St Stephen's Chapel

Last updated

South-west view of St Stephen's Chapel after 1800 by James Basire Image-taken-from-page-246-of-england-delineated 10999655265 o.jpg
South-west view of St Stephen's Chapel after 1800 by James Basire

St Stephen's Chapel, sometimes called the Royal Chapel of St Stephen, was a chapel completed around 1297 in the old Palace of Westminster. After the death of Henry VIII until 1834, the building served as the chamber of the House of Commons of England and that of Great Britain. It was largely destroyed in the fire of 1834, but the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in the crypt survived.

Contents

The present-day St Stephen's Hall and its porch, which are within the new Palace of Westminster built in the 19th century, stand on exactly the same site and are today accessed through the St Stephen's Entrance, the public entrance of the House of Commons.

History

As a royal chapel

Conjectural restoration of Westminster during the reign of Henry VIII. St Stephen's Chapel in the centre dominates the whole site, with the White Chamber and Painted Chamber on the left and Westminster Hall on the right. Westminster Abbey is in the background. Westminster 16C.jpg
Conjectural restoration of Westminster during the reign of Henry VIII. St Stephen's Chapel in the centre dominates the whole site, with the White Chamber and Painted Chamber on the left and Westminster Hall on the right. Westminster Abbey is in the background.

According to Cooke (1987), King Henry III witnessed the consecration of the Sainte Chapelle in Paris in 1248, and wished to construct a chapel in his principal palace at Westminster to rival it. Work continued for many years under Henry's successors, to be completed around 1297. [2] In the resulting two-storey chapel, the Upper Chapel was used by the Royal Family, and the Lower Chapel, by the Royal Household and courtiers.

Cloister Court, separating the House of Commons from St Stephen's Chapel. Interior Courtyard adjacent St Stephens Chapel British HoP.jpg
Cloister Court, separating the House of Commons from St Stephen's Chapel.

Historical events

Two royal weddings are recorded as having been solemnised in St Stephen's Chapel. On 20 January 1382, King Richard II was married to Anne of Bohemia. The bridegroom was fifteen, the bride sixteen. [3] The other marriage occurred on 15 January 1478, between the younger of the two Princes in the Tower, Richard, Duke of York, and Anne Mowbray. [4] Being five years old, she was close to a year older than Richard. At the age of eight, Anne died. Her coffin was discovered in a vault in Stepney in 1964, and her remains reinterred in Westminster Abbey. [4] The body of Richard's father, King Edward IV, who died at the Palace of Westminster on 9 April 1483, was conveyed to St Stephen's Chapel the next day, and lay in state there for eight days before his interment at St George's Chapel, Windsor. [5]

Thomas Cranmer was consecrated in St Stephen's Chapel as Archbishop of Canterbury on 30 March 1533. [6] After the death of King Henry VIII the Palace of Westminster ceased to be a royal residence. Henry's son, King Edward VI, instituted the Abolition of Chantries Acts, 1545 and 1547, and St Stephen's Chapel thus became available for use as the debating chamber of the House of Commons. [7] Oliver Cromwell had the crypt whitewashed and used it to stable his horses. [8]

On the night before the 1911 census, women's suffragist Emily Davison spent the night in a broom cupboard in the back of the crypt in order to be able to give her address as the House of Commons, despite not being allowed to stand for Parliament or vote. [9] A plaque was unofficially placed in the cupboard to commemorate this in around 1991 by the late Tony Benn MP. He put the plaque in place with his own hands and proudly showed it to visitors. He later installed a second plaque for a purpose which is now lost but the Palace authorities required him to remove it. The screw holes are still visible.

As the House of Commons chamber

St Stephen's Chapel hosting a session of the House of Commons in 1710 Commons In Session.jpg
St Stephen's Chapel hosting a session of the House of Commons in 1710

The former chapel's layout and functionality influenced the positioning of furniture and the seating of Members of Parliament in the Commons. The Speaker's chair was placed on the altar steps – arguably the origin of the tradition of members bowing to the Speaker, as they would formerly have done to the altar. Where the lectern had once been, the Table of the House was installed. The members sat facing one another in the medieval choir stalls, creating the adversarial seating plan that persists in the chamber of the Commons to this day. The old choir screen, with its two side-by-side entrances, was also retained and formed the basis of the modern voting system for parliamentarians, with "aye" voters passing through the right-hand door and "no" voters passing through the left-hand one. [10]

A detail from John Rocque's 1746 map of London. St Stephen's Chapel, labelled "H of Comm" (House of Commons), was adjacent to Westminster Hall; the Parliament Chamber--labelled "H of L" (House of Lords)--and the Prince's Chamber were to the far south. The Court of Requests, between the two Houses, would become the new home of the Lords in 1801. John Roque map detail, Palace of Westminster.jpg
A detail from John Rocque's 1746 map of London. St Stephen's Chapel, labelled "H of Comm" (House of Commons), was adjacent to Westminster Hall; the Parliament Chamber—labelled "H of L" (House of Lords)—and the Prince's Chamber were to the far south. The Court of Requests, between the two Houses, would become the new home of the Lords in 1801.

