Despite the light streaming through the stained glass windows, illuminating the religious scenes depicted on the windows, the interior of the abbey remained dimly lit. Alan mused that there must be hardly a see or abbey in England whose bishop or abbot had stayed at home, and there were also substantial numbers of Norman clergy in attendance. The English included both archbishops, and most of the seventeen bishops- Durham, Winchester, London, Wells, Cambridge and many more, including all four of the monastic sees of Christ Church Canterbury, Old Minster Winchester, Worcester and Sherborne. The Normans included Geoffrey of Coutances and the bishops of Caen, Rouen, Ely and Pointiers. Also present, of course, was Odo of Bayeux, the king’s half-brother. There were too many abbots and abbesses, priors and prioresses to conveniently count.
The Benedictine monks in the choir chanted alternately through the antiphon while the congregation was sprinkled with lustral water. Then followed the Acts of Penitence, the Kyrie (sung in Greek), Gloria, the Liturgy, and so through the familiar steps of the service. The whole service was spoken or sung in Latin or Greek, who caused no difficulty for the Normans, due to their familiarity with the service even if they didn’t understand the words, or the more educated of the English. A regiment of priests attended to distribution of the host at seven altars, three altars in each transept and at the high altar. The high altar was used by the clergy and the assembled nobles, and the side-altars by the hoi polloi.
Alan could not help but mentally compare this theatrical performance with the simple ceremonies that would be taking place, conducted in English, at this moment in the manor churches at Thorrington and Staunton.
Finally, after the Dismissal, the candles on the altars were extinguished and the archbishop and his deans and acolytes departed in procession. The remainder of the clergy and the congregation stayed in their places awaiting Stigand’s return and the coronation. Two ornate chairs were placed before the high altar, slightly to one side.
After several minutes Stigand returned, dressed in different and more ornate vestments. He was joined by Archbishop Ealdred of York, Wulfstan the bishop of Worcester, William the bishop of London and Odo the bishop of Bayeux. King William and Matilda rose in dignity from their seats at the front of the Nave and proceeded, after making obeisance before the altar, to be seated facing the crowd. Matilda’s tiny body, barely four feet two inches tall, was dwarfed by that of her husband, who was a man of above average height and solid build. During this time the Benedictine monks had been singing various religious musical pieces in plainchant.
As silence fell Archbishop Ealdred approached the Lectern and gave a speech lasting for some fifteen minutes extolling the importance of the position of queen, the vice-regality of the position, Matilda’s own virtues of integrity, honour, decency and dignity- together with the fact that she had already given the king several heirs. Archbishop Stigand led the congregation in a series of prayers for her continued health and the assistance and support she would bring to her husband the king. As she was not to be crowned monarch, the ceremony did not proceed as a coronation as such, but rather as a crowning. Matilda and William rose and then knelt side by side at the high altar. Matilda was anointed with chrism and blessed by Stigand, who then raised a small golden crown high in the air before placing in on Matilda’s head. After several more prayers William and Matilda rose to face the crowd and the shouts of ‘Vivre la Reine! Vivre le Roi!’ rent the air, repeated many times.
With Matilda’s hand on William’s arm they proceeded at a sedate pace out of the side entrance in the North Transept, closest to the palace located just to the east of the abbey. After they had departed the assembled clergy rose and exited via another side door to the west and into the Cloisters, before the congregation began to disperse. Most departed out of the main doors to the south, but the members of the Curia and other notables had been invited to a feast to be held in the Hall of Westminster, part of the palace, and they also departed via the northern exit.
It was a walk of just a few paces in the sun before they entered the expanse of the Great Hall. The massive open space with its high vaulted ceiling was already thronged with the rich and important of the kingdom. Anne was fatigued after standing for so long whilst pregnant and her back hurt, so Alan found her a chair against the wall with a small group of other ladies and went in search of Regenbald the Chancellor. He found him in conversation with Roger de Montgomerie and Robert of Eu, together with some lesser nobles, and eventually managed to whisper in his ear that he needed a word in private. After several minutes Regenbald took his leave from the others and directed Alan into a small room near the Exchequer.
“And what can I do for you, young man?” asked the Chancellor.
“The king may well be aware of this already, but I have heard word that there’s been a meeting between Earl Edwin of Mercia, Earl Morcar of Northumbria, Earl Gospatric and agents of Edgar the Aetheling, King Swein of Denmark and King Bleddyn of Wales,” advised Alan.
“The king indeed has a good information network, which reports through me, and is aware of this,” replied Regenbald. “Indeed, these men have also been on contact with others including King Diarmid of Ireland, King Malcolm of Scotland and the illegitimate sons of Harold who fled to Ireland. However, I do thank you for your information and your concern,” he said, clapping Alan on the shoulder. “It’s nice to have some loyal men in the kingdom! The king is, of course a past master at politics and knows how to deal with disloyalty and outside invasion threats, based on his time as duke. Extra information, or confirmation of what we have heard elsewhere, is always welcome, so please pass on whatever information you receive.”
Alan inclined his head in acknowledgement of Regenbald’s compliment. “What’s he going to do about it?” he asked.
“Give them enough rope to hang themselves,” Regenbald answered with a wry smile. “The real problem would come if Philip of France invades Normandy, or Fulk invades Maine, while William is busy here in England. Fighting a war on two fronts would be difficult.”
“I don’t understand why men who have retained their wealth, power and prestige would risk it all. Cospatric will have just paid a fortune to buy his earldom, which he risks throwing away. It’s not as if anybody except either Edgar the Aeltheling or Swein of Denmark would be crowned king. Edwin, Morcar and Cospatric would still remain earls.”
“But they would have more influence and be given more lands, here in the south. After all Godwin was ‘just’ an earl, but he ran the kingdom because King Edward was so weak. I think that these crows expect to be able to exert similar influence over Edgar. The men of the north hate King William and the Normans, but it’s not personal. They would hate any English king from the south also, except possible the Aetheling. Harold they accepted because he went north with a small force and negotiated with them- but they still revolted against him, even his own brother Tostig. That’s been the curse of the English for so long, the inability of its noble families to see beyond their own interests and to loyally support the monarch. There are many more who have accepted the situation and come to an accommodation. These are mainly men of lesser station, but also apparently Earl Waltheof, and your friends Thorkel of Arden and Eadnoth the Staller who both have enough lands to qualify as barons even though they do not formally hold that station. Now if you’ll excuse me, the king and his new queen will shortly be making their entrance into the Hall and I’m expected to be there to act as Master of Ceremonies.”