by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

A daughter of King Stephen of England, Marie of Blois was Countess of Boulogne in her own right after the deaths of her mother Matilda I, Countess of Boulogne in her own right and her two surviving brothers Eustace and Willliam who were both Count of Boulogne but had childless marriages. As a young girl, Marie entered a convent and became a nun. Shortly after Marie became Countess of Boulogne, she was abducted from her convent by a young nobleman and forced into marriage with the nobleman who then claimed the title of Count of Boulogne jure uxoris (by right of his wife).

Born in 1136, Marie was the fourth of the five children and the second but the only surviving daughter of Stephen I, King of England (born Stephen of Blois) and Matilda I, Countess of Boulogne in her own right. Boulogne was a county within the Kingdom of France from 896 – 1501, centered on the city of Boulogne-sur-Mer, a coastal city in Northern France. Marie’s paternal grandparents were Stephen II, Count of Blois and Adela of Normandy and England, a daughter of William I, King of England (the Conqueror). His maternal grandparents were Eustace III, Count of Boulogne and Mary of Scotland, daughter of King Malcolm III of Scotland and Saint Margaret of Scotland, born an Anglo-Saxon princess.

Marie had four siblings but only two brothers survived childhood:

• Baldwin of Blois (circa 1126 – 1135)
• Eustace (of Blois) IV, Count of Boulogne (c. 1129 – 1153) married Constance of France, no children
• Matilda of Blois (circa 1133 – circa 1137), died in childhood
• William of Blois, Count of Mortain and Boulogne and Earl of Surrey (circa 1137 – 1159) married Isabel de Warenne, 4th Countess of Surrey, no children

In 1120, a terrible tragedy caused a succession crisis in England. The White Ship, carrying King Henry I of England’s only legitimate son William Ætheling, sank as it left France to sail to England, and William Ætheling was among the estimated 300 passengers who drowned. Empress Matilda was then King Henry I’s only legitimate child and on Christmas Day in 1126, Henry I had his barons swear to recognize his only surviving legitimate child Empress Matilda and any future legitimate heirs she might have as his successors.

• Unofficial Royalty: The Sinking of the White Ship and How It Affected the English Succession

On December 1, 1135, King Henry I of England died. His nephew, Marie’s father Stephen of Blois, quickly crossed over the English Channel from the County of Boulogne, now in France, to England, accompanied by his military household. With the help of his brother Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester, Stephen seized power in England and was crowned King of England on December 22, 1135. However, Empress Matilda did not give up her claim to England and Normandy, leading to the long civil war known as The Anarchy between 1135 and 1153. After eighteen long years of war, Stephen and Henry FitzEmpress, the son of Empress Matilda and the future Henry II, King of England reached a formal agreement known as the Treaty of Wallingford. The treaty allowed King Stephen to keep the English throne until his death but forced him to recognize Empress Matilda’s son Henry FitzEmpress as his heir. Marie’s father King Stephen only survived until the next year, dying on October 25, 1154. A line of fourteen Plantagenet kings who ruled England until 1485 started, with Henry FitzEmpress, now King Henry II of England.

As a young girl, Marie was placed in a convent in Stratford, Middlesex, England. Marie’s parents established a new convent for her, the Priory of Lillechurch (now Higham) in Kent, England, which Marie entered as a novice. She later transferred to Romsey Abbey in Romsey, Hampshire, England which had been rebuilt by her paternal uncle Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester. Marie took her vows as a nun at Romsey Abbey and was elected Abbess of Romsey in 1155. Four years later, on October 11, 1159, her brother William died. As his marriage to Isabel de Warenne, 4th Countess of Surrey in her own right had been childless, Marie, his only surviving sibling, succeeded as Countess of Boulogne in her own right.

Matthew of Alsace was the second son of Thierry, Count of Flanders and Sibylla of Anjou, the paternal aunt of King Henry II of England. As his elder brother would succeed their father as Count of Flanders, the ambitious Matthew decided to get himself a title and the land that came with the title. In 1160, Matthew abducted Marie from Romsey Abbey and forced her to marry him despite her religious vows. Via the marriage, Mattew became jure uxoris (by right of his wife) Count of Boulogne, and her co-ruler.

The church reacted immediately. Pope Alexander III wrote to Henri of France, Archbishop of Reims (son of King Louis VI of France), and Matthew and Maria were excommunicated. In 1162, their excommunication was renewed and all the priests who supported the couple were also excommunicated. Finally, in 1168, an interdict was imposed on the people of the County of Boulogne, a punishment forbidding certain sacraments and prohibiting participation in certain religious rites. Only then did Marie and Matthew submit to the will of the church and separate.

