Royal Traditions in Great Britain

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Review

Term paper consists of 42 pages, 6 illustrations, 16 sources of information, and 6 appendixes.

Descriptive information: royal, traditions, wedding, monarch, conoration, investiture, the Queen, ceremony, Britain, Trooping the Colour, Parliament.

This work is devoted to royal ceremonies and events in Britain. Every nation and every country has its own traditions and customs. Traditions make a nation special. Some of them are old-fashioned and many people remember them, others are part of people's life. We cannot really imagine Britain without all its traditions, this integral feature of social and private life of the people living on the British Isles that has always been an important part of their life and work.

The object of this work is Royal ceremonies and British royal traditions; the subject is the Royal traditions of London.

The purpose of this work is to study the main aspects of Royal traditions of London. royal queen event ceremony

The purpose of this study determined the following objectives:

1) to study the main traditions of the royal family and their history;

2) to describe main aspects of carrying events and ceremonies;

3) to study the influence of traditions on the life Londoners and tourists.

In this work we have studied different royal ceremonies, events and traditions, their origin and procedure. According to the objectives of the work we've explored various resources and material on the theme of royal traditions in London.

The results of this research are:

1) the main traditions of the Royal family have been studied;

2) the main royal ceremonies have been described;

3) the main sources that mention the major events and ceremonies of the royal family have been studied.

So after this research we can say that British people are the nation with rich history, customs and traditions. All of them are carefully and respectfully observed day by day. To know the history of them is extremely important for understanding national way of life. This work has great significance for studying Great Britain and can be useful for every person studying English and for tourists who are interested in visiting different countries.

Content

Introduction

1. Royal Ceremonies

1.1 Royal Wedding

1.1.1 Royal Wedding Rules

1.2 Coronation of the British monarch

1.2.1 The timing of the coronation

1.2.2 The procedure of coronation

1.3 State funerals in the United Kingdom

1.4 Investiture of the Prince of Wales

1.5 The Queen's Christmas Speech

2. British Royal Traditions

2.1 Trooping the Colour

2.2 Changing of the Guard

2.3 State Opening of Parliament

2.4 The Queen's Maundy Money

2.5 Swan Upping

Conclusion

Bibliography

Appendix A

Appendix B

Appendix C

Appendix D

Appendix E

Appendix F

Introduction

This work is devoted to royal ceremonies and events in Britain. Every nation and every country has its own traditions and customs. Traditions make a nation special. Some of them are old-fashioned and many people remember them, others are part of people's life.

So many countries so many customs, an English proverb says. The combination of the words tradition and custom means a usual manner of doing something, a belief of principal, of conduct passed on from generation to generation. You cannot really imagine Britain without all its traditions, this integral feature of social and private life of the people living on the British Isles that has always been an important part of their life and work.

The object of this work is Royal ceremonies and British royal traditions, the subject is the Royal traditions of London.

The purpose of this work is to study the main aspects of Royal traditions of London.

The purpose of this study determined the following objectives:

1) to study the main traditions of the royal family and their history;

2) to describe main aspects of carrying events and ceremonies;

3) to study the influence of traditions on the life Londoners and tourists.

English traditions can be subdivided into the traditions dealing with private life of the English national and religious holidays, public celebrations, traditional ceremonies and traditional sporting events. A great number of customs and traditions date back to the early days of Great Britain and we can justly say that they are the reflection of the country's history and the people's psychology. To know the customs and traditions means to understand the people, their art and culture better. In the matter of holidays the British are less well off than other Europeans. They have such holidays celebrated: New Years Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Day, Spring Bank Holiday, Summer Bank Holiday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

The British have many traditions, manners and customs of which they can be proud. England has preserved its old ceremonies and traditions to a greater extent than any other country in the world. Most of these traditions have been kept up without interruption since the thirteenth century. Foreigners coming to England are impressed by a great number of ceremonies which seem to be incompatible with the modern traffic and technical conditions of a highly developed country. Some British customs and traditions are famous all over the world. Bowler hats, tea and talking about the weather, for example.

From Scotland to Cornwall, Britain is full of customs and traditions. A lot of them have very long histories. Some are funny and some are strange. But they're all interesting. There are all the traditions of British sport and music. There's the long menu of traditional British food. There are many royal occasions. There are songs, sayings and superstitions. They are all part of the British way of life [1, p. 10].

But it's extremely important to know the history of royal traditions, to understand their meaning. There are numerous royal traditions in Britain, some are ancient, others are modern.

Royal events and ceremonies hold a powerful fascination. Occasions such as the State Opening of Parliament, Trooping the Colour and Garter Day are some of the most colourful and exciting events of the year. These official occasions are full of symbolism, tradition and meaning, and an integral part of The Queen's role as Head of State.

1. Royal Ceremonies

1.1 Royal Wedding

Since the arrival of television, Royal weddings have attracted enormous public attention, with millions of people all over the world watching in addition to the invited guests.

