London in 1666. There have been churches and religious communities on the site since Roman times. The first cathedral built on the site dedicated to St. Paul dates from 604. Historians think Old St. Paul’s Cathedral was the fourth church on the site. A major fire occurred in London in 1087, at the beginning of the reign of William II Rufus, King of England. The previous church was the most significant building to be destroyed in the 1087 fire. The fire also damaged the Palatine Tower, built by William I (the Conqueror), King of England on the banks of the River Fleet in London, so badly that the remains had to be pulled down. Part of the stone from the Palatine Tower was then used in the construction of Old St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Work on Old St. Paul’s Cathedral began in 1087 and construction was delayed by another fire in 1135. The cathedral was completed in 1240 and enlarged in 1256 – 1314, although it had been consecrated in 1300. In 1314, Old St. Paul’s Cathedral was the third-longest church in Europe at 586 feet/178 meters. The spire was completed in 1315 and, at 489 feet/149 meters, it was the tallest in Europe at that time. The walls of the cathedral were made of stone. However, the roof was mostly wood because stone would have been too heavy to support. The decision to use wood for the roof would lead to dire consequences in the Great Fire of London in 1666.

1916 engraving of Old St Paul’s as it appeared before the fire of 1561 in which the spire was destroyed; Credit – Wikipedia

By the 16th century, Old St. Paul’s Cathedral was deteriorating. In 1549, radical Protestant preachers incited a mob to destroy much of the cathedral’s interior. The spire caught fire in 1561 and crashed through the nave roof. The roof was repaired but the spire was never rebuilt. In 1621, King James I of England appointed architect Inigo Jones to restore the cathedral but the work stopped during the English Civil War and the Commonwealth of England. In 1660, after the restoration of the monarchy, King Charles II of England gave architect Sir Christopher Wren the job of continuing the restoration of the cathedral. That restoration was in progress when Old St. Paul’s Cathedral was severely damaged in the 1666 Great Fire of London. What remained of Old St. Paul’s Cathedral was demolished, and the present cathedral, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, was built on the site.

Old St. Paul’s Cathedral in flames; Credit – Wikipedia

Royal Events at Old St. Paul’s Cathedral

Richard II, King of England was deposed by his first cousin Henry of Bolingbroke who then reigned as Henry IV, King of England. Held in captivity at Pontefract Castle in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England, Richard is thought to have starved to death and died on or around February 14, 1400.  Although Henry IV has often been suspected of having Richard murdered, there is no substantial evidence to prove that claim. It can be positively said that Richard did not suffer a violent death. After his death, Richard’s body was put on public display for three days at the Old St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, both to prove to his supporters that he was truly dead and also to prove that he had not suffered a violent death. Whether Richard did indeed starve himself or whether that starvation was forced upon him is still up for speculation.

Richard II’s body is brought to Old St Paul’s Cathedral to let everyone see that he is dead – engraving from A Chronicle of England: B.C. 55 – A.D. 1485 by James William Edmund Doyle (1864); Credit – Wikipedia

English monarchs were often in attendance at the Old St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the court occasionally held sessions there. Arthur, Prince of Wales, son of King Henry VII of England, married Catharine of Aragon at Old St. Paul’s on November 14, 1501. Several kings, including Henry VI, and Henry VII, lay in state in Old St. Paul’s before their funerals at Westminster Abbey.

Royal Burials at Old St. Paul’s Cathedral

Commemoration of those who were buried or memorialized in Old St. Paul’s Cathedral but whose tombs or memorials have not survived; Credit – Wikipedia

• Wikipedia: Notable Burials in Old St. Paul’s Cathedral

Only the monument to poet John Donne survived the 1666 Great Fire of London. No other memorials or tombs of the many famous people buried at Old St. Paul’s Cathedral survived the fire. In 1913, an inscribed stone, set up on a wall in the crypt of the new St. Paul’s Cathedral, lists those known to have tombs or memorials lost in the Great Fire of London, including several royals listed below