However, Marie and Matthew had two daughters:

• Ida of Flanders, Countess of Boulogne (circa 1160 – 1216), married (1) Gerard of Guelders, no children (2) Berthold IV, Duke of Zahringen, his second wife, no children (3) Renaud I, Count of Dammartin, had one daughter Matilda II, Countess of Boulogne and Queen Consort of Portugal through her second marriage to King Afonso III of Portugal
• Matilda of Flanders (1170 – 1210), married Henri I, Duke of Brabant, his first of two wives, had six children

In 1169, the marriage of Marie and Matthew was annulled but Pope Alexander III legitimized their two daughters. Matthew remained in the County of Boulogne and retained the title Count of Boulogne until his death when he was succeeded by his elder daughter Ida as Countess of Boulogne in her own right. In 1171, Matthew married Eleanor, Countess of Vermandois in her own right. They had one short-lived daughter. Matthew, a supporter of Henry the Young King, the eldest surviving son of King Henry II of England, died in 1173, aged about 36, from a crossbow wound fighting at the Siege of Driencourt during the 1173 – 1174 revolt of King Henry II’s sons.

Marie returned to religious life as a nun at the Abbey of St. Austrebert near Montreuil-sur-Mer, County of Boulogne, where she died on July 25, 1182, at the age of about 46. She was buried at the Abbey of St. Austrebert.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Marie I, Countess of Boulogne – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_I,_Countess_of_Boulogne> [Accessed 22 July 2022].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2016. King Stephen of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-stephen-of-england/> [Accessed 22 July 2022].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2014. Matilda of Boulogne, Queen of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/may-3-1152-death-of-matilda-of-boulogne-wife-of-king-stephen-of-england/> [Accessed 22 July 2022].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2015. The Sinking of the White Ship and How It Affected the English Succession. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/november-25-1120-the-sinking-of-the-white-ship-and-how-it-affected-the-english-succession/> [Accessed 22 July 2022].
• Fr.wikipedia.org. 2022. Marie de Boulogne — Wikipédia. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_de_Boulogne> [Accessed 22 July 2022].
• Williamson, David, 1996. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell.

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Born circa 1137, William of Blois, Count of Boulogne was the youngest of the five children and the third but the second surviving of the three sons of Stephen I, King of England (born Stephen of Blois) and Matilda I, Countess of Boulogne in her own right. Boulogne was a county within the Kingdom of France from 896 – 1501, centered on the city of Boulogne-sur-Mer, a coastal city in Northern France.

William’s paternal grandparents were Stephen II, Count of Blois and Adela of Normandy and England, a daughter of William I, King of England (the Conqueror). His maternal grandparents were Eustace III, Count of Boulogne and Mary of Scotland, daughter of King Malcolm III of Scotland and Saint Margaret of Scotland, born an Anglo-Saxon princess.

William had four elder siblings:

• Baldwin of Blois (circa 1126 – 1135), died in childhood
• Eustace (of Blois) IV, Count of Boulogne (c. 1129 – 1153) married Constance of France, no children
• Matilda of Blois (circa 1133 – circa 1137), died in childhood
• Marie of Blois, Countess of Boulogne (circa 1136 – 1182) married Matthew of Alsace, had two daughters

Circa 1148 – 1149, William married Isabel de Warenne, 4th Countess of Surrey in her own right. Isabel was the only child of William de Warenne, 3rd Earl of Surrey and Adela of Ponthieu. Isabel’s father had died in 1148 at the Battle of Mount Cadmus during the Second Crusade and she inherited his earldom of Surrey. Upon his marriage, William became Earl of Warenne jure uxoris (by right of his wife. As a result of his marriage, William became one of the richest barons in England. This marriage was also strategic because it allowed King Stephen to increase his control in England since the Warenne lands included more than 200 manors in Sussex Norfolk, Yorkshire, and many other English counties. William and Isabel did not have children.

In 1120, a terrible tragedy caused a succession crisis in England. The White Ship, carrying King Henry I of England’s only legitimate son William Ætheling, sank as it left France to sail to England, and William Ætheling was among the estimated 300 passengers who drowned. Empress Matilda was then King Henry I’s only legitimate child. On Christmas Day in 1126, Henry I had his barons swear to recognize his only surviving legitimate child Empress Matilda, and any future legitimate heirs she might have as his successors.

• Unofficial Royalty: The Sinking of the White Ship and How It Affected the English Succession

Stephen of Blois and his wife Matilda of Boulogne stayed close to his maternal uncle King Henry I and spent much time in England realizing that Stephen was very close to the throne. Stephen’s mother Adela of Normandy and England was the daughter of William I, King of England (the Conqueror). Henry I’s daughter Empress Matilda had left England as a child to marry Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich V. The marriage was childless and Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich V died in 1125. After her husband’s death, Empress Matilda went to the royal court in the Duchy of Normandy (Kings of England were also Dukes of Normandy). Eventually, King Henry I made arrangements for his daughter to marry Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou in 1128. Empress Matilda and Geoffrey did not get along and their marriage was stormy with frequent, long separations but they did produce three sons, including Henry FitzEmpress, the future Henry II, King of England.

