Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall
The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.
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Chapel Royal, St James's Palace is in St James's Palace [Map].
1630 Baptism of future Charles II
1683 Marriage of Lady Anne and Prince George
1840 Wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
1858 Marriage of the future King Frederick III King Prussia and Victoria Saxe Coburg Gotha
On 28th May 1554 Gerald "Wizard Earl" Fitzgerald 11th Earl of Kildare [aged 29] and Mabel Browne Countess Kildare [aged 18] were married at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace. She by marriage Countess Kildare. He the son of Gerald Fitzgerald 9th Earl of Kildare and Elizabeth Grey Countess Kildare. They were third cousins. He a great x 5 grandson of King Edward III of England. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.
On 27th June 1630 the future Charles II was baptised by Archbishop William Laud [aged 56] at Chapel Royal, St James's Palace. Louis XIII King France [aged 28] and Marie de Medici Queen Consort France [aged 55] were godparents.
Robert Kerr 1st Earl Ancram [aged 52] was created 1st Earl Ancram.
John Evelyn's Diary. 12th January 1662. At St. James's chapel preached, or rather harangued, the famous orator, Monsieur Morus, in French. There were present the King [aged 31], Duke [aged 28], French Ambassador, Lord Aubigny [aged 42], Earl of Bristol [aged 49], and a world of Roman Catholics, drawn thither to hear this eloquent Protestant.
John Evelyn's Diary. 9th June 1664. Sir Samuel Tuke [aged 49] being this morning married to a lady, kinswoman to my Lord Arundel of Wardour [aged 56], by the Queen's Lord Almoner, L. Aubigny [aged 44] in St. James's chapel, solemnized his wedding night at my house with much company.
On 6th February 1665 Queen Anne of England Scotland and Ireland was born to James, Duke of York [aged 31] and Anne Hyde Duchess of York [aged 27] at St James's Palace [Map] at 11:39pm being their fourth child and second daughter. She was baptised Anglican in the Chapel Royal with her elder sister Mary Stewart II Queen England Scotland and Ireland [aged 2] being Godparent as well as Anne Scott Duchess Monmouth and Buccleuch [aged 13] and Archbishop Gilbert Sheldon [aged 66]. She married 28th July 1683 her second cousin once removed Prince George of Denmark 1st Duke Cumberland, son of Frederick III King of Denmark and Sophie Amalie Hanover Queen Consort Denmark, and had issue.
John Evelyn's Diary. 1st August 1676. In the afternoon, after prayers at St. James's Chapel, was christened a daughter of Dr. Leake's [aged 34], the Duke's [aged 42] Chaplain: godmothers were Lady Mary [aged 14], daughter of the Duke of York, and the Duchess of Monmouth [aged 25]: godfather, the Earl of Bath [aged 47].
On 28th July 1683 Prince George of Denmark 1st Duke Cumberland [aged 30] and Queen Anne of England Scotland and Ireland [aged 18] were married at Chapel Royal, St James's Palace. She the daughter of King James II of England Scotland and Ireland [aged 49] and Anne Hyde Duchess of York. He the son of Frederick III King of Denmark and Sophie Amalie Hanover Queen Consort Denmark [aged 55]. They were second cousin once removed.
John Evelyn's Diary. 28th July 1683. He was married to the Lady Anne [aged 18] at Whitehall. Her Court and household to be modeled as the Duke's, her father [aged 49], had been, and they to continue in England.
John Evelyn's Diary. 21st February 1689. Dr. Burnet [aged 45] preached at St. James's on the obligation to walk worthy of God's particular and signal deliverance of the nation and church.
On 8th September 1761 King George III of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 23] and Charlotte Mecklenburg Strelitz Queen Consort England [aged 17] were married at Chapel Royal, St James's Palace. She by marriage Queen Consort England. He the son of Frederick Louis Hanover Prince of Wales and Augusta Saxe Coburg Altenburg [aged 41]. They were third cousins. He a grandson of King George II of Great Britain and Ireland.
On 3rd February 1765 William Petty 1st Marquess Lansdowne [aged 27] and Sophia Carteret Countess Shelburne [aged 19] were married at Chapel Royal, St James's Palace. She by marriage Countess Shelburne in County Wexford. She the daughter of John Carteret 2nd Earl Granville and Sophia Fermor Countess Granville. He the son of John Petty-Fitzmaurice 1st Earl Shelburne and Mary Fitzmaurice Countess Shelburne.