• Saint Sæbbi, King of Essex, died 695
• Æthelred II, King of the English, died 1016
• Edward the Exile, son of Edmund II (Ironside), King of English, died 1057
• Blanche of Lancaster, Duchess of Lancaster, wife of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, died 1368
• John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, son of Edward III, King of England, died 1399

Tomb of John of Gaunt and his first wife Blanche of Lancaster, lost in the 1666 Great Fire of London; Credit – Wikipedia

Works Cited

• Britain Express. 2021. St. Paul’s Cathedral, London – early history. [online] Available at: <https://www.britainexpress.com/London/st-pauls.htm> [Accessed 4 April 2021].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Old St Paul’s Cathedral – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_St_Paul%27s_Cathedral> [Accessed 4 April 2021].
• Es.wikipedia.org. 2021. Antigua catedral de San Pablo – Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre. [online] Available at: <https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antigua_catedral_de_San_Pablo> [Accessed 4 April 2021].
• The Inside Page Ltd, 2004. St Paul’s Cathedral – Official Guide. London: Jerrold Publishing.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Crathie Kirk; Credit – By The original uploader was DanMS at English Wikipedia. CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23328669

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert made several visits to Scotland beginning in 1842 and quickly fell in love with the Highlands. Prince Albert arranged to acquire the lease on Balmoral Castle despite never having seen the castle or property before, and eventually purchased the property. Victoria and Albert first stayed at Balmoral in September 1848. The surrounding hilly landscape reminded them of Albert’s German homeland. Almost immediately, they realized the existing castle was too small for their large and growing family and household, and plans were made to expand the building. However, instead of making any additions, Victoria and Albert decided to build a new castle next to the existing one. In September 1853, Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone for the new castle, which was completed in 1856. At that point, the original building was torn down. Queen Victoria and her family began the tradition of spending time at Balmoral each year. Balmoral Castle remains the private property of the monarch and is used by the British royal family for their summer holidays.

Balmoral Castle; Credit – By Stuart Yeates from Oxford, UK – Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=728182

In 1848, Queen Victoria and her family began worshipping at nearby Crathie Kirk located only one-half mile (800 meters) east of Balmoral Castle. Crathie Kirk is a small Church of Scotland (Presbyterian) parish church in Crathie, a small village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. This began the custom, which continues to this day, of members of the royal family and their guests worshipping with local people at Crathie Kirk.

Crathie has been a place of Christian worship since the 9th-century when a church was founded on the banks of the River Dee by St. Manire, Bishop of Aberdeenshire and Banff, and a follower of Saint Columba, an Irish abbot credited with spreading Christianity in Scotland. A single standing stone at Rinabaich is all that remains of Manire’s church.

A church dedicated to St. Manire was built in the 14th-century and was used until the 18th-century when it became too small for the growing population of the parish. A simple church typical of Scottish Presbyterian churches of the time was built on the site of the present church in 1805. This was the church that Queen Victoria and her family first attended.

The present Crathie Kirk in 1895; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1893, construction began on the present church designed by Alexander Marshall MacKenzie, a Scottish architect, and Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone. Funds for the new church were raised by subscription and gifts from parishioners and members of the public. A gift of £2,000 was made by Queen VIctoria’s daughters Princess Louise and Princess Beatrice who raised the money at a bazaar held on the grounds of Balmoral Castle. The present church was completed and dedicated in 1895. The granite church overlooks the River Dee and the ruins of the 14th-century church.

• YouTube: Crathie Kirk, Balmoral, Scotland – Aerial HD view

Interior of Crathie Kirk; Credit – By Drow69 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33432629

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Queen Elizabeth II attends a service of commemoration at Crathie Kirk on August 4, 2014, marking the 100th anniversary of the United Kingdom declaring war on Germany

The south transept is reserved for the royal family and their guests and has a small porched entrance doorway exclusively for the royal family. In the south transept, there is a private wood-paneled reception area with a carved wooden royal coat of arms on the top. The front pew has finely-carved panels and the center of the front pew bears the royal and imperial monogram of Queen Victoria. There are memorials to members of the royal family on the walls in the south transept.