On December 1, 1135, King Henry I of England died. His nephew Stephen of Blois quickly crossed over the English Channel from the County of Boulogne, now in France, to England, accompanied by his military household. With the help of his brother Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester, Stephen seized power in England and was crowned King of England on December 22, 1135. However, Empress Matilda did not give up her claim to England and Normandy, leading to the long civil war known as The Anarchy between 1135 and 1153.

Geoffrey of Anjou, Empress Matilda’s husband, began a systematic conquest of the Duchy of Normandy. By 1143, Geoffrey secured all of Normandy west and south of the Seine River and he then assumed the title of Duke of Normandy. Geoffrey held the duchy until 1149 when he and Empress Matilda ceded it to their son Henry FitzEmpress.  In 1151, William’s brother Eustace and King Louis VII of France launched an invasion of the Duchy of Normandy. However, they were defeated by the troops of Henry FitzEmpress.

At a council held in London on April 6, 1152, King Stephen asked the barons to recognize his eldest son Eustace as their next king and to pay him homage. He wanted to follow the French practice of ensuring the succession by declaring his heir Eustace the junior king. The barons refused. By the early 1150s, after years of civil war, the barons and church leaders wanted long-term peace. Theobald of Bec, Archbishop of Canterbury refused to grant Stephen’s request to crown Eustace and Pope Eugene III refused to recognize Eustace as Stephen’s successor.

William’s mother Matilda I, Countess of Boulogne in her own right died on May 3, 1152, and her eldest son succeeded her as Eustace IV, Count of Boulogne. On August 17, 1153, Eustace, aged about twenty-three, died suddenly and William became Count of Boulogne. William was also the heir to the English throne for a short time. Shortly after Eustace’s death, on December 25, 1153, William’s father King Stephen and Henry FitzEmpress reached a formal agreement known as the Treaty of Wallingford. The treaty allowed King Stephen to keep the English throne until his death but forced him to recognize Empress Matilda’s son Henry FitzEmpress as his heir. Henry FitzEmpress guaranteed that William, Count of Boulogne would retain his possessions in England and Normandy, the lands of the House of Boulogne, and the lands of the House of Warenne.

William’s father King Stephen survived for a little more than a year after the death of Eustace, dying on October 25, 1154. A line of fourteen Plantagenet kings who ruled England until 1485 started with Henry FitzEmpress, now King Henry II of England. William did not attempt to oppose Henry II’s accession to the English throne. For the rest of his life, William remained loyal to King Henry II.

In 1159 William accompanied King Henry II on an unsuccessful invasion of the County of Toulouse, now in France. William died October 11, 1159, aged circa twenty-two, from an illness on the return trip to England, while still in the County of Toulouse. He was buried at the Abbey of Montmorel (link in French) in the Duchy of Normandy, now in France.

With William’s death, King Stephen’s male line died out. The County of Boulogne and other possessions of the Boulogne family were inherited by William’s only surviving sibling Marie of Blois who became Countess of Boulogne in her own right. In 1164, King Henry II arranged for William’s widow Isabella de Warenne to marry Hamelin of Anjou, the illegitimate son of Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou. Hamelin was, therefore, the half-brother of King Henry II and the uncle of his sons King Richard I and King John, and was prominent at their courts. Hamelin adopted the surname de Warenne, as did his descendants. Isabel and Hamelin had one son and three daughters. Isabel survived her first husband William of Blois, Count of Boulogne by forty-four years, dying on July 12, 1203, aged about sixty-six.

Sharon Kay Penman’s excellent historical fiction novel When Christ and His Saints Slept deals with The Anarchy and most of the historical figures mentioned here are characters.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Isabel de Warenne, Countess of Surrey – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabel_de_Warenne,_Countess_of_Surrey> [Accessed 19 July 2022].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2022. William I, Count of Boulogne – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_I,_Count_of_Boulogne> [Accessed 19 July 2022].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2016. King Stephen of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-stephen-of-england/> [Accessed 19 July 2022].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2014. Matilda of Boulogne, Queen of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/may-3-1152-death-of-matilda-of-boulogne-wife-of-king-stephen-of-england/> [Accessed 19 July 2022].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2015. The Sinking of the White Ship and How It Affected the English Succession. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/november-25-1120-the-sinking-of-the-white-ship-and-how-it-affected-the-english-succession/> [Accessed 19 July 2022].

