The Children's Story of Westminster Abbey

by G. E. Troutbeck

CHAPTER X
THE WAX EFFIGIES

... “We are such stuff

As dreams are made on, and our little life

Is rounded with a sleep.”

Shakspeare (The Tempest).

Before speaking of the other parts of the Abbey buildings we must not forget the little Islip Chantry, or upper part of Abbot Islip’s beautiful chapel in the North Ambulatory. In this Chantry are the presses which contain the celebrated wax effigies of which we so often hear.

In olden times it used to be the custom to carry effigies in the funeral processions of sovereigns and of other important personages, and to leave these effigies standing beside the grave for a month or more after the funeral. This custom succeeded to the yet older one of carrying the dead body of the sovereign with its face exposed, in order to show that the sovereign was really dead, and that there had been no foul play. In those days, unfortunately, foul play was not very uncommon, as we see in the case of Edward II and Richard II.

The oldest effigies were not made of wax, but of wood, and they had heads, hands, and feet made of plaster. The effigy of Henry V was made of boiled leather, or, as an old description says: “boyled hides.” In later days people learned to make effigies in wax, and some of them were no doubt very good portraits. There are eleven of these wax effigies still shown in the Islip Chantry.

The oldest which now remains is that of Charles II, which stood for a long time beside his grave in Henry VII’s Chapel. The face is just like the pictures we see of Charles II. He wears the blue and red velvet robes of a Knight of the Garter, with collar and ruffles of real, and very beautiful, point lace. The effigy of Queen Elizabeth is a Restoration, and no doubt a copy of the original, which had got quite worn out by 1708. Some people think the head may really be that of the first effigy. The face is very sad and worn, and looks as if Queen Elizabeth had been very unhappy in her old age. We recognise the familiar Elizabethan dress, the ruff, the high-heeled shoes, the pointed bodice and wide skirts.