In contrast, the marriage of the future King George V to Princess May of Teck (later Queen Mary) in 1893 in the Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace, was a quiet affair: the chapel seats only 100.

Various venues have been used for Royal weddings over the last century. Since 1904, most members of the Royal Family have chosen to be married in London.

The Chapel Royal in St. James's Palace was a popular setting for marriage during the reign of Queen Victoria. She married her husband, Prince Albert, in the Chapel Royal on 10 February 1840. Their eldest daughter, Victoria, was also married there in 1858.Westminster Abbey became a popular venue for Royal weddings when Princess Patricia of Connaught chose it for her marriage to the Honourable Alexander Ramsay in 1919. It was the first time for 650 years that the Abbey had been used for a Royal wedding.

Westminster Abbey was also chosen for the marriage of King George V's daughter (Mary, Princess Royal) to Viscount Lascelles (later Earl of Harewood) in February 1922.

It was later the setting for the weddings of two of the King's sons: Prince Albert, Duke of York (later King George VI) to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (later Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother) in April 1923, and Prince George, Duke of Kent, to Princess Marina of Greece in November 1934.

Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, was due to marry Lady Alice Montagu-Douglas-Scott in Westminster Abbey. Because of the sudden death of the bride's father, the Duke of Buccleuch, they were married instead in the private chapel at Buckingham Palace in November 1935.

Westminster Abbey was also the scene of the weddings of The Queen (as Princess Elizabeth) and The Duke of Edinburgh on 20 November 1947; Princess Margaret and Mr. Antony Armstrong-Jones (later Earl of Snowdon) on 6 May 1960; Princess Alexandra and the Hon. Angus Ogilvy (later Sir Angus) on 24 April 1963; Princess Anne (now The Princess Royal) and Captain Mark Phillips on 14 November 1973; and Prince Andrew (now The Duke of York) and Miss Sarah Ferguson on 23 July 1986.

The Prince of Wales, by contrast, married Lady Diana Spencer in St. Paul's Cathedral on 29 July 1981.

During the nineteenth century, St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, was a popular venue for Royal weddings. Probably the grandest wedding to take place in the chapel was in 1863, when The Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) and Princess Alexandra of Denmark (later Queen Alexandra) were married there.

The ceremony was witnessed by Queen Victoria from the Catherine of Aragon closet, as she was in mourning for her husband, Prince Albert.

Many of Queen Victoria's other children also married in St. George's Chapel, including Princess Helena, Princess Louise, Prince Arthur and Prince Leopold.

More recently, Prince Edward (now The Earl of Wessex) married Miss Sophie Rhys-Jones in St. George's Chapel on 19 June 1999 in a traditional service attended by 560 guests.

The marriage of The Prince of Wales to Mrs. Camilla Parker Bowles was dedicated in St. George's Chapel following a civil ceremony in Windsor's Guildhall on 9 April 2005.

Most Royal marriages are solemnized by the Archbishop of Canterbury, with carriage processions taking the Royal couple and members of the Royal Family to and from the marriage venue.

During a Royal wedding, the Royal Family traditionally sits on the right-hand side of the church, with the guests of the bridegroom, if he is not a member of the Royal Family, on the left [2, p.24].

If the bridegroom is a member of the Royal Family, he has a supporter (for example, Prince Edward to The Duke of York) or supporters (for example, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward to The Prince of Wales), instead of a best man. A non-Royal bridegroom marrying a Royal bride does have a best man.

Not all Royal marriages have taken place in London. The Duke of Kent married Miss Katharine Worsley in 1961 in York Minster.

In 1992 The Princess Royal married Commander Timothy Laurence, Royal Navy (now Vice Admiral Laurence), at a private ceremony at Crathie Church, near Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

The wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton took place on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London. Prince William, second in the line of succession to Queen Elizabeth II, first met Catherine Middleton in 2001, when both were studying at the University of St Andrews. Their engagement on 20 October 2010 was announced on 16 November 2010.

The build-up to the wedding and the occasion itself attracted much media attention, with the service being broadcast live around the world, and being compared and contrasted in many ways with the 1981 marriage of William's parents, Charles, Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales. Estimates of the global audience for the wedding range from 300 million to two billion people, whilst 24.5 million watched the event live in the United Kingdom.

Much of the attention focused on Kate Middleton's status as a commoner (i.e. not a part of the aristocracy) marrying into royalty. Hours before the service, the Queen conferred the titles Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn, and Baron Carrickfergus upon William. Upon her marriage, Middleton therefore became Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge [appendix A].

As Prince William was not the heir apparent to the throne, the wedding was not a full state occasion and many details were left to the couple to decide, such as much of the guest list of about 1,900. It was a public holiday in the United Kingdom and featured many ceremonial aspects, including use of the state carriages and roles for the Foot Guards and Household Cavalry. It was attended by most of the Royal Family, as well as many foreign royals, diplomats, and the couple's chosen personal guests.