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Born circa 1129, Eustace (of Blois) IV, Count of Boulogne was the second but the eldest surviving of the five children and the second but the eldest surviving of the three sons of Stephen I, King of England (born Stephen of Blois) and Matilda I, Countess of Boulogne in her own right. Boulogne was a county within the Kingdom of France from 896 – 1501, centered on the city of Boulogne-sur-Mer, a coastal city in Northern France.

Eustace’s paternal grandparents were Stephen II, Count of Blois and Adela of Normandy and England, a daughter of William I, King of England (the Conqueror). His maternal grandparents were Eustace III, Count of Boulogne and Mary of Scotland, daughter of King Malcolm III of Scotland and Saint Margaret of Scotland.

Eustace had four siblings. After the death of his elder brother Baldwin in 1135, Eustace became the heir of his father’s and mother’s lands.

• Baldwin of Blois (circa 1126 – 1135), died in childhood
• Matilda of Blois (circa 1133 – circa 1137), died in childhood
• Marie of Blois, Countess of Boulogne (circa 1136 – 1182) married Matthew of Alsace, had two daughters
• William of Blois, Count of Boulogne (circa 1137 –  1159) married Isabel de Warenne, 4th Countess of Surrey, no children

In 1120, a terrible tragedy caused a succession crisis in England. The White Ship, carrying King Henry I of England’s only legitimate son William Ætheling, sank as it left France to sail to England, and William Ætheling was among the estimated 300 passengers who drowned. Empress Matilda was then King Henry I’s only legitimate child. On Christmas Day in 1126, Henry I had his barons swear to recognize Empress Matilda and any future legitimate heirs she might have as his successors.

• Unofficial Royalty: The Sinking of the White Ship and How It Affected the English Succession

Stephen and his wife Matilda of Boulogne stayed close to his maternal uncle King Henry I and spent much time in England realizing that Stephen was very close to the throne. Stephen’s mother Adela of Normandy and England was the daughter of William I, King of England (the Conqueror). Henry I’s daughter Empress Matilda had left England as a child to marry Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich V. The marriage was childless and Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich V died in 1125. After her husband’s death, Empress Matilda went to the royal court in the Duchy of Normandy (Kings of England were also Dukes of Normandy). Eventually, King Henry I made arrangements for his daughter to marry Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou in 1128. Empress Matilda and Geoffrey did not get along and their marriage was stormy with frequent, long separations but they did produce three sons, including Henry FitzEmpress, the future Henry II, King of England.

On December 1, 1135, King Henry I of England died. His nephew Stephen quickly crossed over the English Channel from the County of Boulogne, now in France, to England, accompanied by his military household. With the help of his brother Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester, Stephen seized power in England and was crowned King of England on December 22, 1135. Eustace was now also the heir apparent to the throne of the Kingdom of England and the Duchy of Normandy, However, Empress Matilda did not give up her claim to England and Normandy, leading to the long civil war known as The Anarchy between 1135 and 1153.

In 1137, as heir apparent to the English throne, Eustace did homage for the Duchy of Normandy to King Louis VII of France, whose sister, Constance of France, he subsequently married in 1140. Eustance and Constance had no children. However, Geoffrey of Anjou, Empress Matilda’s husband, began a systematic conquest of the Duchy of Normandy. By 1143, Geoffrey secured all of Normandy west and south of the Seine River and assumed the title of Duke of Normandy. Geoffrey held the duchy until 1149 when he and Empress Matilda ceded it to their son Henry FitzEmpress

Eustace was knighted in 1147. By this time he was sixteen or seventeen years old and he began to take a more active part in the civil war. In 1151, Eustace and King Louis VII of France launched an invasion of the Duchy of Normandy. However, they were defeated by the troops of Henry FitzEmpress.

At a council held in London on April 6, 1152, Stephen asked the barons to recognize Eustace as their next king and to pay him homage. He wanted to follow the French practice of ensuring the succession by declaring his heir Eustace the junior king. The barons refused. By the early 1150s, after years of civil war, most barons and church leaders wanted long-term peace. Theobald of Bec, Archbishop of Canterbury refused to grant Stephen’s request to crown Eustace and Pope Eugene III refused to recognize Eustace as Stephen’s successor. However, Eustace’s mother Matilda I, Countess of Boulogne died of a fever on May 3, 1152, and her eldest son succeeded her as Eustace IV, Count of Boulogne.

Finally, the armies of Henry FitzEmpress and King Stephen of England met at Wallingford in Oxfordshire, England. Pressured by the barons, Stephen called a ceasefire and agreed to a truce, over the objections of his son Eustace. Eustace flew into a rage and plundered church lands of the Abbey of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, England.

