The Thistle Chapel, located in

St Giles' Cathedral St Giles' Cathedral (), or the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in the Old Town, Edinburgh, Old Town of Edinburgh. The current building was begun in the 14th century and extended until the early 16th century; ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, is the chapel of the

Order of the Thistle The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland, who asserted that he was reviving an earlier order. The ...

. At the foundation of the

in 1687,

James VII James II and VII (14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701) was King of England and Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II, on 6 February 1685, until he was deposed in the 1688 Glor ...

ordered

Holyrood Abbey Holyrood Abbey is a ruined abbey of the Canons Regular in Edinburgh, Scotland. The abbey was founded in 1128 by David I of Scotland. During the 15th century, the abbey guesthouse was developed into a List of British royal residences, royal r ...

be fitted out as a chapel for the Knights. At James' deposition the following year, a mob destroyed the Chapel's interior before the Knights ever met there. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, multiple proposals were made either to refurbish Holyrood Abbey for the Order of the Thistle or to create a chapel within

. In 1906, after the sons

Ronald Leslie-Melville, 11th Earl of Leven Ronald Ruthven Leslie-Melville, 11th Earl of Leven and 10th Earl of Melville, (19 December 1835 – 21 August 1906) was a Scottish nobleman. Early life The son of the John Thornton Leslie-Melville, 9th Earl of Leven and his second wife, Sophia ...

donated £24,000 from their late father's estate,

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second child ...

ordered a new Chapel to be constructed on the south side of St Giles'. The Trustees appointed by the King to oversee the Chapel's construction appointed

Robert Lorimer Sir Robert Stodart Lorimer, Order of the British Empire, KBE (4 November 1864 – 13 September 1929) was a prolific Scotland, Scottish architect and furniture designer noted for his sensitive restorations of historic houses and castles, f ...

as architect. The Trustees insisted the choice of craftspeople should reflect the national character of the Chapel. Lorimer assembled a team of leading figures in the Scottish

Arts and Crafts movement The Arts and Crafts movement was an international trend in the decorative and fine arts that developed earliest and most fully in the British Isles and subsequently spread across the British Empire and to the rest of Europe and America. Initiat ...

, including

Phoebe Anna Traquair Phoebe Anna Traquair (; 24 May 1852 – 4 August 1936) was an Irish-born artist, who achieved international recognition for her role in the Arts and Crafts movement in Scotland, as an illustrator, painter and embroiderer. Her works included larg ...

for enamelwork,

Douglas Strachan Douglas Strachan Hon. RSA (26 May 1875, Aberdeen, Scotland – 20 November 1950) is considered the most significant Scottish designer of stained glass windows in the 20th century. He is best known for his windows at the Peace Palace in The Hagu ...

for

stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...

, Joseph Hayes for ornate stonework (and much of the woodwork), and the brothers William and Alexander Clow for other woodwork.

Louis Davis Louis Davis may refer to: * Chip Davis (born 1947), born Louis F. Davis, American musician * Louis Davis (architect) (1884–1962), American architect * Louis Davis (painter) (1860–1941), British artist See also * Lou Davis (1881–1961), Americ ...

– who supplied stained glass – and the

Bromsgrove Guild The Bromsgrove Guild of Applied Arts (1898–1966) was a company of modern artists and designers associated with the Arts and Crafts Movement, but which also embraced other major design motifs. Founded by Walter Gilbert, the guild worke ...

– who supplied

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...

fittings – were the only major contributors based outside Scotland. Construction began in November 1909 and the Chapel was completed a little over a year later. After its official opening in July 1911,

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. George w ...

knighted Lorimer for his work. Through the continuing addition of stall plates, crests, and

banner A banner can be a flag or another piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or another message. A flag whose design is the same as the shield in a coat of arms (but usually in a square or rectangular shape) is called a banner of arms. Also, ...

s for new Knights, the Chapel's tradition of craftsmanship persists to the present day. The Knights of the Thistle meet in the Chapel at least once a year. Architectural critics have noted Lorimer's successful use of a limited site to create a soaring work of

Gothic architecture Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High Middle Ages, High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved f ...

, rich with architectural details. A number of critics have emphasised the Chapel's importance as a product of the

, in which the collaborative craftsmanship of individual artisans defines the overall effect. Some critics have also emphasised the Chapel's political role as an expression of Scottish patriotism,

British imperialism The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts establish ...

, and monarchism.

History

Holyrood Abbey

On 29 May 1687,

founded the

and issued a warrant to designate

the chapel of the new order. This change of purpose necessitated the eventual removal of the Abbey's

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland (CoS; ; ) is a Presbyterian denomination of Christianity that holds the status of the national church in Scotland. It is one of the country's largest, having 245,000 members in 2024 and 259,200 members in 2023. While mem ...

congregation to the

Canongate Kirk The Kirk of the Canongate, or Canongate Kirk, serves the Parish of Canongate in Edinburgh's Old Town, in Scotland. It is a congregation of the Church of Scotland. The parish includes the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Scottish Parliament. It i ...

.Burnett in Blair et al. 2009, p. 9. In the seventeen months after the publication of the warrant, William Bruce oversaw the transformation of the Abbey: an altar and black and white marble floor were added and classical stalls were shipped from London. The Order of the Thistle never met in its new chapel: on 10 December 1688, in the wake of James' deposition, a mob from Edinburgh destroyed the furnishings.Burnett in Burnett and Hodgson 2000, p. 6.

Proposals for a new chapel

Although the order was revived in 1703 by Queen Anne, no chapel was designated. In 1728, the antiquarian William Douglas suggested the ruins of St Rule's Church in the grounds of

St Andrews Cathedral The Cathedral of St Andrew (often referred to as St Andrews Cathedral) is a ruined cathedral in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. It was built in 1158 and became the centre of the Medieval Catholic Church in Scotland as the seat of the Archdiocese o ...

be restored as a chapel for the order. Proposals to locate the chapel of the Order in St Giles' go back to 1872, when Secretary of the Order corresponded with the committee for the then-ongoing restoration of the church. In 1879 and 1882, Lindsay Mackersy, session clerk of the High Kirk, and the

kirk session A session (from the Latin word ''sessio'', which means "to sit", as in sitting to deliberate or talk about something; sometimes called ''consistory'' or ''church board'') is a body of elected elders governing a particular church within presbyte ...

proposed the south transept of St Giles' as a chapel for the Order. None of these proposals proved practical.Burnett in Blair et al. 2009, pp. 9–10. In 1836,

James Gillespie Graham James Gillespie Graham (11 June 1776 – 21 March 1855) was a Scottish architect, prominent in the early 19th century. Much of his work was Scottish baronial in style. A prominent example is Ayton Castle. He also worked in the Gothic Revival ...

and

Augustus Pugin Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin ( ; 1 March 1812 – 14 September 1852) was an English architect, designer, artist and critic with French and Swiss origins. He is principally remembered for his pioneering role in the Gothic Revival architecture ...

had drawn up plans to restore Holyrood Abbey as the chapel of the Order. Although Graham and Pugin's plans were not acted upon at the time, the same ambition was advanced in 1905, when

set up a fund of £40,000 to restore Holyrood Abbey for the Order of the Thistle. On investigation by Thomas Ross, the restoration of Holyrood Abbey was found to be impossible.Burnett in Blair et al. 2009, p. 10.

