[D1, LA, EVENT] The Coronation of Richard Lionheart]

[Cearnach]

The center of the cross formed by the Abbey's nave and transept has been remade into the coronation theater. A vast carpet of cloth-of-gold stretches across the center space, surrounding a raised mound of wooden steps leading to a mighty throne which sits empty. As one enters the area, one can see to the left and right the seats for the ladies and lords of the realm, including the lonely, empty seats in which Prince John and little Arthur of Brittany will sit following the procession.

To the fore, a severe, dark oaken seat with high back, King Edward's Chair, waits for the monarch, as does a smaller chair to the right of the high altar, where Richard will wait for to take the first oath of kingship before the anointing begins. In a small gallery set above the king's seat to the right of the altar, the royal family, including Eleanor of Aquitaine and her grandchildren, Eleanor of Brittany and the brothers William of Brunswick and Otto of Bavaria, wait for a sign of the procession that will signal the arrival of their ennobled relation.

The great altar is swathed in gold cloth and the ornate golden plate of the service of mass has been arranged in readiness for the ceremony. Behind our humble viewer, rows of black-robed monks fill the seats of the choir, and the throng of knights and the commons stand behind the great stone screen. The air is thick with anticipation and the susurrus of whispered conversation.

Earls and Barons can find their seats here.
Duchesses, Countesses and the Lady Wives of Barons can find their seats here.

Everyone else stands out here.

[Baldwin of Forde]

The doors in the screen separating nave and quire open, and the procession makes its way up to its positions on the altar. The great relics of the coronation are laid on the altar table, the nobles gather about the king's seat, and the bishops, senior monks, and other clergy begin to gather around the altar.

Each wave of the procession in the nave passes the transepts as it goes on by.

[King Richard Lionheart]

But the king has already passed St. Edward's high-backed chair and come to his appointed seat. He kneels slowly and prays for a moment, his attention fixed on the altar, which stands covered in gold plate and the gleaming symbols of the Kingdom of England. After a solemn moment, Baldwin of Forde rises from his seat, a signal for the other prelates and nobles in the apse to do the same. He comes to stand before the king, two fellow bishops, those of Bath and Wells and the famous Hugh de Puiset of Durham, taking up their place on either side of the king, where they will remain as his spiritual escorts for the remainder of the ceremony.

[Baldwin of Forde]

The Archbishop turns to face the bishops and other clergymen gathered about the altar, and intones in perfect French:

"I here present unto you King Richard, your undoubted King, wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service. Are you willing to do the same?"


With one voice, the gathered churchmen of all England reply "God Save King Richard!"

Baldwin then turns, and, followed by the king, his attendant bishops, and the Great Officers of State, including William Marshal bearing his enormous sword, processes slowly down from the altar toward the south transept.

[Baldwin of Forde]

Having secured the first breath of homage from the Church and from the lords of the realm, the Archbishop leads the monarch and his companions to face the west, and the long rows of black-robed monks leading to the great screen, behind which the gathered mass of the people of England strain to hear what is taking place. Summoning up his strength with a deep breath, the Archbishop intones for the third time: "I here present unto you King Richard, your undoubted King, wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service. Are you willing to do the same?"

The monks and the boys of Westminster School all reply "God Save King Richard!"

[Baldwin of Forde]

Satisfied as to the intentions and support of the constituents of the realm, the party returns to the apse, the King assuming his appointed seat at the right, flanked by his men and the two bishops. Baldwin approaches the sitting king, and solemnly intones.

"Sir, is your majesty willing to take the oath? Do you solemnly promise and swear to govern the people of the Kingdom of England, Ireland, Scotland, and the Welsh, the Duchies of Normandy, Brittany, and of Aquitaine, and the Counties of Anjou, Poitou, Touraine, and Angouleme? Will you cause Justice and Mercy to be executed in all your judgments? Do you swear to uphold the Church and its teachings handed down from Christ and his apostles? Will you preserve unto the clergy and bishops of England all the rights and benefices given unto their charge as established by solemn agreement and tradition?"

[King Richard Lionheart]

There is no hesitation, and the clear iron of Richard's voice rumbles forth: "I do."

Escorted by bishops of Durham and of Bath and Wells, the King passes by the Archbishop to stand before the altar. Geoffrey, his natural brother and the Bishop of Lincoln, takes up the bible from the altar, opens it, and presents it to Richard. The giant lays his hands on the scriptures, rumbling gravely "The things which I have promised, I will perform and carry out, so help me God."

