Coronation of James II and VII and Mary

Coronation of James II and VII and Mary

The coronation of James II and VII and his wife Mary as King and Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland happened on 23 April 1685 at Westminster Abbey. This event was special because both James and Mary were Catholics, even though the Protestant Church of England was the official church.

Because of this, the ceremony was changed to leave out the Anglican Communion Service. This had never happened before in a British coronation.

These changes made the coronation of James and Mary an important moment in British history.

Background

King Charles II became king in 1660 after an important change called the Stuart Restoration. This happened after some big fights known as the English Civil Wars and after the sad time when Charles I died. Charles II had problems with the Parliament of England because of religion. He liked the High Church part of the Church of England, which had some traditions like the Catholic way, but many people in Parliament, called "the Country Party" or later Whigs, were strong Protestant and did not like Catholics. In 1673, Parliament made a law called the Test Act 1673 that anyone in a public job had to promise to follow the Protestant religion. James, who was then the Duke of York and Charles’s brother, refused this promise because he had secretly become Catholic. This caused a big problem called the Exclusion Crisis, when Parliament tried to stop James from becoming king because they were afraid a Catholic king would take too much power and stop people from practicing their Protestant religion. They were also scared because of a made-up story called the Popish Plot. But the king’s supporters, called the Tories, stopped these plans.

When King Charles II became very sick in February 1685, the government got ready for possible trouble. Charles passed away on 6 February. James quickly promised to keep the government the same as it was. The date for the coronation was set for 23 April, which is Saint George's Day. This would be the first time in the Stuart dynasty that there would not be a separate ceremony in Scotland. Charles II, who had also become Catholic before he died, had a quiet funeral a few nights later.

Preparation

A special group was formed to plan the coronation of King James II and Queen Mary. Important people, like the Earl Marshal, helped organize everything. They made a detailed record of the event, written by Francis Sandford with beautiful drawings.

Usually, there would be a big parade through London, but this time it was not planned. Instead, there would be a large fireworks show on the night of the coronation.

The main church service was prepared by the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Sancroft. King James wanted the service to be shorter and to not include a special Christian meal, because he and Queen Mary were Catholics.

The place for the coronation, Westminster Abbey, was prepared with special platforms and seats for everyone attending. The night before the big event, James and Mary had a private ceremony in their own chapel.

Procession

On April 23, the ceremonies began at Westminster Hall. Everyone needed to be ready by 8 am. The King and Queen arrived at 11:30 am after traveling by boat from Whitehall Palace. Important items like the crown jewels were brought to the hall by leaders from Westminster Abbey and given to the right people. The path from the hall to the abbey was covered in blue cloth for 1,220 yards, lined with guards. The procession included special people, clergy, and musicians. The King and Queen walked under canopies carried by important barons. They sang a song wishing the King a long life.

Service

The king walked into Westminster Abbey while the anthem I was glad was played. This anthem was first used at the coronation of Charles I in 1626. The service was different in some ways. The usual Anglican Communion Service was not part of the ceremony.

Music was very important in the ceremony. Many composers helped, with John Blow leading the music. The choirs from the Chapel Royal and Westminster Abbey, with an orchestra, performed during the event. Special anthems and songs were sung at different parts of the ceremony, including when the king and queen were crowned. A new anthem was made just for Queen Mary’s part in the ceremony.

Banquet

After the coronation, there was a big parade back to Westminster Hall. During the parade, the special cloth canopy above the King ripped, and the crown almost fell off his head. People thought this was a bad sign for the future.

There was a huge banquet with many dishes! The King and Queen left at 7 o'clock and decided to wait until the next evening to have the planned fireworks show because they were very tired from the long day. That night, there were bonfires, bells ringing, and people celebrating everywhere in London.

After celebrations

After the coronation, there was a big fireworks show planned by Major Martin Beckman. The King and Queen watched from a special balcony, and many people gathered to see the show. The fireworks had large pyramids and special figures.

In many towns, like Bristol, Manchester, and Norwich, people celebrated with feasts, bonfires, and fireworks. These events were organized by local leaders and churches. Many people showed their support for the new King and Queen.