Coronation roll

Coronation rolls are the official written records of coronations of the British monarchy. These documents record the proceedings, ceremonial details, and participants of coronation ceremonies held at Westminster Abbey.[1]

History

The tradition of creating coronation rolls dates back to 1308, when the first known roll was created for the coronation of Edward II and Queen Isabella.[2][3] These rolls were created to codify the order of ceremonial, to record who was allocated roles at the ceremony (often in return for positions or grants of land), and to maintain a record of attendance to show who had pledged loyalty to the new monarch.[4]

Content and format

Coronation rolls contain recitals of claims made to perform services at coronations and adjudications made on these claims by a Court of Claims established for each coronation.[5] Medieval and early modern rolls (1308–1727) were written in Latin and French, with English being used from the seventeenth century onwards.[6]

The rolls are produced by the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery, initially by senior clerks of the Chancery during the medieval period.[7]

Preservation

The majority of coronation rolls are held at The National Archives in Kew, having previously been stored at the Tower of London before being moved to the then Public Record Office in the 19th century.[8] Only 18 coronation rolls survive today. No rolls exist for Edward III, Henry VI, Edward IV, Richard III, Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, Elizabeth I, Charles I, or George III.[9]

Modern developments

The coronation roll of Charles III in 2023 was the first to be digitised and made publicly available online.[10] At 21 metres long and containing 11,500 words, it significantly exceeds the 2-foot length of Edward II's 1308 roll.[11] The roll was crafted by calligrapher Stephanie von Werthern-Gill over 56 days and illustrated by Timothy Noad, Herald-Painter at the College of Arms.[12]

References

  1. ^ Davies, Caroline (2025-05-02). "Edward II's coronation roll goes on display alongside King Charles's". The Guardian. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  2. ^ Legg, Leopold G. Wickham (1901). English Coronation Records. Westminster: Archibald Constable & Co. pp. v–lxxxviii. OCLC 704071265.
  3. ^ Schramm, Percy Ernst (1937). A History of the English Coronation. Translated by Leopold G. Wickham Legg. Oxford: Clarendon Press. pp. xv, 283. OCLC 625265.
  4. ^ "Digital record of the Coronation unveiled for the first time in history" (Press release). Cabinet Office. 2024-05-03. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  5. ^ Strong, Roy (2022). Coronation: A History of the British Monarchy (Updated ed.). London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-855006-6.
  6. ^ "A scroll for the king, a website for the people: Coronation document to be released digitally". Associated Press. 2024-05-02. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  7. ^ "Chancery and successors: Crown Office: Coronation Rolls". The National Archives. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  8. ^ Hunt, Alice (2008). The Drama of Coronation: Medieval Ceremony in Early Modern England. Cambridge University Press. pp. 1–10. ISBN 978-0-521-88539-3.
  9. ^ Davies, Caroline (2025-05-02). "Edward II's coronation roll goes on display alongside King Charles's". The Guardian. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  10. ^ "The Coronation Roll". HM Government. 2024-05-03. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  11. ^ "King's coronation roll had one tiny error in 21 metres". Radio New Zealand. 2024-05-04. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  12. ^ "Coronation Roll". College of Arms. 2024-05-03. Retrieved 2025-10-04.

Further reading

  • Legg, Leopold G. Wickham (1901). English Coronation Records. Westminster: Archibald Constable & Co. OCLC 704071265.
  • Schramm, Percy Ernst (1937). A History of the English Coronation. Translated by Leopold G. Wickham Legg. Oxford: Clarendon Press. OCLC 625265.
  • Strong, Roy (2022). Coronation: A History of the British Monarchy. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-855006-6.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.