Gifts from members of the royal family:

• Queen Victoria donated two stained glass windows, one in memory of six members of her family, including her husband Prince Albert, and the other in memory of the author and social reformer Reverend Norman MacLeod, and endowed the church’s Henry Willis & Sons organ.
• Princess Beatrice, Queen Victoria’s youngest daughter, donated the four bells which continue to hang in the belltower.
• King Edward VII, Queen Victoria’s eldest son and heir, donated two marble medallions in memory of his brother Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and his sister Victoria, Princess Royal, German Empress and Queen of Prussia
• King George V donated a communion table, made from white marble quarried on the island of Iona, the site of St. Columba’s monastery, dedicated to the memory of his father King Edward VII.
• Queen Elizabeth II donated a Bible decorated with the royal coat of arms.

John Brown’s grave; Photo Credit – www.findagrave.com

Many of the local people who served Queen Victoria are buried in the Crathie Kirk churchyard and some have headstones with personal epitaphs from Queen Victoria. The most famous of the burials is that of John Brown who served Queen Victoria as a ghillie at Balmoral (Scottish outdoor servant) from 1849 – 1861 and a personal attendant from 1861 – 1883. On March 27, 1883, at Windsor Castle, 56-year-old John Brown fell into a coma and died. The cause of death was erysipelas, a streptococcal infection. Queen Victoria wrote in her diary that she was “terribly moved by the loss that robs me of a person who has served me with so much devotion and loyalty and has done so much for my personal well-being. With him, I lose not only one Servant, but a real friend. ” John Brown was buried in the churchyard at Crathie Kirk next to his parents and some of his siblings. The inscription on his gravestone shows the affection between him and Queen Victoria:

This stone is erected in affectionate and grateful remembrance of John Brown the devoted and faithful personal attendant and beloved friend of Queen Victoria in whose service he had been for 34 years. Born at Crathienaird 8th Decr. 1826 died at Windsor Castle 27th March 1883. That Friend on whose fidelity you count/that Friend given to you by circumstances/over which you have no control/was God’s own gift. Well done good and faithful servant/Thou hast been faithful over a few things,/I will make thee ruler over many things/Enter through into the joy of the Lord.

• YouTube: Visiting John Brown’s Grave – Crathie

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On December 12, 1992, the first and the only royal wedding was held at Crathie Kirk when Anne, Princess Royal, the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II, married Timothy Laurence. Anne and her first husband Mark Phillips separated in 1989 and their divorce was finalized on April 23, 1992. Anne and Timothy chose to marry in Scotland as the Church of England did not at that time allow divorced persons whose former spouses were still living to remarry in its churches. The Church of Scotland does not consider marriage to be a sacrament and has no objection to the remarriage of divorced persons.

• Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Princess Anne, Princess Royal and Timothy Laurence

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• Explore Churches. 2021. Ballater Crathie Kirk. [online] Available at: <https://www.explorechurches.org/church/crathie-kirk-crathie> [Accessed 16 March 2021].
• Braemarandcrathieparish.org.uk. 2021. Braemar and Crathie Parish Church | Crathie Kirk. [online] Available at: <https://braemarandcrathieparish.org.uk/crathie-kirk/> [Accessed 16 March 2021].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Crathie Kirk. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crathie_Kirk> [Accessed 16 March 2021].
• Mehl, Scott, 2015. Balmoral Castle. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/balmoral-castle/> [Accessed 16 March 2021].
• Scottishchurches.org.uk. 2021. Crathie Parish Church – Crathie and Braemar, Grampian – Places of Worship in Scotland | SCHR. [online] Available at: <http://www.scottishchurches.org.uk/sites/site/id/3836/name/Crathie+Parish+Church+Crathie+and+Braemar+Grampian INSIDE CHURCH> [Accessed 16 March 2021].

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

The north gatehouse, the main entrance of St James’s Palace on Pall Mall. The large window to the right of the gatehouse is the stained glass window of the Chapel Royal; Credit – Wikipedia

The Chapel Royal at St. James’s Palace is a royal peculiar which means it is under the direct jurisdiction of the monarch. It is also a chapel royal, an establishment in the royal household serving the spiritual needs of the sovereign. It is located in the main block of St. James’s Palace in London, England, less than a half-mile from Buckingham Palace. St. James’s Palace was built in the 1530s during the reign of King Henry VIII on the site of a leper hospital dedicated to St. James the Less, hence the name St. James’s Palace. St. James’s Palace was displaced in the late-18th and early-19th centuries as a residence by Buckingham Palace.