Thus, a royal wedding is a marriage ceremony involving members of a royal family. Weddings involving senior members of the royal family are often seen as important occasions of state and attract significant national and international attention.

1.1.1 Royal wedding rules

Now it's necessary to mention the most important royal wedding rules which are observed nowadays. These are some of the advice being offered to those attending Britain's April 29 royal wedding.

St. James's Palace says the guest list is an eclectic mix of European royalty, military personnel, charity workers, diplomats and friends of Prince William and fiancйe Kate Middleton. Some invitees will have been born into families that teach children to curtsey as soon as they can walk, but others may need a bit of help navigating the etiquette and protocol that such an important day demands.

Anyone who is invited to the royal wedding will be given detailed instructions on how and when to arrive at Westminster Abbey, where the wedding is being held.

The first rule: Don't be late.

"The queen should be the very last person to arrive at the church before the bride and her attendants," said wedding planner and etiquette adviser Sarah Hayward. "At most weddings, guests are asked to arrive around 20 minutes before the ceremony but the royal wedding will obviously have several important guests and very high levels of security so give yourself plenty of time to get there."

Next, choose an outfit that blends in. Women should wear a dress - not too short, not too skimpy and certainly not white. Most British women will complete the look with a hat or a fascinator - a small feathered or jeweled hairpiece attached to a clip or a comb.

"Never ever do anything to draw too much attention to yourself," says Hayward. "It's the day the bride shines."

Men in the armed forces should wear a military uniform. Male civilians are asked to wear either lounge suits - business suits by another name - or a morning suit, formal attire that includes a long jacket and a vest. A top hat should be carried, not worn, inside the church.

Couples should remember they will be seen together.

"Often you see a husband and wife who look like they are going to two different events," says William Hanson, an expert on protocol who gives lessons around the world on proper behavior. "One person will be in something that looks like pajamas and the other is in black tie. You don't need to be color coordinated but do think about how your outfits look together."

Guests may be asked by security to leave their cell phones outside the Abbey, but if they aren't, they need to make sure a ringing phone is not heard by millions during a service broadcast live around the world.

"The ultimate faux pas would be to have your mobile phone go off in the Abbey, even if you had God Save the Queen' as your ringtone," Hayward said.

Tweeting or updating your Facebook status during the day is also bad manners. "It's a private occasion and it would certainly be an abuse of the invitation to take photos or tweet during the ceremony or any point in the day," said Hanson.

After the morning ceremony at the Abbey, some 600 guests are invited to a reception at Buckingham Palace, where the food and drinks are sure to be amazing. Hanson advises guests to accept the offerings politely - but don't gobble, don't gulp - and for goodness sakes don't get drunk.

"Sip your drink, don't gulp it and always be aware how much alcohol you can tolerate," said Hanson. "Don't embarrass yourself (otherwise) for you can guarantee you will never be invited to this kind of wedding again."

Guests should also watch their body language. Michelle Obama put a friendly hand on Queen Elizabeth II's back during a visit in 2009. The queen didn't seem to mind - she even put her own arm around Mrs. Obama's waist - but guests at the royal wedding should be more distant.

"Never touch the queen. Never initiate conversation with her or any member of the royal family. They will do all that," said Hayward.

British citizens or members of the Commonwealth countries would traditionally curtsey or bow to the queen and her family. The royal family no longer insists that people do so, but most people still do bow or curtsey when meeting the queen.

"Nothing too theatrical," said Hanson. "Men should just bow from the neck - a nod really - and women should do a slight dip with their right foot behind their left foot."

After the wedding ceremony, Middleton will be a full member of the royal family and should be treated in the same manner as her in-laws.

Etiquette rules are designed to make social occasions flow more smoothly and to put everyone at ease. Experts say if a guest is unsure about how to behave, they should just take cues from the people around them.

"Remember that the royal family are masters of coordinating this kind of event," said Hanson. "They know how to deal with people from all sorts of backgrounds, from all around the world, and they know how to help people do the right thing."

Thus, if you are lucky enough to be invited to the Royal Wedding, there are many rules and protocols you will have to follow.

1.2 Coronation of the British monarch

The coronation of the British monarch is a ceremony (specifically, initiation rite) in which the monarch of the United Kingdom is formally crowned and invested with regalia. It corresponds to coronation ceremonies that formerly occurred in other European monarchies, which have currently abandoned coronations in favour of inauguration or enthronement ceremonies.

The coronation usually takes place several months after the death of the previous monarch, as it is considered a joyous occasion that would be inappropriate when mourning still continues. This also gives planners enough time to complete the elaborate arrangements required. For example, Elizabeth II was crowned on 2 June 1953, despite having acceded to the throne on 6 February 1952, the instant her father died. British law states that the throne is not left vacant and the new monarch succeeds the old immediately.

The ceremony is performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the most senior cleric of the Church of England. Other clergy and members of the nobility also have roles; most participants in the ceremony are required to wear ceremonial uniforms or robes. Many other government officials and guests attend, including representatives of foreign countries [4, p. 32].