Construction

Upon the Earl's death in 1906, the fund reverted to his sons, who offered £22,000 and an endowment of £2,000 to construct a new chapel.

appointed

William Montagu Douglas Scott, 6th Duke of Buccleuch William Henry Walter Montagu Douglas Scott, 6th Duke of Buccleuch and 8th Duke of Queensberry (9 September 1831 – 5 November 1914) was a Scottish Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament and Peerage of Scotland, peer. He was ...

;

Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, 1st Earl of Midlothian (7 May 1847 – 21 May 1929) was a British Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from March 1894 to June 1895. Between the death of h ...

;

John David Melville, 12th Earl of Leven John David Leslie-Melville, 12th Earl of Leven (5 April 1886 – 11 June 1913) (known as Lord Balgonie from 1889 to 1906) was a Scottish soldier and banker who served as a Scottish representative peer. Early life Leslie-Melville was born on 5 Ap ...

; and

Schomberg Kerr McDonnell Major Sir Schomberg Kerr McDonnell, (22 March 1861 – 23 November 1915)McDONNELL, Hon. Sir Schomberg Kerr’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2016; was a British Army officer, politician, and civil se ...

as trustees with Thomas Ross as architectural consultant. The King instructed to the Trustees to write to the kirk session of St. Giles' with the suggestion that a new chapel for the Order be housed in the Cathedral; on 12 March 1909, the Cathedral authorities gratefully accepted this offer. The Trustees appointed

as architect. The King approved Lorimer's plans and the first building contract was signed on 24 August 1909 with the foundation stone being laid on 6 November that year. The sculptor appointed by Lorimer to execute the elaborate carving was Joseph Hayes. The Chapel was completed by the autumn of 1910 in time for the first St Andrew's Day gathering of the Knights. The Chapel was formally opened amidst much ceremony on 19 July 1911 by

. At the opening, police hid in the boiler room beneath the Chapel to guard against the threat of vandalism by

suffragette A suffragette was a member of an activist women's organisation in the early 20th century who, under the banner "Votes for Women", fought for the right to vote in public elections in the United Kingdom. The term refers in particular to members ...

s. At the end of the ceremony, the King received the Chapel's craftspeople and Lorimer was shortly afterwards knighted for his work.Burnett in Blair et al. 2009, p. 11. The Trustees insisted that "the Thistle Chapel is a national thing" and that, as such, preference should be shown to Scottish artisans.Cumming in Blair et al. 2009, p. 39. In line with the

's emphasis on craftsmanship and collaboration, Lorimer had already assembled a largely Edinburgh-based team of artisans. Of the major contributors to the Chapel, only

– who designed the heraldic stained glass – and the

– who supplied decorative metalwork – were based outside Scotland.Boreham in Blair et al. 2009, p. 16. The speed with which the Chapel was completed is, in large part, due to the skill of this team of craftspeople.

Subsequent history

The former boiler room in the

undercroft An undercroft is traditionally a cellar or storage room, often brick-lined and Vault (architecture), vaulted, and used for storage in buildings since medieval times. In modern usage, an undercroft is generally a ground (street-level) area whi ...

of the Chapel was redeveloped in 1982 by

Bernard Feilden Sir Bernard Melchior Feilden Order of the British Empire, CBE Royal Institute of British Architects, FRIBA (11 September 1919 – 14 November 2008) was a conservation architect whose work encompassed cathedrals, the Great Wall of China and the Taj ...

and Simpson & Brown.Boreham in Blair et al. 2009, p. 23. Between 1987 and 2019, a cafe occupied the space immediately below the Chapel. Over four months in 2006, a major cleaning and preservation operation was undertaken by the firm of Charles Taylor: this was the first thorough maintenance project in the Chapel's history. The Thistle Chapel was temporarily closed to visitors from February 2015 after a number of valuable items were stolen. The Chapel re-opened to visitors the following year.

Architecture

The Thistle Chapel is simple in form: the Chapel itself consists of three bays and an

apsidal In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an ''exedra''. In Byzant ...

east end with neither

aisle An aisle is a linear space for walking with rows of non-walking spaces on both sides. Aisles with seating on both sides can be seen in airplanes, in buildings such as churches, cathedrals, synagogues, meeting halls, parliaments, courtrooms, ...

s nor

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...

s. Beneath the Chapel is an

and adjoining the Chapel is the ante-chapel with arches opening into the Preston Aisle and south choir aisle of the Cathedral and an external east door and steps providing access to

Parliament Square Parliament Square is a square at the northwest end of the Palace of Westminster in the City of Westminster in central London, England. Laid out in the 19th century, it features a large open green area in the centre with trees to its west, and ...

. The chapel sits in a constrained site: on the edge of St Giles' Cathedral at its north and west and constricted by

to its south and east; the kirk session of St Giles' Cathedral also required the Chapel should not interfere with services in the Cathedral or block light from the church.Savage 1980, p. 85. To create an impression of grandeur, Lorimer designed the Chapel to be unusually tall: the interior of the Chapel, while only 5.5 meters (18 feet) wide and 11.5 meters (36 feet) long, is 13 meters (42 feet) tall.Gifford, McWilliam, Walker 1984, p. 118.Boreham in Blair et al. 2009, p. 20. At the time of the commission,

, a former pupil of

Robert Rowand Anderson Sir Robert Rowand Anderson, (5 April 1834 – 1 June 1921) was a Scottish Victorian architecture, Victorian architect. Anderson trained in the office of George Gilbert Scott in London before setting up his own practice in Edinburgh in 1860. ...

and

George Frederick Bodley George Frederick Bodley (14 March 182721 October 1907) was an English Gothic Revival architect. He was a pupil of Sir George Gilbert Scott and worked with C. E. Kempe. He was in partnership with Thomas Garner for much of his career and was ...

, was roughly half-way through his architectural career; though his only major ecclesiastical commission had been St Peter's Roman Catholic Church, Morningside.Carruthers 2013, p. 195. John Fraser Matthew, Lorimer's future partner, assisted Lorimer in the design of the Chapel.Matthew 1988, pp. 107–108.Marshall 2009, p. 148. Lorimer's design takes inspiration from late 15th century Gothic architecture and, in its form and in its use of curvilinear tracery, displays the influence of

.Gifford, McWilliam, Walker 1984, p. 107.Gordon 1959, p. 30. The Chapel is constructed of sandstone from Cullalo in

Fife Fife ( , ; ; ) is a council areas of Scotland, council area and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in Scotland. A peninsula, it is bordered by the Firth of Tay to the north, the North Sea to the east, the Firth of Forth to the s ...

