The Royal Funerary and Burial Ceremonies of Medieval English Kings
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The Royal Funerary and Burial Ceremonies of Medieval English Kings, 1216-1509 Anna M. Duch Doctor of Philosophy University of York History May 2016 2 Abstract When Ernst Kantorowicz published The King’s Two Bodies in 1957, far greater importance was placed upon the body politic, the office of King, than on the body natural, the king as a man. In part, this thesis sets out to overturn this notion: the royal corpse was the central and most vital element of the royal funerary and burial ceremonies, and concern for the royal body and its soul lasted for centuries. Although the King always lived, the mortal king did not become inert or null upon death. The English royal funeral has been understudied. The practical mechanics of English kings’ funerals (including the preservation of the body, the role of the Church, and the events of the ceremonies) have not been laid out clearly. This thesis seeks to update the analysis of both individual kingly funerals and the overarching development of royal exequies over three centuries, from John in 1216 to Henry VII in 1509. It is my argument that the language used in the royal prescriptive funerary and burial texts permitted individual variation based on personal preferences, the unique circumstances of the death, and the requirements of the Church for a Christian burial. The royal prescriptive texts were elastic, enabling a wide variety of kings during the medieval period to be laid to rest fittingly and honorably, according to their station. These prescriptive texts did not cover commemoration, an omission that allowed flexibility in celebrating the legacy of a deceased king. In special cases, the living elected to rebury the dead, be it for practical reasons or to enhance the legacies of both parties. The ceremonies and the ensuing commemoration, combined with a pronounced preference for burial in England for members of the royal house, formed an English royal way of death. 3 Table of Contents Abstract............................................................................................................................................ 2 Table of Contents............................................................................................................................ 3 Preface ............................................................................................................................................. 6 Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... 7 Author’s Declaration....................................................................................................................... 8 Chapter I: Introduction.................................................................................................................. 9 The Case of Edward IV .............................................................................................................. 9 Historiographic Background..................................................................................................... 13 The Present Work and Its Purpose ......................................................................................... 17 Sources....................................................................................................................................... 21 An Outline of Contents............................................................................................................. 30 The Case of King John.............................................................................................................. 33 Chapter II: At the Hour of Death .............................................................................................. 38 John............................................................................................................................................ 41 Henry III.................................................................................................................................... 43 Edward I .................................................................................................................................... 45 Edward II................................................................................................................................... 46 Edward III ................................................................................................................................. 49 Richard II................................................................................................................................... 51 Henry IV.................................................................................................................................... 54 Henry V ..................................................................................................................................... 56 Henry VI.................................................................................................................................... 58 Edward IV.................................................................................................................................. 59 Edward V ................................................................................................................................... 61 Richard III ................................................................................................................................. 63 Henry VII .................................................................................................................................. 66 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................... 67 Chapter III: By the Books ............................................................................................................ 70 De Exequiis Regalibus............................................................................................................... 72 The Personal Wills of Kings..................................................................................................... 85 The Liber Regie Capelle........................................................................................................... 95 Articles Ordained by King Henry VII for the Regulation of His Household ......................107 Conclusions .............................................................................................................................111 4 Chapter IV: Disruption and Deviation.......................................................................................118 Disruptive.................................................................................................................................121 Deviant?...................................................................................................................................133 Cultural Transmission.............................................................................................................147 The Case of Edward II............................................................................................................156 Conclusions .............................................................................................................................164 Chapter V: Location...................................................................................................................168 Westminster Abbey.................................................................................................................169 Worcester Priory.....................................................................................................................184 Leicester Greyfriars and Chertsey Abbey...............................................................................186 Gloucester Abbey and King’s Langley....................................................................................188 Canterbury Cathedral..............................................................................................................191 St. George’s Chapel, Windsor ................................................................................................193 England ....................................................................................................................................196 Conclusions .............................................................................................................................202 Chapter VI: Status and Agency in Commemoration.................................................................206 The Care of the Living ............................................................................................................210 Anniversaries ...........................................................................................................................217 Tombs......................................................................................................................................230 Conclusions .............................................................................................................................250 Chapter VII: Reburial and Translation......................................................................................253 The Necessity of Reburial.......................................................................................................255 BL Harley MS 6466, ff. 33r-34v .............................................................................................260