The essential elements of the coronation have remained largely unchanged for the past thousand years. The sovereign is first presented to, and acclaimed by, the people. He or she then swears an oath to uphold the law and the Church. Following that, the monarch is anointed with oil, crowned, and invested with the regalia, before receiving the homage of his or her subjects.

To sum up, the coronation of the British monarch is a ceremony in which the monarch of the United Kingdom is formally crowned and invested with regalia. It's one of the most important ceremonies of the United Kingdom.

1.2.1 The timing of the coronation

The timing of the coronation has varied throughout British history. The first Norman monarch, William I "The Conqueror", was crowned on the day he became King - 25 December 1066. Most of his successors were crowned within weeks, or even days, of their accession. Edward I was fighting in the Ninth Crusade when he acceded to the throne in 1272; he was crowned soon after his return in 1274. Edward II's coronation, similarly, was delayed by a campaign in Scotland in 1307. Henry VI was only a few months old when he acceded in 1422; he was crowned in 1429, but did not officially assume the reins of government until he was deemed of sufficient age, in 1437. Under the Hanoverian monarchs in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, it was deemed appropriate to extend the waiting period to several months, following a period of mourning for the previous monarch and to allow time for preparation of the ceremony. In the case of every monarch since, and including, George IV, at least one year has passed between accession and coronation, with the exception of George VI, whose predecessor did not die but abdicated. The Coronation date had already been set; planning simply continued with a new monarch.

Since a period of time has often passed between accession and coronation, some monarchs were never crowned. Edward V and Lady Jane Grey were both deposed before they could be crowned, in 1483 and 1553, respectively. Edward VIII also went uncrowned, as he abdicated in 1936 before the end of the customary one-year period between accession and coronation. Under British law, however, a monarch accedes to the throne the moment their predecessor dies, not when they are crowned. i.e. "The King is Dead, Long Live the King."

The Anglo-Saxon monarchs used various locations for their coronations, including Bath, Kingston upon Thames, London, and Winchester. The last Anglo-Saxon monarch, Harold II, was crowned at Westminster Abbey in 1066; the location was preserved for all future coronations. The basic elements of the coronation ceremony have also remained the same for the last thousand years; it was devised in 973 by Dunstan. When London was under the control of the French, Henry III was crowned at Gloucester in 1216; he later chose to have a second coronation at Westminster in 1220. Two hundred years later, Henry VI also had two coronations; as King of England in London in 1429, and as King of France in Paris in 1431.

Following the English Civil War, Oliver Cromwell declined the crown but underwent a coronation in all but name in his second investiture as Lord Protector in 1657.

Coronations may be performed for a person other than the reigning monarch. In 1170, Henry the Young King, heir to the throne, was crowned as a second king of England, subordinate to his father Henry II; such coronations were common practice in medieval France and Germany, but this is only one of two instances of its kind in England (the other being that of Ecgfrith of Mercia in 796, crowned whilst his father, Offa of Mercia, was still alive). More commonly, a king's wife is crowned as queen consort, though the husband of a queen regnant is never crowned. If the king is already married at the time of his coronation, a joint coronation of both king and queen may be performed. The first such coronation was of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine in 1154; seventeen such coronations have been performed, including that of the co-rulers William III and Mary II. The most recent was that of George VI and the former Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1937. If the king married, or remarried, after his coronation, or if his wife were not crowned with him for some other reason, she might be crowned in a separate ceremony. The first such separate coronation of a Queen consort in England was that of Matilda of Flanders in 1068; the last was Anne Boleyn's in 1533. The most recent King to wed post-Coronation, Charles II, did not have a separate coronation for his bride, Catherine of Braganza.

Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953 was televised by the British Broadcasting Corporation. Originally only events as far as the choir screen were to be televised live, with the remainder to be filmed and released later after any mishaps were edited out. This would prevent television viewers from seeing most of the main events of the coronation, including the actual crowning, live. This led to controversy in the press, and even questions in Parliament. The decision was subsequently altered, and the entire ceremony televised, with the exception of the anointing and communion, which had also been excluded from photography at the previous coronation. It was not revealed until 30 years later that the about-face was due to the personal intervention of the Queen. It is estimated that over twenty million individuals viewed the programme in the United Kingdom, an audience unprecedented in television history. The coronation greatly increased public interest in televisions.

