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St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
St George's Chapel is the place of worship at Windsor Castle in England. It is both a royal peculiar and the chapel of the Order of the Garter.
The chapel is located in the Lower Ward of the castle, which is currently one of the principal residences of Queen Elizabeth II.
The day to day running of the chapel is the responsibility of the religious College of St George, which is directed by a chapter of the dean and four canons, assisted by a clerk and other staffers. The Society of the Friends of St George's and Descendants of the Knights of the Garter, a registered charity, was established in 1931 to assist the College in maintaining the chapel.
The chapel was built from the 15th to 16th centuries at the castle in the Perpendicular Gothic style as an expansion and rededication of the 13th century Chapel of St Edward the Confessor.
The Chapel of St Edward the Confessor was attached to the second of two religious colleges which were founded in 1348 by King Edward III and rededicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, St Edward the Confessor and St George the Martyr. Edward III also built the Aerary Porch in 1353-1354. It was used as the entrance to the new college
St George's Chapel became the Mother Church of the order where a special service is still held every June and is attended by the members of the order. Their heraldic banners hang above the upper stalls of the choir where they have a seat for life.
Much of the chapel was removed to make way for the Lady Chapel, which was then abandoned in favour of building it at Westminster Abbey.
Although others continued work on St George's Chapel, it wasn't vaulted and furnished until the 19th century when Queen Victoria oversaw its refurbishment.
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Members of the order meet at Windsor Castle every June for the annual Garter Service. After lunch in the State Apartments in the Upper Ward of the Castle they process on foot, wearing their robes and insignia, down to St George's Chapel where the service is held. If any new members have been admitted to the Order they are installed at the service. After the service, the members of the order return to the Upper Ward by carriage or car.
The order once enjoyed frequent services at the chapel, but, after becoming infrequent in the 18th century, were discontinued after 1805. The ceremony was revived in 1948 by the Windsor King George VI for the 600th anniversary of the founding of the Order, and has since become an annual event.
After their installation, members are each assigned a stall in the chapel choir above which his or her heraldic devices are displayed.
A member's sword is placed below a helm which is decorated with a mantling and topped by a crest, coronet or crown. Above this, a member's heraldic banner is flown emblazoned with his or her arms. A much smaller piece of brass ("stall plate") is attached to the back of the stall displaying its member's name, arms and date of installation.
On a member's death, the sword, helm, mantling, crest, coronet or crown, and banner are removed. A ceremony marking the death of the late member must be held before the stall can be assigned to anyone else. This ceremony takes place in the chapel, during which the Military Knights of Windsor carry the banner of the deceased member and offer it to the Dean of Windsor, who places it on the altar.
The stall plates, however, are not removed; rather, they remain permanently affixed somewhere about the stall, so the stalls of the chapel are festooned with a colourful record of the members throughout history.
The chapel has been the site of many royal marriages, particularly of the children of Queen Victoria. These marriages include:
- King Edward VII and his wife Queen Alexandra in 1863
- Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein and his wife Princess Helena in 1866
- Princess Louise and her husband the Duke of Argyll in 1871
- Prince Arthur and his wife Princess Louise of Prussia in 1879
- Prince Leopold and his wife Princess Helena of Waldeck in 1882
- Prince Edward and his wife Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999
- Charles, Prince of Wales and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall in 2005
The chapel has been the site of many royal funerals and interments, and is presumed to be the place selected for the burial of Queen Elizabeth II upon her death. Royals interred here include:
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