Coronation Rites

by Reginald Maxwell Woolley

There was no Communion service, and after the crowning of the queen three final collects were said and then the Blessing.

Archbishop Sancroft has been much blamed for his handiwork on the coronation rite, and it is certainly much to be regretted that he made so many and unnecessary alterations in the language of the old prayers. On the other hand it is a question whether the rite has not gained by the omission of some of the prayers, for the order as he found it was very conflate, many of the prayers being originally alternatives, which in process of time had become additional prayers in such a way as to cause a great deal of repetition and to make the service unnecessarily long and burdensome.

VI

At the election of William and Mary as King and Queen the rite was once more subjected to revision, and this time by one less fitted for the work than Sancroft, Henry Compton, Bp of London. The Order of William and Mary[87] is practically that which has been handed down to the present day.

There is prefixed to the order a feature unique among English coronation rites, an Order of Morning Prayer to be said on the morning of the coronation because ‘it is fit and congruous, and accordingly the king is to be desired that he will be present at Morning Prayer in Whitehall, and so begin that glorious day with Him by whom kings reign.’ The Order is derived from the Form of Prayer and Thanksgiving authorized by James II for the day of his accession.

Another unique feature in this rite is that by it two joint monarchs were crowned, for both William and Mary were regnant.

The order begins with the anthem I was glad. The Recognition is somewhat apologetic in tone, and in the place of ‘King James the rightful inheritor of this crown’ appears ‘King William and Queen Mary, undoubted King and Queen of this realm.’ The new anthem Blessed art thou, O Lord, is then sung in the place of the old, Let thy hand be strengthened, and the king and queen make their first oblation, after which the Bp of London (acting in the place of Abp Sancroft) says the prayer O God, who dwellest in the high and holy place, and the Litany is sung, with the prayer O God, who providest for thy people in the place of the prayer of St Chrysostom. The Communion service is now begun, the commandments being omitted and the two collects for the king combined into one. After the Creed the sermon is preached, and then the king and queen take the oath. This was altered from the form in which it was taken by James II, and the expression ‘Protestant reformed religion’ makes its first appearance; the petition of the bishops also vanishes at this time. There were also noticeable changes in the consecration; Veni Creator is sung, and then is said the consecration prayer O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, the exalter of the humble and the strength of thy chosen, but without Sursum corda and Preface. There is moreover a great deal of alteration in the prayer itself, which is made to include a blessing of the oil, and has the conclusion of the prayer said before the laying on of hands in the Order of Confirmation. The anthem Zadok the priest is retained. The king and queen were anointed on the crown of the head, breast, and palms of the hands only, the hands being anointed last instead of first as hitherto, the anointing being followed by the prayer Our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and then the anthem Behold, O God, our defender. Certain changes are also made in the forms of investiture; at the investiture of the Sword the prayer Hear our prayers is slightly altered; Receive this kingly sword appears as in the present rite; at the girding Remember him of whom the royal psalmist did prophesy is also slightly changed; there is no mention of any delivery of the Armill; the form with which the Pall and Orb are delivered is much expanded; the investitures with Ring and Verge precede the crowning instead of following it as hitherto, and the form with which the Verge is delivered is much enlarged; at the crowning the prayer O God, the crown of the faithful is more or less unchanged, but that following the crowning, God crown you, is considerably altered. Then comes a new anthem, Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem. At this point is introduced an entirely new feature, the delivery of a copy of the Bible with a form consisting of two parts, Thus saith the Lord of old, etc., and To put you in mind of this rule and that you may follow it, we present you with this book, etc. Then comes the Aaronic blessing, followed by the four benedictions as in the order of James, and the prayer for clergy and nobles. After the Te Deum the king and queen are enthroned, the words ‘Whereof thou art the lawful and undoubted heir by succession from thy forefathers’ being omitted from the form of enthronisation Stand firm and hold fast. After the homage a final anthem is sung, which is really the introit out of place. The Communion service now proceeds, the king and queen offering bread and wine, and the Bp of London, who was celebrant, saying the Secret, Bless, O Lord, we beseech thee, these thy gifts. The king and queen then make the second oblation, the same prayer being used, O God, who dwellest in the high and holy place, as at the first oblation. A proper preface appears again, By whom kings reign and princes rule, etc. Before the blessing three final collects are said, two of them from those in the Communion office, and the other that for the king and royal family used in the corresponding place in the Order of James II.

The most interesting feature about the rite of William and Mary is its position in the Eucharist, a return to the old arrangement of the rite of ‘Egbert,’ which has been preserved at all subsequent coronations.

The recension of William and Mary is that which has been followed up to the present time. There have been certain changes, but none of a far reaching character.