There is a weighty moment of silence as the bishop closes the Bible with an audible thump. Richard nods gravely to his relation, turning at last to return to his seat. As he goes, Geoffrey places the bible in the hands of the Abbot, who follows the King to his chair. There is a quiet conversation, in which the abbot places the bible in the king's hands, only to have it returned so that it can be placed once more on the altar.

[Cearnach]

Then the monks in their black robes rise in the quire and begin to sing in Latin:

Alleluia!
The King shall joy in thy strength, O Lord; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!
Alleluia!
For thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips.
Alleluia!
For thou presentest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold upon his head.
Alleluia!

[Baldwin of Forde]

The psalm finished, Canterbury rises and stands facing the altar, his arms outstretched, and calls out in a firm voice:

"O Lord who provided unto Solomon, give unto Richard our King a spirit of wisdom that he may so wisely govern that in his time your church may be in safety and Christendom may be in peace, that we may come unto your eternal kingdom through your son Jesus Christ and the intercession of the Holy Spirit, with whom you remain one God, forever and ever."

[Cearnach]

The Archbishop retires to his seat and the Liturgy of the Word continues, with this time the Prior of Westminster Abbey rising to read from the First Letter of St Peter:

"Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and, like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in the scripture:

"See, I am laying in Zion a stone,
A cornerstone chosen and precious;
And whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."

To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe,

"The stone that the builders rejected,
Has become the very head of the corner."

And

"A stone that makes them stumble,
And a rock that makes them fall."

They stumble because they disobey the word,
As they were destined to do.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

"Once you were not a people,
but now you are God’s people;
once you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy."

For the Lord’s sake accept the authority of every human institution,
whether of the emperor as supreme,
or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right.
For it is God’s will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish.
As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil.
Honor everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honor the emperor."

[Baldwin of Forde]

The monks rise to begin the Gospel introit, singing Alleluia three times in ever-increasing length of strophes as Baldwin of Forde receives the bible from the priors hand and processes with it before the altar until he arrives at the place appointed for reading the gospel.

"A reading," he intones, "from the Gospel according to Matthew:

Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.

And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.

Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?

But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?

Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.

And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?

They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.

When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way."

At this the Archbishop bows his head, closing the great bible. He turns, laying the book upon the altar, then, raising up his hands, sings out: "Credo in unum deum.."

[Cearnach]

then the black robed monks and all the congregation rise to sing the creed.

[Baldwin of Forde]

The creed finished, Baldwin calls out: "Crown, Holy Ghost, our souls in fire!"

[Cearnach]

To which the monks reply with the chant Veni Creator Spiritus, which has the virtue of being quite long, as plainchant goes.

[King Richard Lionheart]

As the song fills the abbey, the Lionheart rises to his full height and his attendant bishops begin to divest him of his royal clothing. Cloak, tunic, rings, all the trappings of nobility are removed from him until he stands clad only in a white stole of plain linen.

While nothing can diminish the statute of this giant of a man, he does seem frightfully out-of-place amid the splendor of clergy and nobility that surround him.

Clad thus, he is led by the bishops to St. Edward's Chair. He fills the high-backed seat with his mighty frame, taking for the first time his rightful place in succession from that sainted king who was crowned here one hundred and fifty years ago.

To his immediate left and right are the bishops, and further to his left the Earl Marshal and to his right the Occitan knight bearing St. Edward's staff.

[Baldwin of Forde]

As Baldwin of Forde descends from the altar bearing a curiously long wooden spoon, backed by Geoffrey fitzHenry and the Abbot of Westminster, the four Great Officers of State take up a golden canopy and hold it over the chair, shielding this most sacred moment of the entire ceremony from general view. From beneath the canopy, Baldwin of Forde's voice issues forth the formula of anointing:

Be thy right hand anointed with holy oils.
Be thy breast anointed with holy oils
Be thy head anointed with holy oils
As kings and priests were anointed
And as Solomon was anointed by Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet,
So be thou anointed and consecrated king over the people the Lord thy God has given thee to rule and defend, by the grace of God, Amen.

There is a moment of murmered prayer and the canopy is lifted as the Archbishop turns and surges up to the altar to pray silently.