Attendees include foreign and Commonwealth dignitaries as well as Britons, some of whom will participate in the ceremony directly. For Elizabeth II's Coronation in 1953, 7,500 guests were squeezed into the Abbey and each person had to make do with a maximum of 18 inches (460 mm) of seating.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, who has precedence over all other clergymen and over all laymen except members of the Royal Family, traditionally officiates at coronations; during his absence, another bishop appointed by the monarch may take his place. There have, however, been several exceptions. William I was crowned by the Archbishop of York, since the Archbishop of Canterbury had been appointed by the Antipope Benedict X, and this appointment was not recognized as valid by the Pope. Edward II was crowned by the Bishop of Winchester because the Archbishop of Canterbury had been exiled by Edward I. Mary I, a Catholic, refused to be crowned by the Protestant Archbishop Cranmer; the coronation was instead performed by the Bishop of Winchester. Finally, when James II was deposed and replaced with William III and Mary II jointly, the Archbishop of Canterbury refused to recognize the new Sovereigns; he had to be replaced by the Bishop of London. Hence, in almost all cases where the Archbishop of Canterbury has failed to participate, his place has been taken by a senior cleric: the Archbishop of York is second in precedence, the Bishop of London third, the Bishop of Durham fourth and the Bishop of Winchester fifth. Elizabeth I was crowned by the Bishop of Carlisle (to whose see is attached no special precedence) because the senior prelates considered her birth illegitimate.

The Great Officers of State traditionally participate during the ceremony. The offices of Lord High Steward and Lord High Constable have not been regularly filled since the 15th and 16th centuries respectively; they are, however, revived for coronation ceremonies. The Lord Great Chamberlain enrobes the Sovereign with the ceremonial vestments, with the aid of the Groom of the Robes and the Master (in the case of a King) or Mistress (in the case of a Queen) of the Robes.

The Barons of the Cinque Ports also participated in the ceremony. Formerly, the Barons were the Members of the House of Commons representing the Cinque Ports of Hastings, New Romney, Hythe, Dover and Sandwich. Reforms in the nineteenth century, however, integrated the Cinque Ports into a regular constituency system applied throughout the nation. At later coronations, Barons were specially designated from among the city councillors for the specific purpose of attending coronations. Originally, the Barons were charged with bearing a ceremonial canopy over the Sovereign. The last time the Barons performed such a task was at the coronation of George IV in 1821. The Barons did not return for the coronations of William IV (who insisted on a simpler, cheaper ceremonial) and Victoria. At coronations since Victoria's, the Barons have attended the ceremony, but they have not carried canopies.

Many landowners and other persons have honorific "duties" or privileges at the coronation. Such rights are determined by a special Court of Claims, over which the Lord High Steward traditionally presided. The first recorded Court of Claims was convened in 1377 for the coronation of Richard II. By the Tudor period, the hereditary post of Lord High Steward had merged with the Crown, and so Henry VIII began the modern tradition of naming a temporary Steward for the coronation only, with separate commissioners to carry out the actual work of the court [10].

In 1952, for example, the Court accepted the claim of the Dean of Westminster to advise the Queen on the proper procedure during the ceremony (for nearly a thousand years he and his predecessor abbots have kept an unpublished Red Book of practices), the claim of the Lord Bishop of Durham and the Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells to walk beside the Queen as she entered and exited the Abbey and to stand on either side of her through the entire coronation ritual, the claim of the Earl of Shrewsbury in his capacity as Lord High Steward of Ireland to carry a white staff, and the claim of the Queen's Scholars of Westminster School to be the first to acclaim the monarch on behalf of the common people (their shouts of "Vivat! Vivat Regina!" were incorporated into an anthem).

Thus, the timing of the coronation has varied throughout British history. But some monarchs were never crowned. It should be noticed that The Anglo-Saxon monarchs used various locations for their coronations, including Bath, Kingston upon Thames, London, and Winchester, and coronations may be performed for a person other than the reigning monarch.

1.2.2 The procedure of coronation

Several participants in the ceremony wear special costumes, uniforms or robes. Peers' robes comprise a full-length crimson velvet coat, and an ermine cape. Rows of sealskin spots on the cape designate the peer's rank; dukes use four rows, marquesses three and a half, earls three, viscounts two and a half, and barons and lords of Parliament two. Royal dukes use six rows of ermine, ermine on the front of the cape and long trains borne by pages. Peeresses' ranks are designated not by sealskin spots, but by the length of their trains and the width of the ermine edging on the same. For duchesses, the trains are two yards (2 m) long, for marchionesses one and three-quarters yards, for countesses one and a half yards, for viscountesses one and a quarter yards, and for baronesses and ladies one yard (1 m). The ermine edgings are five inches (127 mm) in width for duchesses, four inches (102 mm) for marchionesses, three inches (76 mm) for countesses, and two inches for viscountesses, baronesses and ladies. The robes of peers and peeresses are used only during coronations.

Peers wear coronets, as do most members of the Royal Family; such coronets display heraldic emblems based on rank or association to the monarch. The heir-apparent's coronet displays four crosses-pattйe alternating with four fleurs-de-lis, surmounted by an arch. The same style, without the arch, is used for the children and siblings of Sovereigns. The coronets of children of the heir-apparent display four fleurs-de-lis, two crosses-pattйe and two strawberry leaves. A fourth style, including four crosses-pattйe and four strawberry leaves, is used for the children of the sons and brothers of Sovereigns. The aforementioned coronets are borne instead of any coronets based on peerage dignities. The coronets of dukes show eight strawberry leaves, those of marquesses four strawberry leaves alternating with four raised silver balls, those of earls eight strawberry leaves alternating with eight raised silver balls, those of viscounts sixteen silver balls and those of barons six silver balls. Peeresses use the same design, except that they appear on smaller circlets than the peers' coronets.