On August 17, 1153, Eustace, aged about twenty-three, died suddenly in Bury St. Edmunds.  Various chroniclers of the time attribute Eustace’s death to the wrath of God for plundering church lands, a fever, a fit of madness, or poisoning. Eustace was buried in Faversham Abbey in Faversham, Kent, England, founded by his parents who were also buried there. All three tombs were lost when Faversham Abbey was demolished during the Dissolution of the Monasteries during the reign of King Henry VIII. Their remains were reportedly thrown into the nearby Faversham Creek. Their empty tombs were unearthed in 1964 near what had been the center of the choir. At St. Mary of Charity Church, the parish church in Faversham, there is a tomb where it is said that the remains of King Stephen, his wife Matilda of Boulogne, and his son Eustace were reinterred after the destruction of Faversham Abbey.

Shortly after Eustace’s death, King Stephen and Henry FitzEmpress reached a formal agreement known as the Treaty of Wallingford. The treaty allowed Stephen to keep the throne until his death but forced him to recognize Empress Matilda’s son Henry FitzEmpress, as his heir. King Stephen survived for a little more than a year after the death of Eustace, dying apparently of appendicitis at Dover Castle on October 25, 1154, and a line of fourteen Plantagenet kings who ruled England until 1485 started, with Henry FitzEmpress, now King Henry II of England. Ironically, on August 17, 1153, the day of Eustace’s death, the first child of Henry FitzEmpress, the future King Henry II, and his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine was born. The child, William IX, Count of Poitiers, survived for only two years, but he was followed by seven siblings, two of whom became Kings of England, King Richard I (the Lionheart) and King John.

Sharon Kay Penman’s excellent historical fiction novel When Christ and His Saints Slept deals with The Anarchy and most of the historical figures mentioned here are characters.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Eustace IV, Count of Boulogne – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eustace_IV,_Count_of_Boulogne> [Accessed 14 July 2022].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2016. King Stephen of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-stephen-of-england/> [Accessed 14 July 2022].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2014. Matilda of Boulogne, Queen of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/may-3-1152-death-of-matilda-of-boulogne-wife-of-king-stephen-of-england/> [Accessed 14 July 2022].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2015. The Sinking of the White Ship and How It Affected the English Succession. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/november-25-1120-the-sinking-of-the-white-ship-and-how-it-affected-the-english-succession/> [Accessed 14 July 2022].
• Fr.wikipedia.org. 2022. Eustache IV de Boulogne — Wikipédia. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eustache_IV_de_Boulogne> [Accessed 14 July 2022].
• Williamson, David, 1996. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell.

• The Order of Service for the State Funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
• Unofficial Royalty: When The British Monarch Dies: The State Funeral
• Unofficial Royalty: When The British Monarch Dies: The Burial
• Unofficial Royalty: Westminster Abbey in London, England
• Unofficial Royalty: St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
• Unofficial Royalty: St. George’s Chapel, Windsor: Royal Burials

This is the first time since the funeral of King George II in 1760 that the funeral of a British monarch has been held at Westminster Abbey. The funerals of British monarchs from King George III to King George VI, Queen Elizabeth II’s father, were held at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor.

