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 took place 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, which had never happened before in a British coronation.

This changed service became a model for future coronations, influencing practices up until the 20th century. James was also the first monarch since the Union of the Crowns not to have a separate coronation in Scotland. He chose not to have a grand procession through London either, breaking a tradition that had lasted since the 14th century. These changes made the coronation of James and Mary an important moment in British history.

Background

King Charles II became the king in 1660 after a big change called the Stuart Restoration. This happened after some serious fights called the English Civil Wars and after the sad event where Charles I was executed. Charles II had trouble 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 decided to create a detailed record of the event, which was written by Francis Sandford and included 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, which was usual in past coronations, 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 in place 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, with the King and Queen walking under canopies carried by important barons. They sang a song wishing the King a long life.

Service

The king entered Westminster Abbey accompanied by the anthem I was glad, based on Psalm 122. This anthem had first been used at the coronation of Charles I in 1626. The service was changed in some ways. The usual Anglican Communion Service was not included, making it the only British coronation without one.

Music played an important role in the ceremony. Many composers contributed to the music, with John Blow leading the organization. The choirs of the Chapel Royal and Westminster Abbey, along 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 even created especially for Queen Mary’s part in the ceremony.

Banquet

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

There was a huge banquet with 1,445 dishes! Some of the food included stags' tongues, roast udders, cold puffins, and caviar. A special tradition was when the King's Champion, Sir Charles Dymock, threw down a gauntlet three times while a man read a challenge to anyone who might question the king's right to rule. 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, a skilled expert from Sweden. The King and Queen watched from a special balcony at Whitehall Palace, and many people gathered to see the show. The fireworks included large pyramids and special figures, with the royal symbols at the top.

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