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Medieval Sourcebook:
Roger of Hoveden:
The Order of Coronation of Richard I, 1189
First came the bishops, abbots, and large numbers of the clergy,
wearing silken hoods, preceded by the cross, taper-bearers, censers,
and holy water, as far as the door of the king's inner chamber;
where they received the before-named duke, and escorted him to
the church of Westminster, as far as the high altar, in solemn
procession, with chaunts of praise, while all the way along which
they went, from the door of the king's chamber to the altar, was
covered with woollen cloth. The order of the procession was as
follows: First came the clergy in their robes, carrying holy water,
and the cross, tapers, and censers. Next came the priors, then
the abbots, and then the bishops, in the midst of whom walked
four barons, bearing four candlesticks of gold; after whom came
Godfrey de Lucy, bearing the king's cap [of maintenance], and
John Marshal by him, carrying two great and massive spurs
of gold. After these came William Marshal, earl of Striguil, bearing
the royal sceptre of gold, on the top of which was a cross of
gold, and by him William Fitz-Patrick, Earl of Salisbury, bearing
a rod of gold, having on its top a dove of gold. After them came
David, earl of Huntingdon, brother of the king of Scotland, John,
earl of Mortaigne, the duke's brother, and Robert, earl of Leicester,
carrying three golden swords from the king's treasury, the scabbards
of which were worked all over with gold; the earl of Mortaigne
walking in the middle. Next came six earls and six barons, carrying
on their shoulders a very large chequer, upon which were placed
the royal arms and robes; and after them William de Mandeville,
earl of Aumarle, carrying a great and massive crown of gold, decorated
on every side with precious stones. Next came Richard, duke of
Normandy, Hugh, bishop of Durham, walking at his right hand, and
lteginald, bishop of Bath, at his left, and four barons holding
over them a canopy of silk on four lofty spears. Then followed
a great number of earls, barons, knights, and others, both clergy
and laity, as far as the porch of the church, and dressed in their
robes, entered with the duke, and proceeded as far as the choir.
When the duke had come to the altar, in presence of the archbishops,
bishops, clergy, and people, kneeling before the altar, with the
holy Evangelists placed before him, and many relics of the saints,
according to custom, he swore that he would all the days of his
life observe peace, honor, and reverence towards God, the Holy
Church, and its ordinances. He also swore that he would exercise
true justice and equity towards the people committed to his charge.
He also swore that he would abrogate bad laws and -unjust customs,
if any such had been introduced into his kingdom, and would enact
good laws, and observe the same without fraud or evil intent.
After this they took off all his clothes from the waist upwards,
except his shirt and breeches; his shirt having been previously
separated over the shoulders; after which they shod him with sandals
embroidered with gold. Then Baldwin, archbishop of Canterbury,
Pouring holy oil upon his head, anointed him king in three places,
on his head, breast, and arms, which signifies glory, valour,
and knowledge, with suitable prayers for the occasion; after which
the said archbishop placed a consecrated linen cloth on his head,
and upon that the cap which Geoffrey de Lucy had carried. They
then clothed him in the royal robes, first a tunic, and then a
dalmatic ; after which the said archbishop delivered to him the
sword of rule, with which to crush evildoers against the Church:
this done, two earls placed the spurs upon his feet, which John
Marshal had carried. After this being robed in a mantle, he was
led to the altar, where the said archbishop forbade him, in the
name of Almighty God, to presume to take upon him this dignity,
unless he had the full intention inviolably to observe the oaths
and vows before mentioned which he had made ; to which he made
answer that, with God's assistance, he would without reservation
observe them all. After this, he himself took the crown from the
altar and gave it to the archbishop; on which, the archbishop
delivered it to him, and placed it upon his head, it being supported
by two earls in conseqaence of its extreme weight. After this,
the archbishop delivered to him the sceptre to hold in his right
hand, while he held the rod of royalty in his left; and, having
been thus crowned, the king was led back to his seat by the before-named
bishops of Durham and Bath, preceded by the taper-bearers and
the three swords before-mentioned. After this, the mass of our
Lord was commenced, and, when they came to the offertory, the
before-named bishops led him to the altar, where he offered one
mark of the purest gold, such being the proper offering for the
king at each coronation; after which, the bishops before-named
led him back to his seat. The mass having been concluded, and
all things solemnly performed, the two bishops before-named, one
on the right hand the other on the left, led him back from the
church to his chamber, crowned, and carrying a sceptre in his
right hand and the the rod of royalty in his left, the procession
going in the same order as before. Then the procession returned
to the choir, and our lord the king put off his royal crown and
robes of royalty, and put on a crown and robes that were lighter;
and, thus crowned, went to dine; on which the archbishops and
bishops took their seats with him at the table, each according
to his rank and dignity. The earls and barons also served in the
king's palace, according to their several dignities; while the
citizens of London served in the cellars, and the citizens of
Winchester in the kitchen.
From Roger of Hoveden: The Annals, comprising The History of
England and of Other Countries of Europe from AD 732 to AD 1201,
trans. Henry T. Riley, 2 Vols. (London: H.G. Bohn, 1853; rep.
New York AMS, 1968), Vol 2, pp. 117-19
This text is part of the Internet Medieval Source Book.
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© Paul Halsall July 1997
halsall@murray.fordham.edu
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