Chapter X: The Regal Vestments

Their importance in the Coronation Ceremony--Essentially the
same now as in ancient reigns--Charles II.--James II.--Portions
of their Vestments described--Queen Victoria’s Vestments--A
Queen’s Vestments described--The Imperial Mantle--The Vestments
of Edward VII. and of George V.

The importance that has always attached to the vestments used in the coronation ceremony of our sovereigns is evident from all the accounts of the coronations that still exist. In the _Liber Regalis_ at Westminster the colobium sindonis, the dalmatic, the stole and the mantle, all of them ecclesiastical, are categorically mentioned (cf. p. 1.). In Sir Edward Walker’s _Preparation for His Majesty’s Coronation_, the vestments used at the coronation of Charles II. are shown to have consisted essentially of the same garments differing in the ornamentation only (cf. p. 7.).

The vestments are clearly figured: the supertunica, or dalmatic, has only a floral pattern upon it (Fig. 49); the armilla, also, only has a floral pattern, but there is a cross-patée at each end, and ribbons for tying it (Fig. 50). The imperial mantle is embroidered with floral sprays arranged in ovals, as in the existing mantle of Queen Victoria, and bears eagles, roses, fleurs-de-lys and coronets (Fig. 51).

The vestments used by James II. again show the use of the same general design in the three chief items as before. These are fully described and figured in Francis Sandford’s _History of the Coronation of James II._, and are figured on the first plate. The imperial mantle has floral sprays arranged in ovals as already described, and also eagles, coronets, fleurs-de-lys and roses (Fig. 52). The supertunica of cloth of gold has still only floral sprays upon it (Fig. 53). There is also a curious surcoat of crimson satin with openings left for the inunction (Fig. 54). The armilla bears a rose as a centre ornament, and is further adorned with eagles, roses, coronets and fleurs-de-lys (Fig. 55).

The vestments that were used at the coronation of Queen Victoria are now in charge of an officer called the Keeper of the Robes, and are kept at St. James’s Palace. They consist, like the vestments we have just mentioned, of the

Colobium Sindonis,
Dalmatic,
Stole,
Imperial Mantle,

and to a considerable extent they preserve the ancient forms and designs of ornamentation.

The colobium sindonis, the first vestment put upon the sovereign after the anointing, represents the alb of a priest, or the rochet of a bishop. It is a sleeveless garment of soft fine linen, edged with lace, and with a deep lace flounce of nine inches in depth (Fig. 56). It is open at the side, and cut low at the neck, also edged all round with lace. It is gathered in at the waist and opens on the left shoulder, fastening with three small buttons. Upon the right shoulder are three sham buttons to match. At the coronation a thick gold cord with heavy bullion tassels is worn at the waist over the “colobium,” corresponding to the girdle of the alb.

The dalmatic, or supertunica, is put on after the colobium sindonis. It is a long jacket of cloth of gold, with wide pointed sleeves, without any fastening at all. The edges are all trimmed with gold lace. The design, woven into the cloth of gold, is a wavy pattern of palm leaves, outlined green, enclosing at regular intervals pink roses with green leaves, green shamrocks, and purple thistles. All these designs are in very pale colours, and the effect of them when the cloth of gold is moved is very delicate and beautiful. It is lined throughout with rose-coloured silk (Fig. 57).

The stole now, in religious ceremonies, succeeds the alb immediately; but, in the coronation service, it succeeds the dalmatic, as it did in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, and it is so worn now by the Greek and Russian deacons. So here our kings preserve an ancient custom which the Western Church has lost. The stole was used at one time crossed over the breast, and one was found on the body of Edward I., worn in this manner, when his tomb at Westminster was opened in 1774; and it certainly was worn in this fashion abroad. This is the manner in which the stole is worn by a priest, but not by a bishop, when vested for Mass. A fine example of this manner of wearing the royal stole can be seen on the beautiful bulla of the Emperor Frederick III., made in the fifteenth century. A specimen of it is now exhibited in one of the show-cases in the British Museum. The Emperor holds a sceptre in his right hand and an orb in his left.

Queen Victoria’s stole is a band of cloth of gold, three inches wide and five feet two inches long, with bullion fringe at each end. It is heavily embroidered with silver thread and a little colour. The centre ornament is a pink rose, the remaining ornaments are silver imperial eagles, silver and green shamrocks, silver, green, and purple thistles, and pink roses. Each of these emblems is divided from the next one to it by a silver coronet, and at each end is a square panel with a blue and white torse above and below, worked with a red cross of St. George on a silver ground. It is lined with rose silk, and was worn by Queen Victoria hanging from the neck and depending at each side. It will be seen that the ornaments upon this stole resemble those of both Charles II. and James II., but that they are more ornate (Fig. 58).

The Imperial mantle is the last garment to be put upon the sovereign. The mediæval rubric describes this as four-square, embroidered with golden eagles. The four corners are supposed to represent the four quarters of the globe, subject to divine power, and it is analogous to the cope of a bishop. The magnificent mantle worn by Queen Victoria is sixty-five inches long, and measures across the shoulders twenty-eight inches. It is edged all round with golden bullion fringe two and a half inches deep, and is lined with rose-coloured silk. To the upper edge is attached a gold morse or clasp, with a silver edge faceted to represent diamonds (Fig. 59). In the centre of this morse is the figure of an eagle in repoussé work, and at each of the sides a spray of rose, shamrock, and thistle similarly worked. There is a hook at the back of the neck to prevent the robe slipping. The design, woven into the cloth of gold, is a branched pattern arranged in ovals, outlined in purple silk and caught together by silver coronets and silver fleurs-de-lys alternately. In the spaces thus formed are red and white Tudor roses with green leaves, green shamrocks, purple and green thistles and silver eagles. The coloured silks used in this mantle are in stronger tints than those used on the dalmatic. It will be observed that there is a strong similarity in the general design of the ornamentation of this garment and of that used on the mantles of Charles II. and James II.

The stole of King Edward VII. was of woven gold tissue made at Spitalfields, and the ornamentation upon it was embroidered at the Royal School of Art Needlework, South Kensington. The devices upon it were the white imperial eagle, the Tudor rose, thistle and shamrock, each ensigned with a royal coronet. At each end was the red cross of St. George on a white ground.

The dalmatic was of woven gold tissue with a repeating arabesque pattern all over it in a rich brown; it had a belt of cloth of gold with a gold buckle. It was made at Spitalfields.

At Spitalfields also was made the splendid mantle of King Edward VII., of cloth of gold richly embroidered at the Royal School of Art Needlework. A thin scroll of laurel is arranged over the whole surface of the mantle, leaving open spaces in each of which is enclosed one or other of the national badges: the white eagle, the Tudor rose, the thistle, the shamrock, the royal crown or the white lotus of India. In all cases white is correctly heraldically represented in silver. The morse is of cloth of gold, with the device of an imperial eagle in the centre flanked by two rose sprays.

The stole of King George V. has the same emblems upon it as those of Queen Victoria and King Edward VII., with the addition of the white lotus of India and the red dragon of Wales. It was made at Spitalfields and embroidered.

The dalmatic has wide sleeves and is made of cloth of gold; it has also a girdle with flat gold buckles. It was made at Spitalfields.

The mantle of George IV. was used again by George V. It was also made at Spitalfields, and is a beautiful example of the weaving done there by the descendants of the French Huguenot refugees who settled there on the revocation of the edict of Nantes. It is of cloth of gold, the designs of roses, thistles and shamrock being woven with it. The morse is in the form of a golden eagle (Fig. 60).

THE END