St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle
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Members of the public outside St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, waiting to watch the Garter Procession |
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
Her Majesty 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.
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St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, left, 1848. |
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 favor 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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King George VI and his wife the Queen Elizabeth, proceed through Windsor Castle to St George's Chapel for the 1948 Garter Service |
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 colorful 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*
The Prince of Wales and his wife
the Duchess of Cornwall in
2005The 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:
Altar
*
King Edward IV in
1483*
King Henry VI (reburial) in
1485*
Queen Elizabeth in
1492*
King Edward VII in
1910*
Queen Alexandra in
1925Choir
*
Queen Jane in
1537*
King Henry VIII in
1547*
King Charles I in
1649Royal Vault
*
Princess Amelia in
1810*
Princess Augusta in
1813*
Princess Charlotte in
1817*
Queen Charlotte in
1818*
Prince Edward in
1820*
King George III in
1820*
Princess Elizabeth in
1821*
Prince Frederick in
1827*
King George IV in
1830*
King William IV in
1837*
Princess Augusta in
1840*
Queen Adelaide in
1849*
King George V of Hanover in
1878*
Prince Leopold in
1884*
Prince Albert in
1892*
Princess Mary in
1897*
Prince Francis in
1900*
Prince Adolphus in
1930*
Princess Augusta in
1930Near West Door
*
King George V in
1936*
Queen Mary in
1953King George VI Memorial Chapel (North Nave Aisle)
*
King George VI in
1952*
Princess Margaret (ashes) in
2002*
Queen Elizabeth in
2002*
List of Knights and Ladies of the Garter*
List of Ladies of the Garter*
Order of the Garter*
The Society of the Friends of St George's and Descendants of the Knights of the Garter*
Windsor Castle*
St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle*
Crests for the Knights of the Garter