• The Lying-in-State of Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin at Westminster Hall will end at 6:30 AM British Time, 1:30 AM US Eastern Time as the final members of the public will be admitted.
• At 10:44 AM British Time, 5:44 AM US Eastern Time, the coffin will travel in procession on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy the short distance from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey for the State Funeral. King Charles III, members of the Royal Family, and members of The King’s Household will follow the coffin. The procession will arrive at Westminster Abbey eight minutes later. The coffin will be lifted from the State Gun Carriage and carried into Westminster Abbey for the State Funeral Service.
• The State Funeral Service will be conducted by David Hoyle, Dean of Westminster. During the Service, Prime Minister Liz Truss and Secretary General of the Commonwealth Patricia Scotland, Baroness Scotland of Asthal will read Lessons. Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York; Vincent Nichols, Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster; Iain Greenshields, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland; and Helen Cameron, Free Churches Moderator will say Prayers. The Sermon will be given by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, who will also give the Commendation. The Dean of Westminster will then pronounce the Blessing. Two Minutes Silence will be observed in Westminster Abbey and throughout the United Kingdom. The National Anthem will be sung and the State Funeral Service will end at approximately 12 noon British Time, 7:00 AM US Eastern Time.
• After the State Funeral Service, the coffin will be carried out of Westminster Abbey and returned to the State Gun Carriage. There will be a procession to Wellington Arch, Hyde Park Corner which King Charles III and members of the Royal Family will follow. Guns will be fired every minute in Hyde Park and Big Ben will toll throughout the duration of the procession.
• The procession will arrive at Wellington Arch at approximately 1:00 PM British Time, 8:00 AM US Eastern Time. The coffin will be transferred to a hearse for the trip to St. George’s Chapel in Windsor where the burial will take place. As the hearse departs, there will be a Royal Salute and the National Anthem will be played. King Charles III and members of the Royal Family will then travel to Windsor by car.
• When the coffin reaches Windsor, the hearse will join a procession on Albert Road and travel along the Long Walk to St.George’s Chapel, Windsor for the Committal Service.
• Members of the Royal Family will join the procession in the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle. Guns will be fired each minute on the East Lawn of Windsor Castle and bells will toll. The procession will end at the bottom of the West Steps of St. George’s Chapel. The coffin will be carried in procession into the chapel.
• The Committal Service will begin at 4:00 PM British Time, 11:00 AM US Eastern Time. The congregation will include King Charles III, members of the Royal Family, past and present members of The Queen’s Household, including from the private estates, Governors-General, and Commonwealth Realm Prime Ministers. The service will be conducted by David Conner, Dean of Windsor, with prayers said by The Reverand Canon Jonathan Riviere, Rector of Sandringham; Kenneth Mackenzie, Minister of Crathie Kirk; and Martin Poll, Chaplain of Windsor Great Park.
• Before the final hymn, the Imperial State Crown, the Orb, and the Sceptre will be removed from the coffin, and placed on the altar. After the final hymn, King Charles III will place The Queen’s Company Camp Colour of the Grenadier Guards on the coffin and Andrew Parker, Baron Parker of Minsmere, The Lord Chamberlain, the most senior officer of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, will break his Wand of Office and place it on the coffin.
• As the coffin is lowered into the Royal Vault, the Dean of Windsor will say a Psalm and the Commendation followed by David White, Garter King of Arms pronouncing Her Majesty’s styles and titles. The Sovereign’s Piper will play a Lament and The Archbishop of Canterbury will pronounce the Blessing. The National Anthem will be sung at the conclusion of the Committal Service.
• A private burial will take place in the King George VI Memorial Chapel at St. George’s Chapel later in the evening, conducted by the Dean of Windsor in which Queen Elizabeth II will be buried together with her husband Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh in the King George VI Memorial Chapel where The Queen’s parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and the ashes of her sister Princess Margaret are buried.

On Saturday, all eight grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II stood vigil at her coffin – From left to right, going around the coffin: Zara Tindall, Lady Louise-Mountbatten-Windsor, Princess Beatrice, The Duke of Sussex, Princess Eugenie, Viscount Severn, Peter Phillips, and The Prince of Wales (both partially hidden)

• Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin will lie in state for the fourth full day in Westminster Hall, where people will be able to pay their respects.
• King Charles III will hold an audience with Prime Minister Liz Truss at Buckingham Palace.
• King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla will also host heads of state and official overseas guests for an official state event at Buckingham Palace.
• A one-minute silence will be held across the United Kingdom at 8:00 PM British Time, 3:00 PM US Eastern Time. People can observe the silence privately in their own homes, on the street with neighbors, or at community events and vigils.

All eight grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II stood vigil at her coffin – From left to right, going around the coffin: Zara Tindall, Lady Louise-Mountbatten-Windsor, Princess Beatrice, The Duke of Sussex, Princess Eugenie, Viscount Severn, Peter Phillips, and The Prince of Wales (both partially hidden)

• Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin lay in state for the third full day in Westminster Hall, where people were able to pay their respects.
• At 7:00 PM British Time, 2:00 PM US Eastern Time, Queen Elizabeth II’s eight grandchildren The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Sussex, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, and Viscount Severn held a vigil around the coffin of their grandmother.

• Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin will lie in state for the second full day in Westminster Hall, where people will be able to pay their respects.
• King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla will travel to Wales. They will attend a service at Llandaff Cathedral in Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales. After the service, Charles and Camilla will greet schoolchildren and members of the public. The King and Queen Consort will be presented with a Motion of Condolence at the Senedd (the Welsh Parliament) in Cardiff Bay and they will have a chance to read condolence messages. King Charles III will have a private audience with First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford and the Llywydd (Presiding Officer) of the Senedd Elin Jones at Cardiff Castle. The King and The Queen Consort will have a reception with guests from local organizations, charities, and members of faith communities.
• At 7:30 PM British Time, 2:30 PM US Eastern Time, King Charles III, The Princess Royal, The Duke of York, and The Earl of Wessex will hold a vigil around the coffin of The Queen.

The lying-in-state of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall

Operation London Bridge was the codename for the detailed set of plans following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The plans had long been planned in consultation with the Government. The following is what happened on Thursday, September 15, 2022.