Aside from kings and queens, the only individuals authorised to wear crowns (as opposed to coronets) are the Kings of Arms, the United Kingdom's senior heraldic officials. Garter, Clarenceaux, and Norroy and Ulster Kings of Arms have heraldic jurisdiction over England, Wales and Northern Ireland; Lord Lyon King of Arms is responsible for Scotland. In addition, there is a King of Arms attached to each of the Order of the Bath, Order of St. Michael and St. George and the Order of the British Empire. These have only a ceremonial role, but are authorised by the statutes of their orders to wear the same crown as Garter at a coronation. The crown of a King of Arms is silver-gilt and consists of sixteen acanthus leaves alternating in height, and inscribed with the words Miserere mei Deus secundum magnam misericordiam tuam (Latin: "Have mercy on me O God according to Thy great mercy", from Psalm 51). The Lord Lyon King of Arms has worn a crown of this style at all coronations since that of George III. Prior to that he wore a replica of the Crown of Scotland. In 2004 a new replica of this crown was created for use by the Lord Lyon at future coronations [15].

Along with persons of nobility, the coronation ceremonies are also attended by a wide range of political figures, including the Prime Minister and all members of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom, all Governors-General and Prime Ministers of the Commonwealth realms, all Governors of British Crown Colonies, as well as the Heads of State of dependent nations. Dignitaries and representatives from other nations are also customarily invited.

The Sovereign enters Westminster Abbey wearing the crimson surcoat and the Robe of State of crimson velvet.

Once the Sovereign takes his or her seat on the Chair of Estate, the Garter Principal King of Arms, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Great Chamberlain, the Lord High Constable and the Earl Marshal go to the east, south, west and north of the Abbey. At each side, the Archbishop calls for the Recognition of the Sovereign, with the words, "Sirs, I here present unto you ..., your undoubted King. Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service, are you willing to do the same?" After the people acclaim the Sovereign at each side, the Archbishop administers an oath to the Sovereign.

Since the Glorious Revolution, the Coronation Oath Act of 1688 has required, among other things, that the Sovereign "Promise and Sweare to Governe the People of this Kingdome of England and the Dominions thereto belonging according to the Statutes in Parliament Agreed on and the Laws and Customs of the same". The oath has been modified without statutory authority; for example, at the Coronation of Elizabeth II, the exchange between the Queen and the Archbishop was as follows:

The Archbishop of Canterbury: "Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the Peoples of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon, and of your Possessions and other Territories to any of them belonging or pertaining, according to their respective laws and customs?"

The Queen: "I solemnly promise so to do."

The Archbishop of Canterbury: "Will you to your power cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be executed in all your judgments?"

The Queen: "I will."

The Archbishop of Canterbury: "Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel? Will you to the utmost of your power maintain in the United Kingdom the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law? Will you maintain and preserve inviolable the settlement of the Church of England, and the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, as by law established in England? And will you preserve unto the Bishops and Clergy of England, and to the Churches there committed to their charge, all such rights and privileges, as by law do or shall appertain to them or any of them?"

The Queen: "All this I promise to do. The things which I have here before promised, I will perform, and keep. So help me God."

The monarch additionally swears an oath to preserve Presbyterian church government in the Church of Scotland. This part of the oath is taken before the coronation.

Once the taking of the oath concludes, an ecclesiastic presents a Bible to the Sovereign, saying "Here is Wisdom; This is the royal Law; These are the lively Oracles of God." The Bible used is a full King James Bible, including the Apocrypha. At Elizabeth II's coronation, the Bible was presented by the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Once the Bible is presented, the Holy Communion is celebrated, but the service is interrupted after the Nicene Creed.

After the Communion service is interrupted, the crimson robe is removed, and the Sovereign proceeds to King Edward's Chair, which has been set in a most prominent position, wearing the anointing gown. (In 1953, King Edward's Chair stood atop a dais of several steps.) This ancient mediaeval chair has a slot in the base into which the Stone of Scone is fitted for the ceremony. Also known as the "stone of destiny", it was used for ancient Scottish coronations until brought to England by Edward I. It has been used for every coronation at Westminster Abbey since. Until 1996 the stone was kept with the chair in Westminster Abbey between coronations, but it was returned that year to Scotland, where it will remain on display in Edinburgh Castle until it is needed for a coronation [3, p. 91].

Once seated in this chair, a canopy is held over the monarch's head for the anointing. The duty of acting as canopy-bearers was performed in recent coronations by four Knights of the Garter. This element of the coronation service is considered sacred and is concealed from public gaze; it was not photographed in 1937 or televised in 1953. The Dean of Westminster pours consecrated oil from an eagle-shaped ampulla into a spoon; the Archbishop of Canterbury then anoints the Sovereign on the hands, head, and heart. The filigreed spoon is the only part of the mediaeval crown jewels which survived the commonwealth. The Archbishop concludes by stating a blessing.

