On Twelfth Day the king used to go in procession with heralds and the knights of the Garter, Thistle and Bath to the Chapel Royal at St James’s, and offer gold, frankincense and myrrh in imitation of the Magi. After the illness of George III the king no longer went himself, and officers of the household brought the gifts in his place. Hone remarks that the offering was unlike any other ceremony of the Church of England. The Epiphany offering is still made in the Chapel Royal every 6 January on the sovereign’s behalf.
Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh
6 January · Chapel Royal, St James's Palace, London
Still kept
Two gentlemen from the Lord Chamberlain's office now appear instead, attended by a box ornamented at top with a spangled star, from which they take the gold, frankincense, and myrrh
From Chambers's Book of Days, vol. 1, p. 64; Hone's Every-Day Book, vol. 1, col. 60. Read the original
Get Chambers's Book of Days: Amazon · Bookshop.org · AbeBooks
Get Hone's Every-Day Book: Amazon · Bookshop.org · AbeBooks
We may earn a small commission if you buy through these links.
Questions and comments