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St. James’s Palace is still a working palace, and the Royal Court is still formally based there, despite the monarch residing elsewhere. Ambassadors from foreign countries to the United Kingdom are still accredited to the Court of St. James’s. St. James’s Palace is the home of several members of the British royal family and their household offices, and it hosts many receptions each year for charities associated with members of the royal family. The State Apartments are sometimes used for entertaining during state visits, as well as for other ceremonial and formal occasions. For instance, the Accession Council meets in St. James’s Palace following the death of a monarch, and the accession of a new monarch is proclaimed by Garter King of Arms from the Proclamation Gallery overlooking Friary Court of St. James’s Palace.

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The Chapel Royal at St. James’s Palace, with its oak paneling, marble floors, and green lamps on the pews, is small and seats only 150 people. Old tapestries hang from the cream-colored walls and the ceiling is decorated with golden swirls of royal initials and coats of arms. A beautiful stained glass window over the altar floods the chapel with natural light.

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The chapel ceiling was copied from the mosaics in the ambulatory vault at Santa Costanza, a 4th-century church in Rome, Italy. The honeycomb-like ceiling panels were painted by Hans Holbein the Younger with royal cyphers and coats of arms in honor of King Henry VIII’s (short-lived) marriage to his fourth wife Anne of Cleves.

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The current stained glass window over the altar, designed by artist John Napper, was installed to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee in 2002. A tree in the center panel is occupied by birds, red and white flowers that resemble Tudor roses, and plaques with names of countries affiliated with Queen Elizabeth II. ‘ER’ (Elizabeth Regina, Elizabeth the Queen in Latin) is written on the trunk of the tree. The two side panels show the Gospel writers Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Click on the photo below to see an enlargement.

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The stained glass window commemorating Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee

In 1836, alterations to the chapel were carried out by architect Sir Robert Smirke. Smirke enlarged the chapel, installed oak paneling, and added a new ceiling at the south end, decorated with the names and royal cyphers of King William IV, the king at that time, and his wife Queen Adelaide to match the earlier ceiling painted by Holbein. During World War II, the chapel was damaged by a bomb but was fully restored.

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Interior view of the Chapel Royal in St James’s Palace, 1816

The Chapel Royal at St. James’s Palace has been used since the time of King Henry VIII and is still used by the British royal family. Both Prince George of Wales and Prince Louis of Wales, sons of Prince William, The Prince of Wales, were christened there. When St. James’s Palace was a royal residence, the royal family and their courtiers worshipped at the Chapel Royal. Queen Mary I’s heart is buried beneath the choir stalls. In 1588, Queen Elizabeth I said prayers in the Chapel Royal as she waited to receive messages of the progress of the Spanish Armada. In 1649, after being convicted of treason and other high crimes and sentenced to death during the English Civil War, King Charles I was held at St. James’s Palace. On the day of his execution, King Charles I received Holy Communion in the Chapel Royal and then walked the short distance from St. James’s Palace to the Palace of Whitehall where a scaffold for his beheading had been built outside the Banqueting House.

Christenings at the Chapel Royal, St. James’s Palace

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Christening of Princess Beatrice of York