On 27th July 1766 William Henry Vane 1st Duke Cleveland was born to Henry Vane 2nd Earl Darlington [aged 39] and Margaret Lowther Countess Darlington [aged 38]. William Henry Vane 1st Duke Cleveland was christened at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace. His given names were William Harry which he later changed to William Henry. He a great x 2 grandson of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland. He married 17th September 1787 his first cousin Catharine Margaret Powlett Countess Darlington, daughter of Harry Powlett 6th Duke Bolton and Katherine Lowther Duchess of Bolton, and had issue.
On 8th April 1795 King George IV of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 32] and Caroline of Brunswick Queen Consort England [aged 26] were married at Chapel Royal, St James's Palace. He the son of King George III of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 56] and Charlotte Mecklenburg Strelitz Queen Consort England [aged 50]. They were first cousins. She a great granddaughter of King George II of Great Britain and Ireland.
On 10th February 1840 Prince Albert Saxe Coburg Gotha [aged 20] and Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom [aged 20] were married by Archbishop Charles Longley [aged 45] at Chapel Royal, St James's Palace. She the daughter of Edward Augustus Hanover 1st Duke Kent and Strathearn and Marie Luise Victoria Saxe Coburg Gotha Duchess Kent and Strathearn [aged 53]. He the son of Ernest Saxe Coburg Gotha I Duke Saxe Coburg Gotha [aged 56] and Duchess Louise Dorothea of Saxe Coburg Altenburg. They were first cousins. She a granddaughter of King George III of Great Britain and Ireland.
11th February 1840. Tuesday. Supplement to the London Gazette.
St James's Palace [Map]. February 10, 1840.
THIS day the Marriage of the QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY [aged 20] with Field Marshal His ROYAL HIGHNESS FRANCIS ALBERT AUGUSTUS CHARLES EMANUEL, DUKE OF SAXE, PRINCE OF SAXE COBOURG AND GOTHA, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter [aged 20], was solemnized at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace.
Field Marshal His Royal Highness the Prince Albert, attended by his Suite, proceeded from Buckingham-Palace [Map] this day, about half past eleven o'clock, to St. James's-Palace [Map], in the following order:
The first Carriage,.
Conveying General Sir George Anson, G.C.B. [aged 43]; George Edward Anson, Esq [aged 27]; and Francis Seymour, Esq [aged 26]; the Bridegroom's Gentlemen of Honour.
The second Carriage,.
Conveying the Lord Chamberlain of the Household, the Earl of Uxbridge [aged 42] (who afterwards returned to Buckingham-Palace [Map], to attend in Her Majesty's Procession), and the Officers of the Suite of His Serene Highness the Reigning Duke of Saxe Cobourg and Gotha, and the Hereditary Prince of Saxe Cobourg and Gotha, viz. Count Kolowrath [aged 62], Baron Alvensleben, and Baron De Lowenfels.
The third Carriage,.
Conveying His Royal Highness the Prince Albert, His Serene Highness the Reigning Duke of Saxe Colourg and Gotha [aged 56] (father), and the Hereditary Prince of Saxe Cobourg and Gotha [aged 21] (elder brother).
Her Majesty, attended by Her Royal Household, accompanied by Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent [aged 53], proceeded, at twelve o'clock, from Buckingham-Palace [Map] to St James's Palace [Map], in the following order:
The first Carriage,
Conveying two Gentlemen Ushers, Charles Heneage, Esq [aged 33] and the Honourable Heneage Legge [aged 51]; Yeoman of the Yeomen of the Guard, Charles Hancock, Esq,; and the Groom of the Robes, Captain Francis Seymour [aged 51].
The second Carriage,.
Conveying the Equerry in Waiting, Lord Alfred Paget [aged 23]; two Pages of Honour, Charles T. Wemyss, Esq and Henry William John Byng [aged 8], Esq j and the Groom in Waiting, the Honourable George Keppel.
The third Carriage,.
Conveying the Clerk Marshal, Colonel the Honourable H. E. G. Cavendish [aged 50]; the Vice-Chamberlain, the Earl of Belfast, G. C. H. [aged 43]; and the Comptroller of the Household, the Right Honourable George Stevens Byng [aged 33].
The fourth Carriage,.
Conveying the Woman of the Bedchamber in Waiting, Mrs. Brand [aged 60]; the Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard, the Earl of Ilchester [aged 52]; the Master of the Buck Hounds, Lord Kinaird; and the Treasurer of the Household, the Earl of Surrey [aged 48].
The fifth Carriage,.