[King Richard Lionheart]

As he does so, the King rises and is divested of the linen garment and clothed in a flowing tunic by the Prior of Westminster. Then the supertunica--a cloth-of-gold robe lined with crimson so heavy it takes two men to lift it over the kings head so that he can slide his arms into it. Thus weighted in splendor, the King sits back down in St. Edward's Chair.

The Prior of Westminster then brings the golden spurs down from the altar, passing them on their golden cushion to the Lord Great Chamberlain, that he might carry them to the king as symbols of true knighthood.

[Aubrey de Vere]

Aubrey de Vere's bones creak and tendons thwack as he makes his way down the altar steps and kneels---slowly---to place the spurs on Richard's heels. The King thanks him by clasping his shoulder, and the sour old man actually smiles.

[William Marshal]

With his commitment to the warrior caste cemented, de Vere returns the spurs to the Prior, only to be presented by William Marshal with the great 2-handed Sword of State.

[Aubrey de Vere]

After Richard handles it for a moment, he passes it to Aubrey de Vere, who exchanges the Sword of State with the Prior of Westminster Abbey to receive the naked Sword of Offering from the altar.

[Cearnach]

The Prior of Westminster places the Sword of State on the altar, struggling slightly with its weight.

[Aubrey de Vere]

Aubrey de Vere hands the Sword of Offering to Richard

[Baldwin of Forde]

When the King holds the Sword of Offering, the Archbishop intones:

"Hear our prayer O lord, so direct thy servant King Richard that he may not bear thy sword in vain, but that he may be a servant of God, a terror to evildoers and a defender of those who cannot defend themselves, through Jesus Christ Our Lord."


Then, turning to Richard, he says words handed down from the coronation of Richard's Great-Grandfather, the Conqueror himself:

"Receive this kingly sword brought from the holy altar of God, borne to you by the bishops and servants of god, though unworthy, use it to:
Do Justice,
Stop the growth of iniquity,
Defend the church of God,
Protect widows and orphaned children,
Restore what is amiss and keep that which is in good order,
Do this in the name of Jesus Christ Our Lord, that you may live with him in the kingdom that is to come."

[King Richard Lionheart]

Bowing his great head, the Lionheart then rises and passes by the Archbishop to lay the sword down on the altar beside the Sword of State, devoting it and himself to God's service before returning to his seat.

[Cearnach]

The Prior of Westmenster and the Bishop of Lincoln then bring down the two armills of solid gold and fasten them around the king's wrists as the Archbishops utters an invocation.

Unfortunately, at this moment a great bat chooses to dislodge itself from the ceiling of the abbey and flaps noisily through the crowd to cries of shock and concern. Richard's annoyance at this disruption is palpable, though sharp-eyed participants might see a smirk color the proud face of Prince John.

[Baldwin of Forde]

In all the tumult, the Archbishop's words are partly swallowed. One can just make out "Surrounding you on every side… …Defend us against all enemies…" before the commotion dies down and he finishes.

[Cearnach]

The Prior of Westminster then takes the Robe Royal from the altar. This great pall of cloth-of-gold and its attendant stole of ermine he places over the king's shoulders, while Lord de Vere steps forward to fasten the clasps securing it to him.

[Baldwin of Forde]

Baldwin of Forde's words here are quiet, but largely intelligible:

"Imperial Robes...knowledge, wisdom and majesty from on high...clothe you in the Robe of Righteousness and the Garment of Salvation."

[Cearnach]

The Prior of Westminster then brings the ring down from the altar, placing it in the Archbishop's hands.

[Cearnach]

Baldwin then slides the ring onto Richard's hand, saying, much louder than before,

"Receive the ring of kingly dignity and the seal of Catholic faith, just as you ascend to King of England, so may you serve as defender of Christ's religion, that you may serve the King of Kings for ever and ever."

Then come the white satin gloves, and the scepters in their splendor. As each is presented, Baldwin continues his invocations: "Receive the royal scepter, the instrument of kingly power and government. Receive the rod of equity and mercy. Be so merciful that you be not too remiss to execute justice without exercise of mercy. Punish the wicked and defend the just."

A moment passes as Baldwin and the Bishop of Lincoln turn back to the altar to raise their hands in supplication over the great crown.

"O God, bless we beseech thee this crown, and so bless your servant, King Richard, that he may be filled through thy abundant grace, with all the kingly virtues. This we ask through Christ our lord. amen."