ABSTRACT
Of all the rituals associated with the court, funerals and coronations were certainly those primarily dictated by tradition. The Reformation brought with it changes in ritual, but the highly political and symbolic nature of the event remained. Preparations for a state funeral were a complex and time-consuming process that engaged different members of the household over months before the interment took place. Core elements were the lying-in state, the funeral procession and the burial service. From the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, funerals developed from concentrating on processions as heraldic and chivalric displays to staging theatrical spectacles within the church. The ephemeral nature of the event contrasts with permanent works of art and publications that sought to preserve its memory and celebrate the dynasty.