. The same stone was employed by

William Burn William Burn (20 December 1789 – 15 February 1870) was a Scottish architect. He received major commissions from the age of 20 until his death at 81. He built in many styles and was a pioneer of the Scottish Baronial Revival, often referred ...

ashlar Ashlar () is a cut and dressed rock (geology), stone, worked using a chisel to achieve a specific form, typically rectangular in shape. The term can also refer to a structure built from such stones. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, a ...

to face the exterior of St Giles' during the restoration of 1829–33 and by Robert Reid for the construction of the Law Courts on the opposite side of

. The exterior of the Thistle Chapel therefore appears consistent with St Giles' while complementing other buildings on Parliament Square.Matthew 1988, p. 25. Christopher Hussey argued Lorimer was successful in creating a chapel that "harmonises perfectly with the Cathedral structure as a whole, but fearlessly proclaims its individuality."Hussey 1931, p. 80.

Exterior

On its exterior, the Chapel's base is emphasised by multiple horizontal moulded

courses Course may refer to: Directions or navigation * Course (navigation), the path of travel * Course (orienteering), a series of control points visited by orienteers during a competition, marked with red/white flags in the terrain, and corresponding ...

, from which rise gableted

buttress A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall. Buttresses are fairly common on more ancient (typically Gothic) buildings, as a means of providing support to act ...

es; the buttresses terminate at the

cornice In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative Moulding (decorative), moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, ar ...

of the

castellated A battlement, in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at intervals t ...

parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an upward extension of a wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/brea ...

. The parapet conceals the flat, asphalt-covered concrete roof.Boreham in Blair et al. 2009, p. 22. According to Christopher Hussey, the "pronounced batter of the buttresses" creates "an illusion of height and massiveness without".Hussey 1931, p. 82. The buttresses divide the exterior into

bays A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a ''gulf'', ''sea'', ''sound'', or ''bight''. A ''cove'' is a small, ci ...

: between each bay, the

plinth A pedestal or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In civil engineering, it is also called ''basement''. The minimum height o ...

, pierced by

dormer A dormer is a roofed structure, often containing a window, that projects vertically beyond the plane of a Roof pitch, pitched roof. A dormer window (also called ''dormer'') is a form of roof window. Dormers are commonly used to increase the ...

-like ventilation holes (now glazed), slopes steeply to a sheer wall surface below a traceried

lancet window A lancet window is a tall, narrow window with a sharp pointed arch at its top. This arch may or may not be a steep lancet arch (in which the compass centres for drawing the arch fall outside the opening). It acquired the "lancet" name from its rese ...

. This sloping plinth was likely inspired by chapels at the east end of

Chartres Cathedral Chartres Cathedral (, lit. Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres) is a Catholic cathedral in Chartres, France, about southwest of Paris, and is the seat of the List of bishops of Chartres, Bishop of Chartres. Dedicated in honour of the Virgin Mary ( ...

. On the cornice above each window, a demi-angel bears a shield while below each window is the

escutcheon Escutcheon may refer to: * Escutcheon (heraldry), a shield or shield-shaped emblem, displaying a coat of arms * Escutcheon (furniture), a metal plate that surrounds a keyhole or lock cylinder on a door * (in medicine) the distribution of pubic ha ...

and

coronet In British heraldry, a coronet is a type of crown that is a mark of rank of non-reigning members of the royal family and peers. In other languages, this distinction is not made, and usually the same word for ''crown'' is used irrespective of ra ...

of each Knight at the time of Chapel's construction corresponding to the arms depicted in the window. The curvilinear tracery of these windows evokes the surviving medieval tracery of St Giles'. At the east end, the parapet rises to accommodate a canopied niche, in which stands a statue of Saint Andrew.Gifford, McWilliam, Walker 1984, p. 108. At the west end, an octagonal

turret Turret may refer to: * Turret (architecture), a small tower that projects above the wall of a building * Gun turret, a mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon * Optical microscope#Objective turret (revolver or revolving nose piece), Objective turre ...

, capped with a

spire A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spire ...

let, stands in the south corner: this contains a spiral staircase, which leads to the roof. The west window is in the form of an oriel and the west

gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

is crow-stepped. Between the south wall of Saint Giles and the north side of the Chapel, a wide flight of steps rises to the east door, which leads to the ante-chapel. The round-arched doorway dates to the 15th century and originally stood at the south entrance to St Giles'. At the restoration of 1829–1833,

reincorporated the doorway as part of an internal partition wall. When the Cathedral's partition walls were demolished during the restoration of 1871–1883, William Hay reconstructed the door at the royal entrance at the east end of the church. The royal entrance was constructed during the Burn restoration and consisted of a chamber accessed by a flight of steps. During the construction of the Thistle Chapel, the royal entrance was demolished and replaced by the ante-chapel while the doorway was retained and reincorporated as the entrance to the ante-chapel.RCAHMS 1951, p. 33. Above the door rests a heavy heraldic

frieze In classical architecture, the frieze is the wide central section of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic order, Ionic or Corinthian order, Corinthian orders, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Patera (architecture), Paterae are also ...

under an uninterrupted parapet.

Interior

Ante-chapel

The ante-chapel is 7.6 meters (25 feet) long and 4.3 meters (14 feet) wide; it consists of two bays: in the west end and north west bay stand arches opening into St Giles' Cathedral, the external doorway occupies the eastern wall, and in the south west bay, a cusped

Tudor arch A four-centred arch (Commonwealth spelling) or four-centered arch (American spelling) is a low, wide type of arch with a pointed apex. Its structure is achieved by drafting two arcs which rise steeply from each springing point on a small radius, a ...

with angels on the cusps frames both the off-centre door to the Chapel and an inscription and heraldic

relief Relief is a sculpture, sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''wikt:relief, relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give ...

in memory of

. On the walls of the two eastern bays are inscribed the names of the Sovereigns and Knights from the foundation of the order in 1687 to the construction of the Chapel in 1909.Gifford, McWilliam, Walker 1984, pp. 117–118. Around the east door stands an interior glass porch added in 1983 by Simpson and Brown. The ceiling of the ante-chapel consists of a shallow

lierne Lierne may refer to: Places *Lierne Municipality, a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway * Lierne National Park, a national park in Trøndelag county, Norway Other *Lierne (vault) In Gothic architecture, a lierne is a tertiary rib connecti ...

vault, heavy with foliate bosses; the central bosses depict

Saint Andrew Andrew the Apostle ( ; ; ; ) was an apostle of Jesus. According to the New Testament, he was a fisherman and one of the Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus. The title First-Called () used by the Eastern Orthodox Church stems from the Gospel of Jo ...

and the

Lion Rampant The lion is a common charge in heraldry. It traditionally symbolises courage, nobility, royalty, strength, stateliness and valour, because historically the lion has been regarded as the "king of beasts". The lion also carries Judeo-Christi ...