• King Charles II (1630 – 1685, son of King Charles I) christened June 27, 1630
• Mary, Princess Royal (1631 – 1660, daughter of King Charles I: christened November 4, 1631
• King James II (1633 – 1701, son of King Charles I) christened November 24, 1633
• Princess Elizabeth (1635 – 1650, daughter of King Charles I) christened January 2, 1636
• Princess Anne (1637 – 1640, daughter of King Charles I) christened March 30, 1637
• Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (1640 – 1660, son of King Charles I) christened July 22, 1640
• Queen Mary II (1662- 1694, daughter of King James II) christened May 9, 1662
• Princes James, Duke of Cambridge (1663 – 1667, son of King James II) christened July 22, 1663
• Queen Anne (1665 – 1714, daughter of King James II) christened 1665
• Prince Charles, Duke of Kendal (1666 – 1667, son of King James II) christened 1666
• Prince Edgar, Duke of Cambridge (1667 – 1671, son of King James II) christened September 16, 1667
• James Francis Edward Stuart, Prince of Wales (1688 – 1766, son of King James II, known as The Old Pretender) baptized according to the rites of the Catholic Church October 15, 1688
• Prince George William (1717 – 1718, son of King George II) christened December 6, 1717
• Princess Augusta of Wales (1737 – 1813, daughter of Frederick, Prince of Wales) christened September 19, 1737
• King George IV (1762 – 1830, son of King George III) christened September 8, 1762
• King William IV (1765 – 1837, son of King George III) christened September 18, 1765
• Charlotte, Princess Royal (1766 – 1828, daughter of King George III) christened October 27, 1766
• Princess Elizabeth of Clarence (1820 – 1821, daughter of King William IV) christened December 10, 1820
• Lord Frederick Windsor (son of Prince Michael of Kent) christened July 7, 1979
• Lady Gabriella Windsor (daughter of Prince Michael of Kent) christened June 8, 1981
• Princess Beatrice of York (daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York) christened December 20, 1988
• Prince George of Wales (son of Prince William, The Prince of Wales) christened October 23, 2013
• Miss Maud Windsor (daughter of Lord Frederick Windsor) christened December 16, 2013
• Prince Louis of Wales (son of Prince William, The Prince of Wales) christened July 9, 2018

Weddings at the Chapel Royal, St. James’s Palace

Wedding of the future King George V and Princess Victoria Mary of Teck; Credit- By Laurits Regner Tuxen (1853-1927) – Royal Collection [1] Identification key [2], Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8759360

• Queen Anne (daughter of King James II) married Prince George of Denmark on July 28, 1683
• Anne, Princess Royal (daughter of King George II) married Willem IV, Prince of Orange on March 25, 1734
• Frederick, Prince of Wales (son of King George II, predeceased his father) married Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg on April 27, 1736
• King George III (son of Frederick, Prince of Wales, grandson of King George II) married Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz on September 8, 1761
• King George IV (son of King George III) married Princess Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel on April 8, 1795
• Charlotte, Princess Royal (daughter of King George III) married the future King Friedrich I of Württemberg on May 18, 1797
• Princess Mary (daughter of King George III) married Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester on July 22, 1816
• Queen Victoria (daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and granddaughter of King George III) married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha on February 10, 1840 – Wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
• Victoria, Princess Royal (daughter of Queen Victoria) married the future Friedrich III, German Emperor, King of Prussia on January 25, 1858 – Wedding of Victoria, Princess Royal and Friedrich III, German Emperor, King of Prussia
• King George V (son of King Edward VII) married Princess Victoria Mary of Teck on July 6, 1893 – Wedding of King George V and Princess Victoria Mary of Teck

Other Royal Events at the Chapel Royal, St. James’s Palace

• The coffin of Diana, Princess of Wales rested in the Chapel Royal, St. James’s Palace from August 31 – September 5, 1997. On September 5, 1997, the coffin was moved to Kensington Palace where it would remain until the funeral at Westminster Abbey on September 6, 1997.
• Meghan Markle, the future wife of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, was baptized and confirmed into the Church of England at the Chapel Royal, St. James’s Palace on March 6, 2018.

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Works Cited

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• Flantzer, Susan, 2019. British Royal Christenings: House of Hanover. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/house-of-hanover-christenings/> [Accessed 15 March 2021].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2019. British Royal Christenings – House of Stuart. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/british-royal-christenings-house-of-stuart/ 2019> [Accessed 15 March 2021].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2012. Weddings of British Monarchs’ Children: Tudors – Windsors. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-weddings/british-royal-weddings/weddings-of-british-monarchs-children/> [Accessed 15 March 2021].
• The Royal Family. 2021. The Chapel Royal. [online] Available at: <https://www.royal.uk/chapelroyal> [Accessed 15 March 2021].