Thursday, September 15, 2022, is the first full day that Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin lay in state in Westminster Hall. Hundreds of thousands of mourners paid their respects until 6:30 AM on Monday, September 19, 2022, the day of the funeral.

• Unofficial Royalty: Westminster Hall
• Unofficial Royalty: Lying in State in Westminster Hall

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

On the River Thames in London sits the Palace of Westminster, commonly known as the Houses of Parliament, the meeting place of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The building we see today was built after a fire destroyed the medieval Palace of Westminster in 1834. The first royal palace was built on the site in the 11th century and was the primary residence of the Kings of England until a fire destroyed much of the palace in 1512. After that, it served as the home of Parliament. Westminster Hall, built in 1097, survived both fires. It was saved from the fire of 1834 because of the actions of the floating fire engine on the River Thames and also because a change in the wind direction kept the flames away.

This writer has visited Westminster Hall and can attest that it is an impressive structure even today. It was built during the reign of King William II Rufus, the son of King William I the Conqueror. At the time it was built in 1097, it was the largest hall in Europe. It measures 240 by 67 feet (73 by 20 meters) and has an area of 16,080 square feet (1,460 square meters). Originally the roof was flat, but during the reign of King Richard II, the flat roof was replaced by a spectacular hammerbeam roof created by the royal carpenter Hugh Herland. The hammerbeam roof has been called the greatest creation of medieval timber architecture.

Major Events that took place in Westminster Hall

Lying-In-State

Although Westminster Hall has existed for more than 900 years, it only became the site for lyings-in-state towards the end of the nineteenth century. The first lying-in-state to be held there was for Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone in 1898. It is thought that the lying-in-state was held in Westminster Hall rather than a religious building because of Gladstone’s long association with the Palace of Westminster, where he served as a Member of Parliament for sixty-four years. Queen Victoria did not want a lying-in-state and so her son and heir King Edward VII was the first monarch to have a lying-in-state at Westminster Hall.

Lying-in-state of William Ewart Gladstone

1898 – William Ewart Gladstone – served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom four times during the reign of Queen Victoria: 1868 – 1874, 1880 – 1885, February 1886 – July 1886, and 1892 – 1894.

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1910 – King Edward VII

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1914 – Field Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts – British Victorian era general who became one of the most successful British military commanders of his time.

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Lying-in-state of King George V

1936 – King George V

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Lying-in-state of King George VI

1952 – King George VI

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Lying-in-state of Queen Mary

1953 – Queen Mary, wife of King George V

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Lying-in-state of Sir Winston Churchill

1965 – Sir Winston Churchill – Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1940 – 1945, during the Second World War, and 1951 – 1955

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Lying-in-state of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother with her four grandsons standing guard

2002 – Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, wife of King George VI

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Lying-in-state of Queen Elizabeth II

2022 – Queen Elizabeth II

Coronation Banquets

From 1189 to 1821, Westminster Hall was the traditional venue for coronation banquets honoring newly-crowned monarchs. The earliest recorded coronation banquets at Westminster Hall were those of two sons of King Henry II:

1170 – Henry the Young King – King Henry II decided to adopt the French practice of ensuring the succession by declaring his heir the junior king and having him crowned at Westminster Abbey in 1170. His son, called Henry the Young King, was not the actual monarch, but he still had a coronation banquet at Westminster Hall. Henry the Young King never became King of England because he predeceased his father dying in 1183 at the age of twenty-eight.

1189 – King Richard II, known as the Lionheart, became the heir of his father King Henry II after the death of his elder brother Henry the Young King. He succeeded his father in 1189.

Coronation banquets continued through the reign of King George IV who had the last coronation banquet in 1821. His brother and his successor King William IV, eliminated coronation banquets because he thought they were too expensive.

Queen Consorts crowned separately from their husbands also had coronation banquets, from Eleanor of Provence, the wife of King Henry III in 1236, to Anne Boleyn, the second of the six wives of King Henry VIII in 1533.

Famous State Trials

Westminster Hall was often used for judicial purposes and was the setting for some of the most famous state trials in British history.

1305 – State trial of William Wallace, one of the main leaders during the First War of Scottish Independence. He was hanged, drawn, and quartered for high treason.

1535 – State trial of Sir Thomas More, English lawyer, judge, social philosopher, author, statesman, King Henry VIII’s Lord High Chancellor. More opposed King Henry VIII’s separation from the Catholic Church. He refused to acknowledge King Henry VIII as Supreme Head of the Church of England and refused to recognize the annulment of Henry VIII’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon. After refusing to take the Oath of Supremacy, More was convicted of treason and executed by beheading.

1535 – State trial of Cardinal John Fisher – a Catholic bishop, cardinal, and theologian. Fisher was charged with treason for denying that King Henry VIII was the Supreme Head of the Church of England. He was hanged, drawn, and quartered for high treason.

