Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Question from Colleen - Was Elizabeth at Mary's funeral

I've checked a couple of sources but for some reason I can seem to find an answer to what I think is a pretty simple question...was Elizabeth present at Mary's funeral?

Thanks in advance!

10 comments:

Roland H. said...

No, she wasn't. It was customary for the succeeding monarch not to attend the funeral of the former.

For example, Edward VI wasn't at Henry VIII's burial at Windsor (neither were his 2 sisters). Katharine Parr was there, but she watched the service in private from a viewing box.

Elizabeth M. said...

It was usually the custom for the deceased royal person to have a Chief Mourner in place of the monarch. For example, when Queen Jane Seymour died, the chief mourner was her step-daughter Mary Tudor. When Catherine Parr died, the chief mourner was Lady Jane Grey. In this case, the chief mourner for Queen Mary was her cousin, Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox.

Colleen said...

Perfect! Thanks so much Roland and Elizabeth :)

Steph said...

Monarchs never went to the funeral of anyone. Good question though

Roland H. said...

To follow up on this question - does anyone know if the custom has been changed? For example, did the present Queen (Elizabeth II) attend her father's funeral?

I think at George V's funeral, his various sons (including Edward VIII) kept a vigil around their father's casket. Can anyone verify this?

Lara said...

There is that famous image of Three Queens in Mourning (George VI's mother, widow and daughter), which I think was taken during the funeral ceremonies, although I'm not sure at what point.

Marilyn R said...

Yes, nowadays the new monarch does attend the late monarch's funeral. As Roland says, the princes of the immediate family keep vigil over the coffin in Westminster Hall at the lying-in-state and walk behind the cortege. The nearest we have seen to such a funeral in the last 50 years was that of the Queen Mother, when Prince Charles and his brothers kept vigil for a few hours.

There is a video on You Tube of the coffin of George V leaving Westminster Abbey on the gun carriage; the new king and his brothers walk behind and we see Queen Mary getting into a coach for the journey to the royal vault at Windsor. (No doubt the funeral of George VI will be on there as well.)

The remarkable photograph Lara mentions of the three queens at the funeral of George VI was taken by Ronald Case who was working for a newspaper and did not make a penny from it; he died last September aged 82. 'Three Queens in Mourning' is regarded as one of the 100 greatest photographs of the twentieth century.

Sarah said...

Hi
It was customary for tudor monarchs (royal family) not being allowed to see death..perhaps a belief that seeing death would cause it upon themselves? For example, when Prince Arthur died in 1502 - neither his wife- Catherine of Aragon or his parents - Elizabeth of York and Henry V11 were allowed at the ceremony . Hope this helps.

Fred said...

I have understood that in earlier times that the presence of the Monarch at a funeral might cause subjects to have thoughts of the mortality of the Sovereign. To think upon the death of the King or Queen would be tantamount to treason.

Unknown said...

Elizabeth was not the monarch when Catherine Parr died -- Edward was. So it would not have raised eyebrows if she had chosen to attend. However, the funeral was only two days after her death, and it may have been too quick for Elizabeth to travel to the funeral.