. There are 57 bosses and over 70 tons of stone in the ante-chapel ceiling.Boreham in Blair et al. 2009, p. 33.Nicol 1998, p. 24. The preconditions for the design of the Chapel required the ante-chapel to be low in order to prevent the obstruction of light from the windows of the Cathedral. Lorimer took advantage of this requirement by creating a close, sombre ante-chapel to emphasise, by contrast, the soaring proportions of the Chapel.

Chapel

The interior of the Chapel consists of three bays, an

east end and a flat west end. Above the line of the stalls rise pointed windows; the single-light east window is flanked by angels. At the west end, a single oriel is framed by a cusped lancet. In the north-west two bays blind tracery imitates the form of the windows and frames reliefs of the arms of the Duke of Argyll, the Duke of Montrose, the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres, and the Marquess of Tweeddale.Boreham in Blair et al. 2009, p. 32. A shallow

-vaulted ceiling crowns the soaring interior of the Chapel. While the ceiling's height contrasts with the ceiling of the ante-chapel, its design is similar with large bosses dominating the ceiling. At the key-stone of each bay rests a demi-angel playing a different musical instrument. These musical angels were likely inspired by similar examples at

Melrose Abbey St Mary's Abbey, Melrose is a partly ruined monastery of the Cistercian order in Melrose, Roxburghshire, in the Scottish Borders. It was founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks at the request of King David I of Scotland and was the chief house of t ...

and

Rosslyn Chapel Rosslyn Chapel, also known as the Collegiate Chapel of Saint Matthew, is a 15th-century Scottish Episcopal Church, Episcopal chapel located in the village of Roslin, Midlothian, Roslin in Midlothian, Scotland. The chapel was founded by William Si ...

. Between foliate bosses – many of which depict national flowers of the countries of the

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the union of the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland into one sovereign state, established by the Acts of Union 1800, Acts of Union in 1801. It continued in this form until ...

– a stage of bosses take the form of angels bearing the escutcheons of the eight Knights at the time of the Order’s foundation and the six Knights added by Queen Anne. The massive central bosses depict, from west to east, the

Royal arms of Scotland Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family or royalty Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Roy ...

Saint Giles Saint Giles (, , , , ; 650 - 710), also known as Giles the Hermit, was a hermit or monk active in the lower Rhône most likely in the 7th century. Revered as a saint, his cult became widely diffused but his hagiography is mostly legendary. A ...

, the star of the Order of the Thistle,

, and the Pelican in her piety.Hussey 1931, p. 83. Lorimer believed the art of vaulting reached its zenith in the

Perpendicular period Perpendicular Gothic (also Perpendicular, Rectilinear, or Third Pointed) architecture was the third and final style of English Gothic architecture developed in the Kingdom of England during the Late Middle Ages, typified by large windows, four-c ...

and designed the vault in that style; at the same time, he employed large, robust bosses to evoke Scottish medieval architecture. Likewise, Lorimer's preference for heraldic angels and foliate bosses may have been inspired by similar stonework in the adjoining Preston Aisle of St Giles'. There are 98 bosses and over 200 tons of sandstone in the Chapel ceiling; the larger bosses weigh over a ton each.

Stonework

The contract for stonework went to A. Colville & Co., whose yard was at Haymarket. The carvings were done by Joseph Hayes – with whom Lorimer had already collaborated – and his men, initially overseen by the foreman Thomas Somerville, who died during the construction. Over 1000 tons of stone was sculpted at the yard then transported over a mile by horse and cart to St Giles', where some final work was done as the stones were put in place.Boreham in Blair et al. 2009, p. 31. Although Hayes and his men displayed independence in developing designs, Lorimer claimed ultimate authorship, insisting the masons "get their cue from him".Savage 1980, p. 86. The most detailed carving was done by "the Greek", whose name is not otherwise known. Among the other members of Hayes' team was

Alexander Carrick Alexander Carrick (20 February 1882 – 26 January 1966) was a Scottish sculptor. He was one of Scotland's leading monumental sculptors of the early part of the 20th century. He was responsible for many architectural and ecclesiastical works ...

, who became a noted sculptor in his own right.

Louis Deuchars Louis Reid Deuchars (1870–1927) was a Scottish artist and sculptor. Life He was born on 12 April 1870 in Comrie, Perth and Kinross, Comrie, Perthshire, Scotland. He attended Glasgow School of Art from 1887 to 1888. During his time in the ...

created plaster models from which Hayes and his men worked. Heraldic devices were emblazoned by Alfred Nixon of Moxon & Carfare. The floor of the Chapel is

Ailsa Craig Ailsa Craig (; ) is an island of in the outer Firth of Clyde, west of mainland Scotland, upon which microgranite has long been quarried to make curling stones. The now-uninhabited island comprises the remains of a magmatic pluton formed d ...

granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...

with panels of

Iona Iona (; , sometimes simply ''Ì'') is an island in the Inner Hebrides, off the Ross of Mull on the western coast of Scotland. It is mainly known for Iona Abbey, though there are other buildings on the island. Iona Abbey was a centre of Gaeli ...

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...

. This was laid by Allan & Sons of

Piershill Piershill is a suburb of north east Edinburgh, Scotland, in the shadow of Arthur's Seat. It is mainly residential, with local amenities including a large supermarket and filling station, bank, public library, optician, pharmacy, several takeaw ...

. On 4 July 1962, a memorial floor plaque to

George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952 ...

, designed by

Esmé Gordon Alexander Esmé Gordon (12 September 1910 – 31 May 1993) was a Scottish Modernist architect, writer, and painter who served as Secretary of the Royal Scottish Academy between 1973 and 1978. Born in Edinburgh and educated at Edinburgh Academy a ...

, was unveiled by the Queen. The plaque was made by Stewart McGlashan & Sons of

Canonmills Canonmills is a district of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It lies to the south east of the Royal Botanic Garden at Inverleith, east of Stockbridge and west of Bellevue, in a low hollow north of Edinburgh's New Town. The area was formerl ...

and consists of a panel of granite with a

border and lettering; the

Royal Arms of Scotland Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family or royalty Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Roy ...

are formed by inlaid pieces of marble. In 1927,

Pilkington Jackson Charles d’Orville Pilkington Jackson RSA, FRBS, FRSA (11 October 1887 – 20 September 1973) was a British sculptor prominent in Scotland in the 20th century. Throughout his career he worked closely with the architect Sir Robert Lorimer. He ...

carved the names of the Knights and Sovereigns of the Order of the Thistle from 1687 to 1909 in the walls of the ante-chapel.

