The earliest accounts of a coronation ceremony in England date back to around the 750ís A.D. Spanning the last thousand years, the English coronation ceremony has remained almost unchanged. During the fourteenth century, the kings of England were crowned in a lavish and complicated ceremony involving special clothes, rituals and oaths. These aspects of the ritual displayed, in some ways, the chivalric mindset of the times when the coronation process was first being developed to its fullest meaning and formality. Honor, prowess, loyalty, religiosity, and largess, all aspects of chivalry, were all displayed and dispersed throughout the entire event.

Before the actual observance took place, the prince rode from the Tower of London to Westminster Abbey. There he was bathed and dressed in lavish clothing made from rich cloth of gold and silk. The Archbishop of Canterbury, who conducted the ceremony, then instructed the prince to clear his conscience before the holy anointing. The prince, Abbot of Westminster, and monks then made a procession from Westminster to the Church of Westminster.

The will of the people was then questioned concerning the kingís coronation. After the completion of the task, the anthem "Ffrimenteur manus tua" was sung. The will of the people was not the only will tested. The prince had to show his submission to God by lying in front of the altar several times during the rite. He then made an oath at the altar then fortified that oath by taking the sacred sacrament at the same altar. This part of the ceremony is when spiritual chivalry became involved. Inspired by love for God, the king, by lying at the foot of the altar, showed his submission and obedience. The king was then anointed by holy water in five different places on his body. He was stripped of his clothes save his shirt, which was worn open, and his coat. He was also barefoot. The kingís hands, breast, between his shoulders, at the break of his arm, and on his forehead,

the sign of the cross was made. The oil was then wiped clean with a linen cloth, and the Kings clothes were replaced.

The kingís sword also played a part in the ceremony. Symbolizing the warrior, the sword was blessed then girded on in front of the bishops. Later in the ceremony, the king offered his sword to God, and only the most loyal of earls carried the naked sword to the altar. The Archbishop of Canterbury then placed the crown on the kingís head. The crown used since the thirteenth century is St. Edwardís Crown. It was introduced into the ceremony after Henry III transferred the body of Edward the Confessor to Westminster Abbey. St Edwardís Chair, made in the thirteenth century also, was used as the Sovereignís chair during the service. The rod and the scepter were then placed in the kingís hands, the scepter, adorned with a cross, in the right hand and the rod in the left.

After the crowning ceremony, all of the lords and other high standing men in the court paid homage and allegiance to their lord. The King then took the Holy Sacrament of blood and flesh. The new king then agreed oaths of honor and loyalty. The Oaths were used to guarantee to keep old laws and rituals, to protect the church and the clergy, and to keep the peace for the people, church, and God. After all the sacred and ritualistic oaths were taken and sworn to by the king, the Archbishop of Canterbury paid homage to the king and was followed in doing so by those of lesser degree. Then to those who have pledged themselves to the king, the Archbishop asked if they claimed the king as their ruler, and loudly they replied, "We will it and we grant it. Be it so! Be it so! Amen."

Throughout history and literature, the support of the people is a major part of being crowned. In Sir Thomas Maloryís Le Morte Darthur, a fifteenth century compellation of Arthurian tales, Arthur is chosen to be king in three different ways. First his father, the king, chooses him. Second Arthur pulls the magical sword from the stone which myth said only the future king could do. Finally and most important, the people decide they wanted him as king. What created popular rulers with the commoners was that rulerís ability to display the ideal of the time, which was to be chivalric. The coronation ceremony honors this triumph of the king being worthy and upholding that image of chivalry and all it stood for. Even though in most cases in both history and literature, the crowned did not always reflect image of being perfect, the coronation ceremony does provide a strong representation of what chivalry involved. Honor to yourself and those weaker in body and soul, loyalty to God and your lord, military expertise represented by the sword, and religiosity, symbolized by the king lying before the altar, all bring about a beautiful ideal. The coronation brought forth these ideals to help create a wise and worthy ruler of England.