Great Feasts

There is plenty of evidence to show that kings, prelates, great nobles and lesser lords had completely abandoned their halls from the early fourteenth century. John Russell confirming that, ¹

Pope, Emperowre, king or cardynalle,

Prince with goldyn rodde Royalle,

Archbischoppe, vayng to the palle,

Duke, all these of dygnyte owght not

kepe the halle.

In view of this precise, unambiguous statement from an unimpeachable source, it is rather surprising to find that kings, nobles and great churchmen still dined in their halls, though only for great feasts. For every coronation up to 1837, for example, monarchs dined on the dais of Westminster Hall, served by their great officers of state, including the King’s Champion on horseback. Queen Elizabeth II still dines with her knights in St George’s Hall in Windsor Castle each Garter Day, continuing this tradition. Medieval kings also dined in their halls on great days of estate such as Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and Easter.