In order to suit the needs of the House of Commons, various changes to the chapel's original Gothic form were made by various architects between 1547 and 1834. Initial changes during the late 16th century were relatively minor; the original chapel furnishings were replaced, the interior whitewashed and the stained-glass windows replaced with plain glass. More drastic alterations were undertaken by Christopher Wren in the 1690s. During that work the building was significantly reduced in height with the removal of the clerestory and vaulted ceiling while the great medieval windows were walled up, with smaller windows cut into the new stonework. Inside, the walls were reduced in thickness to accommodate extra seating and the addition of upper-level male-only public galleries along both sides of the chamber, and the remains of the medieval interior were concealed behind wainscoting and oak panelling. A false ceiling was installed in the chamber to help to improve its acoustics, the quality of which was important in an age without artificial amplification. The newly created attic space above the ceiling housed a ventilation lantern and was used as the ladies' gallery, although the view down into the chamber beneath through the lantern was severely restricted. More seating was later added for the extra members brought in by the Acts of Union with Scotland (1707) and Ireland (1800). By the 19th century, the chapel's interior had a very bland and modest look in contrast to its former medieval magnificence. [11] Further alterations were made to the exterior by James Wyatt at the end of the 18th century.

Fire and reconstruction

The fire of 1834 totally destroyed the main body of the chapel, with the crypt below, and the adjoining cloisters, barely surviving. Among the few furnishings rescued from the flames was the Table of the House, which is now kept in the Speaker's apartments at the palace. Although it was demolished shortly after the fire, the surviving stone shell of the chapel, with all its later additions burned away, attracted many visitors and antiquaries who came to view the original medieval decorations which had become visible once again. The historical importance of the chapel was realised in the design of the new palace in the form of St Stephen's Hall, the lavishly decorated main public entrance hall built on the same floor plan as the old chapel, with the position of the Speaker's chair marked out on the floor. [12]

The crypt below St Stephen's Hall, the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft, which had fallen into disuse some time before the fire and had seen a number of uses, was restored, and returned to its original use as a place of worship. It is still used for this purpose today. Children of peers, who possess the style of "The Honourable", have the privilege of being able to use it as a wedding venue. Members of Parliament and peers have the right to use the chapel as a place of christening. [13]

The body of Margaret Thatcher was kept in St Mary Undercroft on the night before her funeral on 17 April 2013. [14]

Further reading

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palace of Westminster</span> Meeting place of the Parliament of the United Kingdom

The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is located in London, England. It is commonly called the Houses of Parliament after the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two legislative chambers which occupy the building. The palace is one of the centres of political life in the United Kingdom; "Westminster" has become a metonym for the UK Parliament and the British Government, and the Westminster system of government commemorates the name of the palace. The Elizabeth Tower of the palace, nicknamed Big Ben, is a landmark of London and the United Kingdom in general. The palace has been a Grade I listed building since 1970 and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westminster Abbey</span> Church in London, England

Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British monarchs and a burial site for 18 English, Scottish, and British monarchs. At least 16 royal weddings have taken place at the abbey since 1100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Barry</span> British architect (1795–1860)

Sir Charles BarryFRS RA was a British architect, best known for his role in the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster in London during the mid-19th century, but also responsible for numerous other buildings and gardens. He is known for his major contribution to the use of Italianate architecture in Britain, especially the use of the Palazzo as basis for the design of country houses, city mansions and public buildings. He also developed the Italian Renaissance garden style for the many gardens he designed around country houses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portcullis</span> Heavy vertically-closing gate typically found in medieval fortifications

A portcullis is a heavy, vertically closing gate typically found in medieval fortifications, consisting of a latticed grille made of wood and/or metal, which slides down grooves inset within each jamb of the gateway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliamentary Estate</span> Location in England

The Parliamentary Estate is the land and buildings used by the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burning of Parliament</span> 1834 destruction of the Houses of Parliament, London

The Palace of Westminster, the medieval royal palace used as the home of the British parliament, was largely destroyed by fire on 16 October 1834. The blaze was caused by the burning of small wooden tally sticks which had been used as part of the accounting procedures of the Exchequer until 1826. The sticks were disposed of carelessly in the two furnaces under the House of Lords, which caused a chimney fire in the two flues that ran under the floor of the Lords' chamber and up through the walls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lambeth Palace</span> Archbishop of Canterburys London residence

Lambeth Palace is the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury. It is situated in north Lambeth, London, on the south bank of the River Thames, 400 yards south-east of the Palace of Westminster, which houses Parliament, on the opposite bank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palace of Whitehall</span> English royal residence in London (1530–1698)

The Palace of Whitehall – also spelled White Hall – at Westminster was the main residence of the English monarchs from 1530 until 1698, when most of its structures, with the notable exception of Inigo Jones's Banqueting House of 1622, were destroyed by fire. Henry VIII moved the royal residence to White Hall after the old royal apartments at the nearby Palace of Westminster were themselves destroyed by fire. Although the Whitehall palace has not survived, the area where it was located is still called Whitehall and has remained a centre of the British government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St James's Palace</span> Royal palace in London, England

