Royal couple's Canterbury connection

2 February (Candlemas) marks the 400th anniversary of the coronation of King Charles I at Westminster Abbey in London. The lavish ceremony was designed to emphasise royal power and splendour, reflecting Charles’s firm belief in the divine right of kings and absolute monarchy.

The coronation was particularly notable because his wife, Queen Henrietta Maria, was not present. A devout Catholic, she refused to take part in a Protestant religious ceremony and is said to have watched discreetly from a nearby window. This absence proved deeply unpopular with the Protestant population, especially as she was never crowned queen in England.

Charles I and Henrietta Maria had married by proxy the previous year. After failing to secure a Spanish alliance through marriage to the Infanta, Charles urgently needed a Catholic ally. Henrietta Maria, just 15 years old, was the sister of King Louis XIII of France. To speed matters along, the wedding took place at Notre-Dame de Paris, with the Duke of Chevreuse standing in for the absent king.

Henrietta Maria then travelled to England, where the couple finally met in Canterbury some six weeks later. They spent their first night together in the state rooms of Fyndon’s Gate, the 14th-century entrance to the former St Augustine’s Abbey, dissolved during the Reformation by Henry VIII. A service to bless their marriage followed at Canterbury Cathedral.

Fyndon's Gate, Canterbury

Charles I’s reign would end in tragedy. After years of bitter conflict with Parliament and a brutal Civil War, he was executed for treason in 1649—the only English king to be beheaded. His unwavering belief in divine right, in opposition to parliamentary authority, ultimately proved to be his undoing.

Today, visitors to Canterbury can still see Fyndon’s Gate, where the ill-fated royal couple consummated their marriage, and explore St Augustine’s Abbey, part of the city’s UNESCO World Heritage Site. With its wealth of historic landmarks and a location just one hour from London via high-speed rail, Canterbury offers a rich and compelling journey into England’s past. A tailor-made tour with an accredited Blue Badge Tourist Guide can truly bring these stories to life.

Get more inspiration at www.hereandtherewithclaire.co.uk

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