1606 – State trial of Guy Fawkes, a member of a group of English Catholics involved in the failed Gunpowder Plot to blow up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament while King James I was in attendance. Fawkes and seven co-conspirators were tried for high treason and executed.

1641 – State trial of Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, a member of Parliament and a supporter of King Charles I. King Charles I, who believed in the divine right of kings, decided to govern without Parliament, beginning eleven years of personal rule. During Charles’ personal rule, Strafford was one of Charles’ most influential advisers. When Parliament was finally summoned again in 1640, the Members of Parliament demanded the execution of Stafford. King Charles I signed the death warrant, but never forgave himself.

1649 – State Trial of King Charles I – On January 4, 1642, King Charles I committed the unprecedented act of entering the House of Commons with an armed guard and demanding the arrest of five Members of Parliament. There was a great public outcry, Charles fled London, and Civil War appeared inevitable. On August 22, 1642, at Nottingham, Charles raised the Royal Standard and called for his loyal subjects to support him, and the Civil War between the Royalists or Cavaliers (Charles’ supporters) and the Roundheads (Parliament’s supporters) had begun. On January 20, 1649, King Charles I was tried for treason and other high crimes before a tribunal of 135 judges. He refused to enter a plea because he believed no court could try a king. He was found guilty and sentenced to death. Ten days later, King Charles I was beheaded.

1716 – State trial of Scottish lords who took part in the 1715 Jacobite uprising who were accused of high treason: James Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Derwentwater (beheaded); William Maxwell, 5th Earl of Nithsdale (escaped from the Tower of London the night before his execution); Robert Dalzell, 5th Earl of Carnwath (execution was first delayed, then in 1717 remitted by the Indemnity Act); William Widdrington, 4th Baron Widdrington (condemned to death but was reprieved); William Gordon, 6th Viscount of Kenmure (beheaded); and William Murray, 2nd Lord Nairne (execution was first delayed, then in 1717 remitted by the Indemnity Act)

1746 – State trial of Scottish lords who took part in the 1745 Jacobite uprising who were accused of high treason: William Boyd, 4th Earl of Kilmarnock (executed), Arthur Elphinstone, 6th Lord Balmerino (executed)

1747 – State trial of Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat – In 1715, Lord Lovat had been a supporter of the House of Hanover, but in 1745 he changed sides and supported the Stuart claim to the British crown. His punishment of a traitor’s death by hanging, drawing, and quartering was commuted by King George II to beheading. Lord Lovat’s execution was the last execution by beheading in Great Britain.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Palace of Westminster – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Westminster#Westminster_Hall> [Accessed 14 September 2022].
• UK Parliament. 2022. Westminster Hall. [online] Available at: <https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/building/palace/westminsterhall/> [Accessed 14 September 2022].

Operation London Bridge was the codename for the detailed set of plans following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The plans had long been planned in consultation with the Government. The following is what happened on Wednesday, September 14, 2022.

Unofficial Royalty: Lying in State in Westminster Hall
Unofficial Royalty: Westminster Hall

• Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin was moved from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, where the Queen lay in state for four days. Built in 1097 during the reign of King William II Rufus, Westminster Hall is the oldest existing part of the Palace of Westminster. The roof was probably originally supported by pillars but was replaced by a beautiful wood hammerbeam roof during the reign of King Richard II in 1390s.

• The Queen’s coffin left Buckingham Palace at 2:22 PM British Time, 9:22 AM US Eastern Time. King Charles III, his sons The Prince of Wales and The Duke of Sussex, and his siblings The Princess Royal, The Duke of York, and the Earl of Wessex walked behind the coffin. Also walking behind the coffin will be Princess Anne’s husband Sir Timothy Laurence, Princess Anne’s son Peter Phillips, the Queen’s nephew David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon, and the Queen’s first cousin Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester. The Queen Consort, The Princess of Wales, The Duchess of Sussex, and the Countess of Wessex traveled by car.
• The coffin was carried on a gun carriage of The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, and the Imperial State Crown sat atop the coffin. Guns were fired at Hyde Park and Big Ben tolled.
• Crowds were able to view the procession along Queen’s Gardens, The Mall, Horse Guards and Horse Guards Arch, Whitehall, Parliament Street, Parliament Square, and New Palace Yard.
• The coffin reached Westminster Hall at 3:00 PM British Time, 10:00 AM US Eastern Time. It was placed on a raised platform. Each corner of the platform was guarded 24 hours a day by soldiers from units that serve the Royal Household.
• Members of the public were able to pay their respects to the Queen’s coffin, 24 hours a day until 6:30 AM British Time on Monday, September 19, 2022, the day of the funeral.