The thirteenth of December being tuesdaie, the corps of queene
Marie was right honorablie con[vey]ed from hir manor of S. [J]ames, vnto the
abbeie of Westminster. Hir picture was laid on the coffin, apparelled in hir
roiall robes, with a crowne of gold set on the head thereof, after a solemne
manner. In the abbeie was a rich and sumptuous hearse prepared and set vp with
war, and richlie decked with penons, baners and scutchions, of the armes of
England and France, vnder which hearse the corpse rested all that night, and
the next daie it was brought into the new chappell, where king Henrie the
seuenth lieth, and was interred there in the chappell on the north side.[1]
Her marriage to the Spanish King Philip II and the loss of
the key channel island of Calais to the French did not ingratiate her with her
subjects either.
Nevertheless, Elizabeth, her successor, saw the necessity of
permitting her a truly royal funeral. It was going to be the great challenge of
her reign to move away from Catholicism with the least possible violence. In
the words of John Strype, “She was buried with a pomp suitable to her princely
quality, by special order of the Queen her sister, and her Council”.[2]
While Strype was every bit as dedicated to Protestantism, he
saw fit to give a fuller description of the
preparations and the events of the day. Since soon after her death, her body
had been removed from her privy chambers, at the Royal Palace of St. James, to
her chapel there for private viewing.
On the 10th, the deceased Queen was brought out of her chapel,
with all the heralds, many lords and ladies, gentlemen and gentlewomen, and all
her officers and servants in black.
On the 10th it was removed probably in order to
prepare it for burial. Her body lay overnight on the 12th in the
royal chariot that served as hearse until the funeral procession.
When the day was come, after this manner were her funerals
performed. Her corpse was brought from St. James's where she died, in a
chariot, with a[n effigy] resembling her person, adorned with crimson velvet,
her crown on her head, and her sceptre in her hand, and many good rings on her
fingers.
From there a “great company” of mourners proceeded ahead of
it to Westminster Abbey.
And so up the highway went the foremost standard, with the
falcon and the hart. Then came great company of mourners. And after, another
goodly standard of the lion and the falcon, followed by King Philip her
husband's servants, two and two together, in black gowns; heralds riding to and
fro to see all go in order. After, came the third standard with the white
greyhound and the falcon. Then came gentlemen in gowns, mourners. Then came
riding esquires, bearing banners of arms. Next came the lord Marquis of Winchester,
on horseback, bearing the banner of the arms of England, embroidered with gold.
Then Mr. Chester, the herald, bearing the helm and the crest and mantles. Then Mr.
Norroy bearing the target, with the garter and the crown. Then Mr. Clarencieux,
bearing the sword. And after, Mr. Garter bearing her coat armour: all on
horseback. Banners were borne about her by lords and knights, with four heralds
on horseback, bearing four white banners of saints, wrought with fine gold,
viz. Mr. Somerset, Mr. Lancaster, Mr. Windsor and Mr. York. Then came the
corpse with her picture lying over her, covered with cloth of gold, the cross
silver. Then followed Mr. with the chief mourners. And then ladies riding, all
in black trailed to the ground. In the chariot, wherein the Queen lay, rode the
pages of honour with banners in their hands. Afore the corpse, her chapel, and
after, all the monks, and after them the bishops in order. And all in this
equipage passed by Charing Cross to Westminster Abbey, where at the great doors
of the church, everybody alighted off their horses. Then were gentlemen ready
to take the Queen out of her chariot : and so earls and lords went before her towards
the hearse, with her picture borne between men of worship. At the church door,
met her four bishops and the abbot, mitred, in copes, censing the body; and so
she lay all night under the hearse with watch. Item, There were an hundred poor
men in good black gowns, bearing long torches, with hoods on their heads, and
arms on them. And about her the guard, bearing staff-torches, in black coats.
And all the way chandlers, having torches to supply them that had their torches
burnt out.[3]
The somber pageantry of the event seems to have been
strictly by the book. No mention is made of subjects mourning along the parade
route.
Upon the completion of the various duties, the officers left
the body overnight in the hearse in the Henry VII chapel until her remains were
interred the next day.
On the next day, viz. December 14, was the Queen's mass; and
all the lords and ladies, knights and gentlemen, did offer. And there was a man
of arms and horse offered, and her coat armour, helmet, sword, and target, and
banner of arms, and three standards. All the heralds standing about her. The
Bishop of Winchester made her funeral sermon. There was offered also cloth of
gold and velvet, whole pieces, and other things. After the mass and all was done,
her Grace was carried up to the chapel that King Henry VII. builded, with
bishops mitred. And all the officers went to the grave. And after, they brake
their staves, and cast them into the grave on her. In the mean time the people
plucked down the cloth, every man a piece that could catch it, round about the
church, and the arms too. The Queen being buried, the Archbishop of York came
and declared a collation, and as soon as he had made an end, all the trumpets
blew a blast. And then the chief mourners, the lords and knights, the bishops
and the abbot went into the abbey to dinner, and all the officers of the
Queen's Court.[4]
Mary’s officers broke their staves of office and threw them into the grave, while, outside of the church, the public grabbed anything they could get hold of by way of souvenir. When the burial had been effected, the Archbishop invited the members of the cortege to a light supper.
[1] Holinshed's
Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1587, 1808). IV.158.
[2]
Strype, john. Ecclesiastical Memorials, III., ii., p. 141 ff.
[3]
Ibid., 141-2.
[4] Ibid.,
142-3.
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