Conyeying the Maid of Honour in Waiting, the Honourable Caroline Cocks [aged 45]; the Duchess of Kent's Lady in Waiting, Lady K Howard; the Gold Stick, General Lord Hill, G. C.B., G. C. H.; and the Lord in Waiting, Viscount Torrington [aged 27].
The sixth Carriage,.
Conveying the Lady of the Bedchamber in Waiting, the Countess of Sandwich [aged 27]; the Master of the Horse, the Earl of Albemarle, G. C.H. [aged 67]; the Lord Steward, the Earl of Erroll, K.T. G.C.H. [aged 38]; and the Lord Chamberlain, the Earl of Uxbridge.
The seventh Carriage,.
Conveying Her Most Excellent Majesty the QUEEN; Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent; and the Duchess of Sutherland, the Mistress of the Robes to Her Majesty [aged 33].
The illustrious Personages, and others composing the Procession, then assembled in the Throneroom, and, having been called over by Garter Principal King of Arms, the Processions, moyed in the following order, to the Chapel Royal:
THE PROCESSION OF THE BRIDEGROOM.
Drums and Trumpets.
Serjeant Trumpeter.
Master of the Ceremonies, Sir Robert Chester, Knt.
Lancaster Herald, George Frederick Beltz, Esq K.H [aged 65], York Herald, Charles George Young, Esq [aged 44].
The Bridegroom's Gentlemen of Honour, viz. Francis Seymour, Esq Gen. Sir George Anson, G.C B. George Edward Anson, Esq.
Vice-Chamberlain of Her Majesty's Household, The Earl of Belfast, G.C.H., Lord Chamberlain of Her Majesty's Household, The Earl of Uxbridge.
Continues...
THE QUEEN. Wearing the Collar of the Order of the Garter.
Her Majesty's Train borne by the following twelve unmarried Ladies, viz.
Lady Adelaide Paget [aged 20], Lady Caroline Amelia Gordon-Lennox [aged 20], Lady Sarah Frederica Caroline Villiers [aged 18], Lady Elizabeth Anne Georgiana Dorothea Howard [aged 23], Lady Frances Elizabeth Cowper [aged 20], Lady Ida Harriet Augusta Hay [aged 18], Lady Elizabeth West [aged 21], Lady Catherine Lucy Wilhelmina Stanhope, Lady Mary Augusta Frederica Grimston [aged 20], Lady Jane Harriet Bouverie [aged 20], Lady Eleanora Caroline Paget [aged 12], Lady Mary Charlotte Howard [aged 18].
Assisted by the Groom of the Robes, Captain Francis Seymour.
Master of the Horse, The Earl of Albemarle, G.C.H., Mistress of the Robes, The Duchess of Sutherland.
Ladies of the Bedchamber, The Marchioness of Normanby [aged 41], The Duchess of Bedford [aged 56], The Countess of Burlington [aged 28], The Countess of Sandwich, The Baroness Portman [aged 30], The Dowager Lady Lyttleton [aged 52], The Lady Barham [aged 25].
Maids of Honour, The Hon. Amelia Murray, The Hon. Harriet Pitt, The Hon. Caroline Cocks, The Hon. Henrietta Anson, The Hon. Matilda Paget, The Hon. Harriet Lister, The Hon. Sarah Mary Cavendish.
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On 25th January 1858 Frederick III King Prussia [aged 26] and Victoria Empress Germany Queen Consort Prussia [aged 17] were married in the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace. She the daughter of Prince Albert Saxe Coburg Gotha [aged 38] and Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom [aged 38]. He the son of William I King Prussia [aged 60]. They were third cousins.
On 6th July 1893 King George V of the United Kingdom [aged 28] and Victoria Mary Teck Queen Consort England [aged 26] were married at Chapel Royal, St James's Palace. She by marriage Duchess York. He the son of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom [aged 51] and Alexandra of Denmark Queen Consort England [aged 48]. They were second cousin once removed. She a great granddaughter of King George III of Great Britain and Ireland.
The photograph by from left to right:
Alexandra Windsor Princess [aged 14]
Princess Alice of Battenburg [aged 8]
Victoria Eugénie Mountbatten Queen Consort Spain [aged 5]
Beatrice Windsor Duchess Galliera [aged 9]
King George V of the United Kingdom
Margaret "Daisy" Windsor [aged 11]
Victoria Mary Teck Queen Consort England
Maud Windsor Queen Consort Norway [aged 23]
Victoria Patricia "Patsy" Windsor [aged 7]
Princess Victoria Windsor [aged 25]
Helena Victoria Oldenburg [aged 23]
Victoria Melita Windsor [aged 16]
On 16th October 1897 John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough was baptised at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace.