Woodwork

The contract for the oak interior woodwork was given to the company of Nathaniel Grieve of Washington Lane, Dalry. Grieve’s workmen executed the wood panelling and foliate borders. The most detailed woodwork was carved by the

New Town New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz (South Korean band), The Boyz * New (album), ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** New (Paul McCartney song), "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * New (EP), ''New'' (EP), ...

-based brothers, William and Alexander Clow, mostly from designs by

. The Clow brothers worked almost exclusively for Lorimer. Lorimer based the design of the Knights’ stalls on those at

St George's Chapel, Windsor St George's Chapel, formally titled The King's Free Chapel of the College of St George, Windsor Castle, at Windsor Castle in England is a castle chapel built in the late-medieval Perpendicular Gothic style. It is a Royal Peculiar (a church und ...

. Each stall is flanked by an animal on the arm-rest: some of these were based on animals that appear in the arms of the Knights and were carved by the Clow brothers from rough sketches by Lorimer. Each arm-rest bears a twisting pillar that support a canopy over the stall; on each of the cusps of these canopies is an angel with twin angels above the cusps of the Sovereign’s stall, between the canopies are angels playing musical instruments. Deuchars designed each angel to be unique in appearance.Boreham in Blair et al. 2009, pp. 45–49. Above each canopy are three canopied niches. The niches of the Sovereign’s stall contains sculptures of

Saint Mungo Kentigern (; ), known as Mungo, was a missionary in the Brittonic Kingdom of Strathclyde in the late sixth century, and the founder and patron saint of the city of Glasgow. Name In Wales and England, this saint is known by his birth and baptis ...

Saint Margaret of Scotland Saint Margaret of Scotland (; , ), also known as Margaret of Wessex, was Queen of Alba from 1070 to 1093 as the wife of King Malcolm III. Margaret was sometimes called "The Pearl of Scotland". She was a member of the House of Wessex and was b ...

, and

Saint Columba Columba () or Colmcille (7 December 521 – 9 June 597 AD) was an Gaelic Ireland, Irish abbot and missionary evangelist credited with spreading Christianity in what is today Scotland at the start of the Hiberno-Scottish mission. He founded the ...

. Above the niches of each stall are tall,

crocket A crocket (or croquet) is a small, independent decorative element common in Gothic architecture. The name derives from the diminutive of the Old French ''croc'', meaning "hook", due to the resemblance of a crocket to a bishop's Shepherd's crook, ...

s surmounted by the

, helm and crest of each Knight. A decorative sword stands in line with each spire: these were sculpted by Beveridge of Scott Morton & Co. and painted by Moxon & Carfrae.Boreham in Blair et al. 2009, p. 51. The Sovereign’s stall at the centre of the western end is especially intricate: its spire is 10 meters (33 feet) tall while the two stalls on either side of it – which are reserved for royal Knights – descend in height to the Knights’ stalls, which are 7.6 meters (25 feet) tall. The book rest in front of the Sovereign’s stall bears a large panel with the full achievement of the

; on the ends are the escutcheons of Queen Anne and

. The dado of the

east end is panelled and surmounted by a continuous canopy of

ogee An ogee ( ) is an object, element, or curve—often seen in architecture and building trades—that has a serpentine- or extended S-shape (Sigmoid curve, sigmoid). Ogees consist of a "double curve", the combination of two semicircle, semicircula ...

arches below a pierced

. The panelling of the central section above the holy table is the most detailed and contains a sculpture of an allegorical winged figure defeating a dragon which represents evil.Boreham in Blair et al. 2009, p. 49. This may represent

Saint Margaret of Antioch Margaret, known as Margaret of Antioch in the West, and as Saint Marina the Great Martyr () in the East, is celebrated as a saint on 20 July in Western Christianity, on 30th of July (Julian calendar) by the Eastern Orthodox Church, and on Epip ...

.Matthew 1988, p. 103. Moxon & Carfrae of George Street painted and stained the wood; the company subsequently held the contract to maintain the woodwork.

Furniture

A number of pieces of free-standing wooden furniture were added at the time of the Chapel’s construction: these are the Dean’s chair and book rest and the

lectern A lectern is a standing reading desk with a slanted top, on which documents or books are placed as support for reading aloud, as in a scripture reading, lecture, or sermon. A lectern is usually attached to a stand or affixed to some other form of ...

and reader’s seat. A

credence table A credence table is a small side table in the sanctuary of a Christian church which is used in the celebration of the Eucharist (Latin ''credens, -entis'', believer). The credence table is usually placed near the wall on the epistle (south) sid ...

, designed by Lorimer and carved by Nathaniel Grieve, was added in 1920; this stands in the north alcove of the apse. The table was produced to coincide with Sir John Hatt Noble Graham’s donation of a silver

chalice A chalice (from Latin 'cup', taken from the Ancient Greek () 'cup') is a drinking cup raised on a stem with a foot or base. Although it is a technical archaeological term, in modern parlance the word is now used almost exclusively for the ...

and

paten A paten or diskos is a small plate used for the celebration of the Eucharist (as in a mass). It is generally used during the liturgy itself, while the reserved sacrament are stored in the tabernacle in a ciborium. Western usage In many Wes ...

from the collection

Ferdinand II of Portugal ''Dom (title), Dom'' Ferdinand II (; 29 October 1816 – 15 December 1885), also known as Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and as "the King-artist" (), was King of Portugal from 16 September 1837 to 15 November 1853 as the husband and co-ruler ...

.Burnett in Blair et al. 2009, p. 69. Nathaniel Grieve also provided an attendant’s seat and desk for the ante-chapel in 1927.Boreham in Blair et al. 2009, p. 52. Scott Morton & Co. provided eight oak stools in 1934. As a memorial to

, a communion table with a short

retable A retable is a structure or element placed either on or immediately behind and above the altar or communion table of a church. At the minimum, it may be a simple shelf for candles behind an altar, but it can also be a large and elaborate struct ...

was commissioned from Scott Morton & Co. and designed by John Fraser Matthew. The front of the table shows the

Lamb of God Lamb of God (; , ) is a Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, title for Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John. It appears at wikisource:Bible (American Standard)/John#1:29, John 1:29, where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, " ...

and the retable bears emblems of each person of the

Trinity The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, thr ...

. The table replaced the chair of investiture at the east end of the Chapel. The unveiling of the table by

was intended for autumn 1939; however, the outbreak of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

meant this was delayed until July 1943.

