The Society of King Charles the Martyr keeps three religious observances each year to celebrate different commemorations. Each of the services are attended by members and non-members alike, everyone indeed is most welcome. The liturgy used at the services is The Prayer Book Rite of 1637 and 1662 and a preacher of note is invited to give the sermon.
Feast of the Martyrdom of S.Charles, 30th January
Saturday 30 January 2016 11.30am Chapel Royal Hampton Court Palace. Everyone Welcome.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The interior of the Banqueting House, Whitehall is undergoing conservation. The Society will not be able to celebrate its usual Mass there in 2016. We will instead hold our Commemoration and Sung Mass at the Chapel of Hampton Court Palace by Kind Permission and Invitation of the Chaplain Fr Anthony Howe. King Charles resided in the palace and the Andrea Mantegna paintings, The Triumphs of Caesar, which he acquired for the Royal Collection can still be seen. The puritans held S. Charles prisoner at the palace but he managed to escape by climbing out of a window.
11.30am 30 January 2016. The Chapel Royal Hampton Court Palace. Preacher: The Revd. Canon Paul Conrad, Vicar of Christ Church, Hampstead. With signers and organist from the Chapels Royal.
When the 30th January falls on a Sunday it is customary to transfer the observance to the preceding Saturday.
The Society’s relics of S. Charles are placed upon the altar for the Mass and may be venerated and viewed after the service. A choir, usually from King’s College, London sings at the Mass. The Banqueting House is where S. Charles was kept for several hours on the day of his decollation. It is a magnificent setting for the Mass: the architect was Inigo Jones and the ceiling adorned by the great paintings of Rubens.
The Society is very grateful to the Historic Royal Palaces for their permission to hold the Mass. Access to the Banqueting House for the commemoration and Mass is free of charge. The costs of the service are considerable and donations gratefully received. SKCM also provides a bookstall after the Mass when materials are available.
A good description of the commemoration of 30th can be found in Jeremy Paxman’s book, On Royalty (Penguin-Viking 2006) p.142-152
Saturday 24th May 2014 Noon
Solemn Mass at The Church of Our Most Holy Redeemer, Clerkenwell, London
By permission of the Parish Priest, Fr Christopher Trundell
Restoration Day (or Oak Apple Day) commemorates the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 when King Charles II returned to England from exile. The day is kept as our annual festival with a Solemn Mass or Matins and Sermon on the nearest Saturday to 29th May.
Our annual general meeting follows the service to which members of the Society are encouraged to attend. The location of this service changes most years to give the Society an
opportunity to celebrate S. Charles in new places.
Mass of the Nativity of S. Charles KM, 6pm S. Katharine Cree, City of London. All welcome. Preacher: Fr James Hill CMP. Followed by AGM of the Society for members of the Society.
