Henry VII delayed not only his wedding to Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV, until after his coronation (on October 30, 1485), but also her coronation. They were married on January 18, 1486 and she was crowned on November 25, 1487 after their first son and heir, Prince Arthur was born on September 20, 1486. Her coronation may have been delayed but it was appropriately celebrated, according to the
Memoir of Elizabeth York in
Privy purse expenses of Elizabeth of York: wardrobe accounts of Edward the Fourth, With a memoir of Elizabeth of York edited by Nicholas Harris Nicolas. The ceremonies began on November 23 and continued with her procession from the Tower of London to Westminster on November 24:
On Friday, the 23rd, the Queen left Greenwich by
water for her coronation, of which a very interesting narrative is extant [from John Leland].
Arrayed in the robes of
royalty, she was accompanied by the Countess of
Richmond, her mother-in-law, and by an extensive
retinue of peers and peeresses, and was escorted by
the Lord-mayor, sheriffs, and aldermen of London.
Each Company furnished elegant barges, decorated
with silk banners and streamers, richly emblazoned
with the arms and badges, and rowed by men
dressed in the proper liveries, of the respective
crafts. Amidst the various objects of attraction, the Bachelor's barge claimed particular notice for its superior splendour, and from its carrying a red
dragon, the ensign of the house of Tudor, which
spouted fire into the Thames. Music of all kinds
lent its aid to enliven the scene, and, thus attended,
her Majesty arrived at the Tower. As she entered
it, she was received by the King in the most gracious manner, or, to use the words of the narrator
himself, "the King's highness welcomed her in
such manner and form, as was to all the estates
and others there being present a very good sight,
and right joyous and comfortable to behold." Eleven Knights of the Bath were then created; and
on the next day, after dinner, her Majesty being
"royally apparelled, in a kirtle of white cloth of
gold of damask, and a mantle of the same suit,
furred with ermine, fastened before her breast with
a great lace, curiously wrought of gold and silk,
and rich knobs of gold at the end, tasselled;
her fair yellow hair hanging down plain behind
her back, with a call of pipes over it, and wearing on her head a circle of gold, richly garnished
with precious stones," quitted her chamber of
state. Her train was borne by her sister, the Lady Cecily, and being attended by a great retinue
of lords, ladies, and others, she entered her litter,
in which she was conveyed to Westminster.
On November 25, her coronation as Queen Consort took place:
The next morning she was arrayed in a kirtle and mantle of purple velvet, furred with ermine laced in front, and wore in her hair a circle of gold richly set with pearls and other jewels. In this dress, she proceeded to Westminster Hall, where she remained under a canopy of state until the procession was ready. From the place where she stood to the pulpit in the Abbey the ground was covered with new ray cloth, and the struggle of the crowd to cut it to pieces after she passed was extremely great. The Earl of Arundel bore the staff with the dove, the Duke of Suffolk the sceptre, and the Duke of Bedford, who was bareheaded, the crown. On one side, her Majesty was supported by the Bishop of Winchester, and on the other, by the Bishop of Ely, and she was immediately followed by the Princess Cecily, who held her train. In this order she entered the west door of Westminster Abbey, and took her seat near the pulpit, when the usual ceremonies were performed; after which she returned to the Palace at Westminster. The King was a spectator from a handsome latticed stage, between the pulpit and the high altar, where also stood his mother, and many other ladies of rank.
Notice that there's no description of "the usual ceremonies"! This
blog provides some information, based upon the last coronation of a Queen Consort performed in England on May 12, 1937, when King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the present Queen Elizabeth II's parents, were crowned:
Once the King receives the Sovereign’s Ring, the Sceptre and the Rod, the Archbishop places St Edward’s Crown on the Sovereign’s head and prayers start. If there is a Queen Consort, she is crowned at this point in a very simple ceremony immediately before homage is paid: the Queen is Crowned and anointed under the same canopy which was used for the King. Just like the King, the Queen Consort also has her Crown (typically, a new one made for her) and the Coronation Ring (the Consort’s Ring). Once the short ceremony is over, the Communion interrupted earlier is resumed and completed.
That coronation took place in the context of the King Regnant's ceremony, however. King Henry VIII had Anne Boleyn
crowned as Queen Consort on June 1, 1533 but this
description is rather lacking in detail too:
She prostrated herself before the High Altar, then, once more on her feet, received the Crown of St Edward, the rod and the sceptre, from the Archbishop of Canterbury. A Te Deum was sung, before Anne returned to preside over the extravagant coronation feast at Westminster Hall.
Like his father, Henry VIII waited until Anne was delivered of a baby who seemed likely to survive (the Princess Elizabeth) before crowning her. The changes that had taken place in England between 1487 and 1533 are remarkable, however, especially in religious practice and context.
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