Crests

Atop the spire above each Knight’s seat is a sculpted

and helm and the crest of the incumbent Knight. Whenever a Knight dies and another Knight is appointed in his/her place, the deceased Knight’s crest is replaced with that of their successor. Between the construction of the Chapel and the firm’s liquidation in 1966, the crests were carved by the foreman carver of Scott Morton & Co. of Edinburgh. Moxon & Crafrae originally coloured the crests but by the time of Scott Morton & Co.’s dissolution, this was done by A.C. Wood & Son. Whytock and Reid then held the contract to carve the crests until 1983; since then, the work has been done by John Donaldson of Livingston.

Stained Glass

The Trustees encouraged

to employ a Scottish artist for the Chapel’s stained glass; but Lorimer favoured the London-based stained glass designer,

. As a compromise, Davis was commissioned to design seven windows to show the

arms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...

of the Knights at the time of the Chapel’s construction while the Scottish artist, Douglas Strachan, was commissioned to design the east window, depicting

. Each heraldic window is split into two main lights by a central

mullion A mullion is a vertical element that forms a division between units of a window or screen, or is used decoratively. It is also often used as a division between double doors. When dividing adjacent window units its primary purpose is a rigid sup ...

with a coat of arms in each light. Lorimer insisted the arms be framed by clear glass to allow light into the Chapel. For the clear glass, Davis, in common with other stained glass artists of the Arts and Crafts movement, preferred imperfect ‘brown’ glass to entirely transparent ‘factory’ glass. In the top light of each window is a

zodiac The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north and south celestial latitude of the ecliptic – the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. Within this zodiac ...

sign: these were designed by Davis’ frequent collaborator,

Karl Parsons Karl Bergemann Parsons (23 January 1884 – 30 September 1934) was a British stained glass artist associated with the Arts and Crafts movement. Early life, 1884 – 1898 Parsons was born in Peckham in south London on 23 January 1884, the 12th a ...

.Cumming in Blair et al. 2009, p. 42. Going clockwise the north side, the arms depicted are as follows: the Marquess of Zetland and the Earl of Erroll; the Marquess of Aberdeen and Lord Hamilton of Dalzell; the Duke of Roxburghe and the Earl of Haddington;

Lord Balfour of Burleigh Lord Balfour of Burleigh, in the County of Kinross, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1607 for Sir Michael Balfour. He was succeeded by his daughter, Margaret, his only child. She married Robert Arnot, who assumed the su ...

and the Earl of Home;

the Earl of Rosebery Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, 1st Earl of Midlothian (7 May 1847 – 21 May 1929) was a British Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from March 1894 to June 1895. Between the death of h ...

and the Duke of Fife; and the Duke of Buccleuch and the Duke of Atholl. The single-light west window, also by Davis, shows the

. Strachan’s single-light east window depicts

above the

and beneath two angles who bear his cross and martyr’s crown. Unusually, Andrew is depicted in his career as a fisherman rather than at his martyrdom; as described by Elizabeth Cumming: “Strachan’s figure holds a natural pose, and presents Andrew as a rugged, working fisherman, his net firmly held in his arms”. In 1982, small stained glass windows replaced the ventilation grilles in the former boiler room below the Chapel; these were designed by Christian Shaw and depict the days of creation.

Metalwork

The wrought-iron gates of the ante-chapel and the iron components of the Chapel's doors were forged by Thomas Hadden and his workshop at

Roseburn Roseburn is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. The area lies in the west of the city, approximately a 20-minute walk from the city centre, west of Haymarket and close to the Murrayfield area (and Murrayfield Stadium). It is imm ...

. Hadden based the design of the gates on medieval

rood screen The rood screen (also choir screen, chancel screen, or jubé) is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, o ...

s. Hadden had previously collaborated with Lorimer on Earlshall Castle and

Ardkinglas Ardkinglas House is a Category A listed country house on the Ardkinglas Estate in Argyll, Scotland. The estate lies on the eastern shore of Loch Fyne, and the house is located close to the village of Cairndow. Dating back to the 14th century and ...

. Hadden's forge also contributed the bronze curtain rails at the east end and the helms atop each Knight's stall. The coronets below the helms were made by T.K. Ebbutt of Hanover Street in the

and painted by Moxon & Carfrae.Boreham in Blair et al. 2009, p. 67. Ebbutt also made ceremonial keys for the Chapel, which show

on the bow. Pendant electric lamps were produced by the

and based on models by

. These consist of angels bearing torches above a pendant showing the Pelican in her piety. During the remodelling of the east end in 1939, a new lamp was supplied by Charles Henshaw of Edinburgh. Over the years, the pendants went missing and one lamp was stolen; in 2006, Powderhall Bronze of Edinburgh manufactured replacements. The Bromsgrove Guild also produced the handles and keyhole

for the Chapel door. Alongside the communion table unveiled in 1943, a silvered bronze cross was added at the east end. Designed by John Fraser Matthew, the cross features square enamelled panels at each end, showing the symbols of the

Four Evangelists In Christian tradition, the Four Evangelists are Matthew the Apostle, Matthew, Mark the Evangelist, Mark, Luke the Evangelist, Luke, and John the Evangelist, John, the authors attributed with the creation of the four canonical Gospel accounts ...

: these panels were designed by Morris Meredith Williams and enamelled by Harold Conrad William Soper of London. Architectural metalwork by other firms includes door locks and hinges by Low & Methven of

Lothian Road The A700 road is a short but important link skirting Edinburgh City Centre between the A8 and A7 roads. Route The road begins at the West End junction at the terminus of the A8 and heads south then east comprising the streets of Lothian Road ...

and external lead piping by W. Dodds & Sons of

West Kilburn Kilburn is an area in North West London, in the London Boroughs of Camden, Brent and the City of Westminster. Kilburn High Road railway station lies 3.5 miles (5.6 km) north-west of Charing Cross. Kilburn developed from a linear hamle ...

.Cumming in Blair et al. 2009, p. 63.

Stall Plates

The

of each Knight are represented by plate fixed to the back panel of the Knight's stall. At the death of one Knight, the deceased Knight's plate is retained and a new plate added when a new Knight is appointed. This practice is well-established in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

orders of chivalry An order of chivalry, order of knighthood, chivalric order, or equestrian order is a society, fellowship and college of knights, typically founded during or inspired by the original Catholic military orders of the Crusades ( 1099–1291) and p ...

, similar plaques have been installed for

Knights of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. The most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, it is outranked in precedence only by the decorations of the Victoria ...