The Sovereign is then enrobed in the colobium sindonis, over which is placed the supertunica.

The Lord Great Chamberlain presents the spurs, which represent chivalry. The Archbishop of Canterbury, assisted by other bishops, then presents the Sword of State to the Sovereign. The Sovereign is then further robed, this time putting the Robe Royal and Stole Royal on top of the supertunica. The Archbishop then delivers several Crown Jewels to the Sovereign. First, he delivers the Orb, a hollow golden sphere set with numerous precious and semi-precious stones. The Orb is surmounted by a cross, representing the rule of Jesus over the world; it is returned to the Altar immediately after being received. Next, the Sovereign receives a ring representing the "marriage" between him or her and the nation. The Sceptre with the Dove (so called because it is surmounted by a dove representing the Holy Spirit) and the Sceptre with the Cross (which incorporates Cullinan I) are delivered to the Sovereign. As the Sovereign holds the two sceptres, the Archbishop of Canterbury places St Edward's Crown on his or her head. All cry "God Save the King [Queen]", placing their coronets and caps on their heads. Cannon are fired from the Tower of London.

The Sovereign is then borne into the Throne. The Archbishops and Bishops swear their fealty, saying "I, N., Archbishop [Bishop] of N., will be faithful and true, and faith and truth will bear unto you, our Sovereign Lord [Lady], King [Queen] of this Realm and Defender of the Faith, and unto your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God." The peers then proceed to pay their homage, saying "I, N., Duke [Marquess, Earl, Viscount, Baron or Lord] of N., do become your liege man of life and limb, and of earthly worship; and faith and truth will I bear unto you, to live and die, against all manner of folks. So help me God." The clergy pay homage together, led by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Next, members of the Royal Family pay homage individually. The peers are led by the premier peers of their rank: the Dukes by the Premier Duke, the Marquesses by the Premier Marquess, and so forth [11].

If there is a Queen Consort, she is crowned in a very simple ceremony immediately before homage is paid. A Queen Regnant's husband, however, is not separately crowned. The Communion ceremony interrupted earlier is resumed and completed.

The Sovereign then exits the Coronation Theatre, entering St Edward's Chapel (also within the Abbey), preceded by the bearers of the Sword of State, the Sword of Spiritual Justice, the Sword of Temporal Justice and the Sword of Mercy (the last has a blunt tip). The Crown and Sceptres worn by the Sovereign, as well as all other regalia, are laid at the Altar; the Sovereign removes the Robe Royal and Stole Royal, exchanges the crimson surcoat for the purple surcoat and is enrobed in the Imperial Robe of purple velvet. He or she then wears the Imperial State Crown and takes into his or her hands the Sceptre with the Cross and the Orb and leaves the chapel while all present sing the National Anthem.

Traditionally, the coronation was immediately followed by a banquet, held in Westminster Hall in the Palace of Westminster (which also serves as the home to the Houses of Parliament). The King's Champion (the office being held by the Dymoke family in connection with the Manor of Scrivelsby) would ride into the hall on horseback, wearing a knight's armour, with the Lord High Constable riding to his right and the Earl Marshal riding to his left. A herald would then proclaim, "If any person, of what degree soever, high or low, shall deny or gainsay our Sovereign Lord ..., King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, son and next heir unto our Sovereign Lord the last King deceased, to be the right heir to the Imperial Crown of this Realm of Great Britain and Ireland, or that he ought not to enjoy the same; here is his Champion, who saith that he lieth, and is a false traitor, being ready in person to combat with him; and in this quarrel will adventure his life against him, on what day soever he shall be appointed."

The King's Champion would then throw down the gauntlet; the ceremony would be repeated at the centre of the hall and at the High Table (where the Sovereign would be seated). The Sovereign would then drink to the Champion from a gold cup, which he would then present to the latter.

The offices of Chief Butler of England, Grand Carver of England and Master Carver of Scotland were also associated with the Coronation Banquet.

Banquets have not been held since the coronation of George IV in 1821. George IV's coronation was the most elaborate in history; his brother and successor William IV eliminated the banquet, and William's desire to eliminate the costly banquet has now apparently become the custom. A banquet was considered in 1902 for Edward VII but his sudden illness put a stop to the plans. In 1953, the dish Coronation Chicken was created for the informal meal served to the guests.

To conclude, a coronation is an occasion for celebration and elaborate pageantry, but it is also a solemn religious event. Time is also needed to organize such a complex ceremony.

1.3 State funerals in the United Kingdom

A state funeral in the United Kingdom consists of a military procession using a gun carriage from the private resting chapel to Westminster Hall, where the body usually lies in state for three days. This is then followed by a funeral service at Westminster Abbey or St. Paul's Cathedral.

