The Royal Chapel in the Sixteenth Century

The building of chapels at the royal palaces follows the more general picture of royal palace building, namely that they were constructed during the latter years of Henry VII and during the reign of Henry VIII and remained largely unchanged physically until the early 17th century, but the ceremonies within, the liturgy that was followed were amended in the course of the century to reflect the Crown’s changing attitude towards reform. As with the enforcement of the royal will more generally, the role of the chapel and its establishment were subject to sudden changes as manifestations of control and the sense that the sovereign was constantly engaged with religious affairs. The act of ceremony and the processions that took place before and after worship, as well as the frequency of royal observance, were keenly commented upon by many who saw them, especially foreign ambassadors. Going to the royal chapel was a key moment in the life of the Court and a chance to witness and be in the presence of the sovereign. It is interesting to compare and complement the English narrative with practices at the court of the French kings.

The palaces of Greenwich, Richmond, Hampton Court, St. James’s and New Hall are the major components of the story, though only two royal chapels survive today with anything like their original extent and furnishings. A rich documentation through drawings and manuscript images as well as a small number of surviving objects help to fill out the sense of where these buildings were in the context of the palace as a whole and how they were appointed. Some comparisons with country houses and collegiate chapels can be made though their purpose and place within the domestic or scholastic environment were different.

This lecture will be concerned only with the structure, the carapace of the royal chapel but the talk will emphasise the recent attempts to bring surviving chapels back to life by carefully reconstructing the soundscape and rituals for performance. That soundscape is about music and also about the sermons that were given, both these aural experiences fulfilling and in many ways explaining how building and fittings made sense to the congregation.