St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle St George's Chapel, formally titled The King's Free Chapel of the College of St George, Windsor Castle, at Windsor Castle in England is a castle chapel built in the late-medieval Perpendicular Gothic style. It is a Royal peculiar, Royal Peculia ...

since the 15th century.Burnett in Burnett and Hodgson 2001, p. 7. Initially, the Knights were seated by date of installation, with the most senior being closest to the Sovereign and royal Knights. As senior Knights died and new Knights were appointed, the Knights moved up stalls in order of seniority and their stall plate moved with them: this has resulted in a concentration of the original plates at the western end of the Chapel. Since the 1920s, individual Knights' stall plates have remained on the same stalls, regardless of seniority.Burnett in Burnett and Hodgson 2001, pp. 8–10. The earliest stall plates in the Chapel are the work of

. At the time of the Chapel's construction, Traquair was well-established in Scotland's

Arts and Crafts The Arts and Crafts movement was an international trend in the Decorative arts, decorative and fine arts that developed earliest and most fully in the British Isles and subsequently spread across the British Empire and to the rest of Europe and ...

scene. Despite his being close friends with Traquair,

initially desired Harold Conrad William Soper of London to produce the enamel stall plates; however,

Herbert Maxwell Sir Herbert Eustace Maxwell, 7th Baronet, (8 January 1845 – 30 October 1937) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, artist, antiquarian, horticulturalist, prominent salmon angler and author of books on angling and Conservative politician who ...

, on behalf of the Trustees, recommend Lorimer engage Traquair as an Edinburgh-based artist. According to Charles Burnett, Traquair's stall plates are "quite unlike any chivalric stall plates seen before". Working at her home studio in

Colinton Colinton is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated southwest of the city centre. Up until the late 18th century it appears on maps as Collington. It is bordered by Dreghorn to the south and Craiglockhart to the north-east. To the north-w ...

, Traquair used the

champlevé Champlevé is an enamelling technique in the decorative arts, or an object made by that process, in which troughs or cells are carved, etched, die struck, or Casting (metalworking), cast into the surface of a metal object, and filled with vitreo ...

technique, setting

vitreous enamel Vitreous enamel, also called porcelain enamel, is a material made by melting, fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between . The powder melts, flows, and then hardens to a smooth, durable vitrification, vitreous coating. The wo ...

over foil to create shimmering, jewel-like surfaces.

James Balfour Paul Sir James Balfour Paul (16 November 1846 – 15 September 1931) was the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the officer responsible for heraldry in Scotland, from 1890 until the end of 1926. Life James Balfour Paul was educated at Royal High School, Edinbur ...

Lord Lyon King of Arms The Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officer of State, Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scotland, Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry i ...

, preferred the "cut-out" style of stall plate used for the earliest Garter plates at Windsor: this showed the arms without any background or frame and has been followed since 1911, giving a unique consistency to the Thistle stall plates. Paul also ordered that, in complex cases of quartering, only the first quarter be shown.Burnett in Burnett and Hodgson 2001, p. 8. Traquair produced the nineteen stall plates required for the Chapel in 1911. After 1911, the stall plates were produced by Elizabeth Kirkwood, who was influenced by Traquair's technique and who also introduced modelling to the helm and

mantling In heraldry, mantling or "lambrequin" (its name in French) is drapery tied to the helmet above the shield. In paper heraldry it is a depiction of the protective cloth covering (often of linen) worn by knights from their helmets to stave off the ...

of the arms to give them a three-dimensional effect. Since 1963, the arms have been produced by A. Kirkwood & Son of Edinburgh; since 1990,

resin A resin is a solid or highly viscous liquid that can be converted into a polymer. Resins may be biological or synthetic in origin, but are typically harvested from plants. Resins are mixtures of organic compounds, predominantly terpenes. Commo ...

has been used instead of enamel. The stall plates of the Marquess of Bute (1922) and the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres (1955) are the work of Harold Conrad William Soper of London. All heraldic details in the chapel were based on drawings by John Sutherland, who produced designs for stall plates until 1928. Since then, the stall plates have usually been designed by the incumbent Herald Painter to the

Court of the Lord Lyon The Court of the Lord Lyon, or Lyon Court, is a standing court of law, based in New Register House in Edinburgh, which regulates heraldry in Scotland. The Lyon Court maintains the register of grants of arms, known as the Public Register of All ...

Textiles

At the Chapel's construction, Nell Kay Drew of Edinburgh produced

to hang from the helms atop each Knight's stall. The mantling above the Knights' stalls is

damask Damask (; ) is a woven, Reversible garment, reversible patterned Textile, fabric. Damasks are woven by periodically reversing the action of the warp and weft threads. The pattern is most commonly created with a warp-faced satin weave and the gro ...

with

cloth of gold Cloth of gold or gold cloth (Latin: ''Tela aurea'') is a textile, fabric woven with a gold-wrapped or spinning (textiles), spun weft—referred to as "a spirally spun gold strip". In most cases, the core yarn is silk, wrapped (''filé'') with a ...

mantling above the royal stalls. Whytock & Reid of Edinburgh supplied two sets of

brocade Brocade () is a class of richly decorative shuttle (weaving), shuttle-woven fabrics, often made in coloured silks and sometimes with gold and silver threads. The name, related to the same root as the word "broccoli", comes from Italian langua ...

curtains for the east end: one set, in green, is for everyday use and the other, in red, is for use during the services of the Order. In 1935, Captain William Dunn donated an old Spanish altar cloth to the Dean of the Thistle,

Charles Warr Charles Laing Warr KCVO FRSE (1892–1969) was a Church of Scotland minister and author in the 20th century. Life Warr was born on 20 May 1892, the second son of the Reverend Alfred Warr, sometime minister of Rosneath in Dunbartonshire, an ...

; this cloth is the property of the Order and is held in the custody of St Giles'. At the opening in 1911, no satisfactory way was found in which to hang the Knights'

s inside the Chapel.

ultimately ruled no banners would be hung at all. Since 1953, the Knights' banners have been hung in the adjoining Preston Aisle of St Giles' Cathedral.

Use

The Knights of the Thistle usually meet for worship in the Thistle Chapel every other year at the installation of new Knights by the monarch. They also meet annually on the Sunday nearest

Saint Andrew's Day Saint Andrew's Day, also called the Feast of Saint Andrew or Andermas, is the feast day of Andrew the Apostle. It is celebrated on 30 November, during Scotland's Winter Festival. Saint Andrew is the disciple in the New Testament who introduc ...

: this service was inaugurated by

. At the installation service, the Sovereign arrives from the

Holyrood Palace The Palace of Holyroodhouse ( or ), commonly known as Holyrood Palace, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood has s ...

then processes into St Giles’ Cathedral from the Signet Library with the Knights and officers of the order. In the Chapel, a new Knight is conducted to his/her stall and takes an oath. After the installation, the Sovereign and Knights worship in the Cathedral. At every Thistle service since December 1949, a Bible with binding designed by Linton Lamb has been used. This was presented by

to commemorate his daughter’s marriage. Services of the Order are led by the Dean of the Thistle: since 2019, the incumbent has been the Reverend Professor David Fergusson,

Dean of the Chapel Royal The Dean of the Chapel Royal, in any kingdom, can be the title of an official charged with oversight of that kingdom's chapel royal, the ecclesiastical establishment which is part of the royal household and ministers to it. England In England ...