St James's Palace is the most senior royal palace in London, the capital of the United Kingdom. The palace gives its name to the Court of St James's, which is the monarch's royal court, and is located in the City of Westminster in London. Although no longer the principal residence of the monarch, it is the ceremonial meeting place of the Accession Council, the office of the Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps, and the London residence of several members of the royal family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Margaret's, Westminster</span> 12th-century church in London, England

The Church of St Margaret, Westminster Abbey is in the grounds of Westminster Abbey on Parliament Square, London, England. It is dedicated to Margaret of Antioch, and forms part of a single World Heritage Site with the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Undercroft</span> Cellar or storage room

An undercroft is traditionally a cellar or storage room, often brick-lined and vaulted, and used for storage in buildings since medieval times. In modern usage, an undercroft is generally a ground (street-level) area which is relatively open to the sides, but covered by the building above.

A royal peculiar is a Church of England parish or church exempt from the jurisdiction of the diocese and the province in which it lies, and subject to the direct jurisdiction of the monarch.

Sir John Say was an English courtier, MP and Speaker of the House of Commons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Painted Chamber</span> Part of the medieval Palace of Westminster, London, England

The Painted Chamber was part of the medieval Palace of Westminster. It was gutted by fire in 1834, and has been described as "perhaps the greatest artistic treasure lost in the fire". The room was re-roofed and re-furnished to be used temporarily by the House of Lords until 1847, and it was demolished in 1851.

Events from the 1530s in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Palace Yard</span>

Old Palace Yard is a paved open space in the City of Westminster in Central London, England. It lies between the Palace of Westminster to its north and east and Westminster Abbey to its west. It is known as the site of executions, including those of Sir Walter Raleigh, Guy Fawkes and other conspirators of the Gunpowder Plot, and James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton, following the Battle of Preston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary Undercroft</span> Church in London, England

The Chapel of St Mary Undercroft is a Church of England chapel located in the Palace of Westminster, London, England. The chapel is accessed via a flight of stairs in the south east corner of Westminster Hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Speaker's House</span> Residence of UK House of Commons Speaker

Speaker's House is the official residence of the Speaker of the House of Commons, the lower house and primary chamber of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is located in the Palace of Westminster in London. It was originally located next to St Stephen's Chapel and was rebuilt and enlarged by James Wyatt in the early 19th century. After the burning of Parliament in 1834 it was rebuilt by Charles Barry as part of the new Palace of Westminster in the Perpendicular Gothic Revival style. It is located at the northeast corner of the palace and is used for official functions and meetings. Each day, prior to the sitting of the House of Commons, the Speaker and other officials walk in procession from the apartments to the House of Commons Chamber.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Chamber</span> Demolished hall in Westminster, United Kingdom

The White Chamber was part of the medieval Palace of Westminster. Originally a dining hall, and then the location for the Court of Requests, it was the meeting place of the House of Lords from 1801 until it was gutted by fire in 1834. Re-roofed, it was the temporary home of the House of Commons until 1851, when it was pulled down for the building of the new Palace of Westminster.

The history of the Palace of Westminster began in the Middle Ages – in the early eighth century – when there was an Anglo-Saxon church dedicated to St. Peter the Apostle which became known as the West Minster. In the tenth century the church became a Benedictine abbey and was adopted as a royal church, which subsequently became a royal palace in the 11th century.

References

  1. ↑ The bird's-eye view by H. J. Brewer was published in The Builder in 1884, according to www.parliament.uk.
  2. ↑ John Steane, The Archaeology of Medieval England and Wales (1985, ISBN   0709923856), p. 7
  3. ↑ Anne of Bohemia Archived 20 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine , Reformation Society website. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
  4. 1 2 Anne Mowbray, Duchess of York from Westminster Abbey website. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
  5. ↑ "1483-The Year of Three Kings" Archived 17 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved 11 July 2011.
  6. ↑ Stephen Taylor, From Cranmer to Davidson: A Church of England Miscellany (1999, ISBN   0851157424), p. 3
  7. ↑ Kenneth R. Mackenzie, Parliament (1962), p. 29
  8. ↑ The gentleman's magazine and historical chronicle, vol. 80, Part 1 (1810), p. 4
  9. ↑ William Kent, An Encyclopaedia of London (1951), p. 639
  10. ↑ Kim Dovey, Framing Places: Mediting Power in Built Form (1999), p. 87
  11. ↑ Anthony Emery, Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales, 1300–1500, vol. 3 (2006), p. 256
  12. ↑ J. N. Spellen, The Inner Life of the House of Commons (1854), p. 6
  13. ↑ Emma Crewe, Lords of Parliament: Manners, Rituals and Politics (2005, ISBN   0719072077), p. 97
  14. ↑ BBC News 16-4-13

51°29′58″N0°07′31″W / 51.4994°N 0.1252°W / 51.4994; -0.1252

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.