Many of the features of a state funeral are shared by other types of funerals - a Royal Ceremonial funeral (for example, that of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother) often has a lying in state and Westminster Abbey service. The real distinction between a state funeral and a ceremonial funeral is that a state funeral requires a motion or vote in Parliament.

However, the visual distinction usually referred to is that in a state funeral, the gun carriage bearing the coffin is drawn by sailors from the Royal Navy rather than horses. This tradition dates from the funeral of Queen Victoria; the horses drawing the gun carriage bolted, and so ratings from the Royal Navy hauled it to the Royal Chapel at Windsor [5].

During the lying in state, the coffin rests on a catafalque in the middle of Westminster Hall. Each corner is guarded by various units of the Sovereign's Bodyguard or the Household Division. However, on some occasions (most notably the funerals of King George V and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother) male members of the Royal Family have mounted the guard, in what has become known as the Vigil of the Princes. For George V, his four sons King Edward VIII, The Duke of York, The Duke of Gloucester and The Duke of Kent stood guard. For the Queen Mother, her grandsons The Prince of Wales, The Duke of York, The Earl of Wessex and Viscount Linley took post.

The honour of a state funeral is usually reserved for the sovereign as head of state and the current or past queen or king consort. However, a few historical military and political leaders have also been honoured with a full state funeral, including Sir Isaac Newton, Lord Nelson, and Sir Winston Churchill.

Thus, a state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honor heads of state or other important people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements of military tradition. Generally, state funerals are held in order to involve the general public in a national day of mourning after the family of the deceased gives consent. A state funeral will often generate mass publicity from both national and global media outlets, such as state funerals undertaken in the United Kingdom.

1.4 Investiture of the Prince of Wales

The Investiture of the Prince of Wales is the ceremony marking the formal creation of the title of Prince of Wales, similar to a coronation. Investiture is not required for Princes of Wales, who are created via Letters patent, and is a formal ceremony only.

The tradition of investing the heir of the English, and subsequently British, monarch with the title of "Prince of Wales" began in 1301, when King Edward I of England, having completed the conquest of Wales, gave the title to his heir, Prince Edward (later King Edward II of England).

Princes of Wales may be invested, but investiture is not necessary to be created Prince of Wales. Peers were also invested, but investitures for peers ceased in 1621, during a time when peerages were being created so frequently that the investiture ceremony became cumbersome. Most investitures for Princes of Wales were held in front of Parliament, but in 1911, the future Edward VIII was invested in Caernarvon Castle in Wales. The present Prince of Wales was also invested there, in 1969 [6, p. 70].

During the reading of the letters patent creating the Prince, the Honours of the Principality of Wales are delivered to the Prince. The coronet of the heir-apparent bears four-crosses pattйe alternating with four fleurs-de-lis, surmounted by a single arch (the Sovereign's crowns are of the same design, but use two arches). A gold rod is also used in the insignia; gold rods were formally used in the investitures of dukes, but survive now in the investitures of Princes of Wales only. Also part of the insignia are a ring, a girdle, a sword and a robe.

It is recorded that Llywelyn the Last had deposited his coronet along with his other regalia with the monks at Cymer Abbey for safekeeping at the start of his final campaign in 1282. He was killed later that year. It was seized and presented to King Edward I of England as a token of the complete annihilation of the independent Welsh state.

Frederick, Prince of Wales later had the Coronet of Frederick, Prince of Wales made at a cost of one hundred and forty pounds and five shillings in 1728. It is unknown whether Frederick ever wore the coronet himself but it was used both by his son, George III and his grandson, George IV when each was Prince of Wales.

Due to age Frederick's coronet was replaced by the Coronet of George, Prince of Wales made for the future George V. At George's own coronation in 1911, the coronet was worn by his son, Edward, the next Prince of Wales.

When the Edward VIII of the United Kingdom went into exile as the Duke of Windsor in 1936, he took with him the Coronet of George, Prince of Wales, a highly controversial - and illegal - act. This coronet had, since 1902, been used by successive Princes of Wales at their investitures, including his own investiture of 1911. The traditional coronet being unavailable, and with the older Coronet of Frederick, Prince of Wales being viewed unusable due to age, the only option was the creation of a new Prince of Wales crown to be used for the investiture of the current Heir Apparent to the throne as Prince of Wales. The Coronet of Charles, Prince of Wales was produced by a committee under Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, then husband of Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon.

Prince Charles was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester by Letters Patent on 26 July 1958, though his actual investiture did not take place until 1 July 1969. The ceremony at Caernarfon has traditionally been associated with the subjugation of Welsh people since the 13th century, when Edward I deposed the last native Prince of Wales, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd. Previous investitures had taken place at various locations, including the Palace of Westminster, the seat of Parliament. The Welsh borough of Swansea was granted city status to mark the occasion. Prince Charles spent ten weeks leading up to his Investiture learning about Welsh culture and language and during the ceremony he gave his replies in both English and Welsh.

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