Assessment

At the time of the Thistle Chapel's construction, commissions such as

and

Lympne Castle Lympne Castle is a Middle Ages, medieval castle in England located in the village of Lympne, Kent, above Romney Marsh. After the Reformation, the castle was sometimes referred to as Court Lodge. Lympne Castle is a Grade I listed property, descri ...

had established

's reputation as a domestic architect across the United Kingdom; yet his only major ecclesiastical commission prior to the Thistle Chapel was St Peter's Roman Catholic Church, Morningside and the Thistle Chapel was his first building in "full Gothic" style. The Thistle Chapel nevertheless established Lorimer as, in Peter Savage's words, "Scotland's leading exponent of the Gothic": a fact recognised by Lorimer's knighthood and his receipt of major Gothic commissions such as the restorations of

Dunblane Cathedral Dunblane Cathedral is the larger of the two Church of Scotland parish churches serving Dunblane, near the city of Stirling, in central Scotland. The lower half of the tower is pre- Romanesque from the 11th century, and was originally free-stan ...

and

Paisley Abbey Paisley Abbey is a parish church of the Church of Scotland on the east bank of the River Cart, White Cart Water in the centre of the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire, about west of Glasgow, in Scotland. Its origins date from the 12th century, base ...

and, later, the design of the

Scottish National War Memorial The Scottish National War Memorial is located in Edinburgh Castle and commemorates Scottish service personnel and civilians, and those serving with Scottish regiments, who died in the two world wars and subsequent conflicts. Its chief archite ...

. In the Thistle Chapel, in Stewart Matthew's assessment, "the very essence of Gothic architecture was achieved: an emphasis of the vertical which gives a sense of reaching upwards beyond material confines." The Thistle Chapel also dates to a period of when Scottish architects were attempting to recreate a distinctly Scottish style of church architecture. Ranald MacInnes, Miles Glendinning, and Aonghus MacKechnie identify the Thistle Chapel as "the most emphatic example of the nationalist trend in church architecture". MacInnes, Glendinning, and MacKechnie contrast the Chapel's "ecclesiastical lavishness" and " Rosslyn-like elaboration" with

John James Burnet Sir John James Burnet (31 May 1857 – 2 July 1938) was a Scotland, Scottish Edwardian architecture, Edwardian architect who was noted for a number of prominent buildings in Glasgow and London. He was the son of the architect John Burnet (arch ...

's "simpler evocation of archaic monumentality" and

Ramsay Traquair Ramsay Heatley Traquair Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, FRSE Fellow of the Royal Society of London, FRS (30 July 1840 – 22 November 1912) was a Scottish naturalist and palaeontologist who became a leading expert on fossil fish. Tra ...

and

Reginald Fairlie Reginald Francis Joseph Fairlie LLD (7 March 1883 – 27 October 1952) was a Scottish architect. He served as a commissioner of RCAHMS and on the Ancient Monuments Board for Scotland. Life see Born at Kincaple, Fife, he was the son of J. Ogi ...

's revival of the neo- Romanesque trend in 15th century Scottish church architecture.MacInnes, Glendinning, MacKechnie 1996, p. 372.MacInnes, Glendinning, MacKechnie 1999, p. 89. Alongside its importance as a Gothic building, the Thistle Chapel is, in Louise Boreham's words, "an exquisite jewel of the entire

." Commentators including Annette Carruthers; MacInnes, Glendinning, and MacKechnie; Savage; and the authors of the Buildings of Scotland series note that the overall effect of the Thistle Chapel is achieved, not solely through Lorimer's design, but through "Traditionalist crafts collaboration": the essence of the Arts and Crafts movement.Gifford, McWilliam, Walker 1984, p. 117. A number of commentators also recognise the national and political significance of the Chapel. Charles Burnett notes that, on completion of the Thistle Chapel, " heancient realm of Scotland had clawed back a major element in the unique identity of the country". Similarly, Stewart Matthew noted the Chapel and Order's civic significance: "Edinburgh gained one of Scotland's richest architectural wonders of the 20th century and, to the lasting honour and dignity of the city, became the centre of Scotland's premier order of chivalry."Matthew 1988, p. 5. MacInnes, Glendinning, and MacKechnie describe the design of the building as being "motivated less by religious 'worshipfulness' than by imperial Scottish patriotism". Likewise, the authors of the Buildings of Scotland series, while praising the Chapel’s architecture, call the Chapel "an introverted celebration of the Order and only secondarily of God."

References

Bibliography

* Blair, Robin et al. (2009). ''The Thistle Chapel: Within St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh''. The Order of the Thistle. ** Boreham, Louise. *** "The Chapel" *** "Stone" *** "Wood" *** "Bronze & Fine Metals" ** Burnett, Charles J. *** "Genesis of the Chapel" *** "Changes & Additions to the Chapel" ** Cumming, Elizabeth. *** "The Architect" *** "Stained Glass" *** "Enamelwork" *** "Iron, Lead & Embroidery" ** Roads, Elizabeth. *** "The Heraldic Artists" * Burnett, Charles J. and Hodgson, Leslie (2001). ''Stall Plates of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle in the Chapel of the Order within St Giles' Cathedral, the High Kirk of Edinburgh''. The Heraldry Society of Scotland. * Carruthers, Annette (2013). ''The Arts and Crafts Movement in Scotland: A History''. Yale University Press. * Gifford, John; McWilliam, Colin; Walker, David (1984). ''The Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh''. Penguin Books. * Gordon, Esmé (1959). ''St Giles' Cathedral and the Chapel of the Thistle'', Edinburgh. Pillans & Wilson Ltd. * Hussey, Christopher (1931). ''The Work of Sir Robert Lorimer''. Country Life Limited. * MacInnes, Ranald; Glendinning, Miles; MacKechnie, Aonghus ** (1996). ''A History of Scottish Architecture: From the Renaissance to the Present Day''. Edinburgh University Press. ** (1999). ''Building a Nation: The Story of Scotland's Architecture''. Canongate * Matthew, Stewart (1988). ''The Knights & Chapel of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle: A Panoramic View''. Eaglebank Publications. * Marshall, Rosalind K. (2009). ''St Giles': The Dramatic Story of a Great Church and its People''. Saint Andrew Press. * Nicol, Kirsty (1998). ''St Giles' Cathedral: The Thistle Chapel''. Pitkin Unichrome Ltd. * Savage, Peter (1980). ''Lorimer and the Edinburgh Craft Designers''. Paul Harris Publishing.

External links

St Giles' Cathedral website

The Royal Family: The Order of the Thistle
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