Adam Murimuth's Continuation and Robert of Avesbury’s 'The Wonderful Deeds of King Edward III'
This volume brings together two of the most important contemporary chronicles for the reign of Edward III and the opening phases of the Hundred Years’ War. Written in Latin by English clerical observers, these texts provide a vivid and authoritative window into the political, diplomatic, and military history of fourteenth-century England and its continental ambitions. Adam Murimuth Continuatio's Chronicarum continues an earlier chronicle into the mid-fourteenth century, offering concise but valuable notices on royal policy, foreign relations, and ecclesiastical affairs. Its annalistic structure makes it especially useful for establishing chronology and tracing the development of events year by year. Complementing it, Robert of Avesbury’s De gestis mirabilibus regis Edwardi tertii is a rich documentary chronicle preserving letters, treaties, and official records alongside narrative passages. It is an indispensable source for understanding Edward III’s claim to the French crown, the conduct of war, and the mechanisms of medieval diplomacy. Together, these works offer scholars, students, and enthusiasts a reliable and unembellished account of a transformative period in English and European history. Essential for anyone interested in medieval chronicles, the Hundred Years’ War, or the reign of Edward III.
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On 23rd June 1908 John Hubert Ward [aged 38] and Jean Templeton Reid [aged 23] were married at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace. He the son of William Ward 1st Earl of Dudley and Georgina Moncrieffe Countess Dudley [aged 61].
On 5th August 1908 Edward Villiers 5th Earl Clarendon [aged 62] and Emma Hatch [aged 53] were married at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace. She by marriage Countess Clarendon. He the son of George William Villiers 4th Earl Clarendon and Katherine Grimston Countess Clarendon.
On 7th December 1908 Captain Heneage Michael Charles Finch 9th Earl of Aylesford was baptised at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace.
In 1912 George Holford [aged 51] and Susannah West Wilson [aged 47] were married at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace. King George VI of the United Kingdom [aged 16], Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon Queen Consort England [aged 11], Alexandra of Denmark Queen Consort England [aged 67] and Princess Victoria Windsor [aged 43] were present. The Times reported ... "The aisle was lined by non-commissioned officers of the bridegroom's old regiment the 1st Life Guards. The bride who was given away by her two sons, wore a gown of old Point d'Alençon lace with a train of gold brocade veiled in chiffon. Instead of a hat she wore a headdress of gold lace and pink roses and she carried a bouquet of orchids ... The King and Queen gave Sir George Holford a pair of sleeve links bearing the Royal monogram in diamonds and rubies."
On 15th October 1913 Prince Arthur of Connaught [aged 30] and Princess Alexandra Duff Duchess Fife [aged 22] were married at Chapel Royal, St James's Palace. She the daughter of Alexander Duff 1st Duke Fife and Louise Windsor Duchess Fife [aged 46]. He the son of Prince Arthur Windsor 1st Duke Connaught and Strathearn [aged 63] and Luise Margarete Hohenzollern Duchess Connaught [aged 53]. They were first cousin once removed. He a grandson of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. She a granddaughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom.
On 23rd April 1981 Lady Gabriella Windsor was born to Prince Michael of Kent [aged 38] and Princess Marie von Reibnitz [aged 36] at St Mary's Hospital, London. She was baptised on 8th June 1981 at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace. Her godparents were Constantine II King Hellenes [aged 40], Mariano Hugo, Prince of Windisch-Graetz; Marina Ogilvy [aged 14]; Princess Antonia, Marchioness of Douro [aged 25]; and Lady Elizabeth Shakerley [aged 39]. She a great granddaughter of King George V of the United Kingdom. She married 18th May 2019 Thomas Kingston.
On 26th September 2020 Timothy Vesterberg and Flora Ogilvy [aged 25] were married at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace.
Survey London Volume 4 Chelsea Part II. Sir Thomas More lived here for some fourteen years until his attainder in 1535. He loved to escape from London and from the Court, and to give himself up to his family and his own literary pursuits in his Chelsea home, and here he entertained many friends, among whom were Erasmus and Holbein. The latter may well have designed the beautiful capitals in the More chapel, in the old church (dated 1528), which show his hand as plainly as the ceiling of the Chapel Royal of St. James's Palace, which was executed in 1540.
Mary Stewart II Queen England Scotland and Ireland was christened at Chapel Royal, St James's Palace.