Crathie Kirk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Crathie Kirk |
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Crathie Kirk
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 Crathie Kirk
Location in Aberdeen
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| 57°02′23″N 3°12′44″W / 57.0397°N 3.2123°W | |
| Denomination | Church of Scotland |
| Churchmanship | Reformed |
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| Presbytery | Kincardine & Deeside |
Crathie Kirk is a small Church of Scotland parish church in the Scottish village of Crathie. It is famous for being the regular church where the British royal family worships. They attend services here when they are staying at nearby Balmoral Castle.
Crathie Kirk is now part of a larger parish with the church in Braemar. This means they share a minister and work together. The current minister, Kenneth Mackenzie, has served since 2005. Before this, he was a minister in Budapest, Hungary.
Contents
A Look Back: Crathie Kirk's History
Crathie has been a place for Christian worship for a very long time. The first church was started in the 9th century by Saint Manire. He was a follower of Saint Columba, who helped bring Christianity to Scotland. People believe Saint Manire baptized early Christians called Picts in the River Dee. Today, only a single standing stone marks the spot of Manire's first church.
Later churches were built closer to where Crathie village is now. You can still see the ruins of a 13th-century church dedicated to Saint Manire near the river.
The Royal Connection Begins
The church building we see today was started in 1893. Before that, a smaller church stood on the same spot, built in 1805. Queen Victoria started worshipping there in 1848. Since then, every British monarch has attended services at Crathie Kirk.
Queen Victoria herself laid the foundation stone for the current, larger church in 1893. It was a big deal when Victoria chose to worship at Crathie Kirk. This was because she was the head of the Anglican Church of England. People expected her to attend the Scottish Episcopal Church, which was more similar to the Church of England. However, Victoria preferred the Church of Scotland.
Royal Weddings and Important Moments
Anne, Princess Royal, Queen Elizabeth II's daughter, chose Crathie Kirk for her wedding. She married Timothy Laurence, a Royal Navy commander, here on December 12, 1992. They chose to marry in Scotland because the Church of England had different rules about remarriage at that time. The Church of Scotland allows remarriage after divorce, depending on the situation.
The British royal family also attended a Sunday service here on August 31, 1997. This was the morning after the sad death of Diana, Princess of Wales.
Inside and Out: The Church's Design
The church walls are made from local granite. Its roof uses wood from Scots pine trees. The materials for building were given by nearby estates. The local community also raised £5,000 for the construction. Queen Victoria's daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Louise, also gave £2,000. They raised this money at a special event at Balmoral Castle.
The church was finished in 1895. It was designed in the popular Gothic revival style by architect A. Marshall Mackenzie from Elgin.
Special Seating Areas
Crathie Kirk has special areas inside. The south transept (a part of the church that sticks out) is kept just for the royal family. The north transept has pews for other important local families. These include the Farquharson family, who own Braemar Castle, and the Gordon family, who own Abergeldie Castle.
Gifts and Memories: Royal Connections
The royal family has given many gifts to Crathie Kirk over the years:
- Queen Victoria gave two stained glass windows. These remember a famous author and social reformer named Reverend Norman MacLeod. She also provided the "Father Willis organ" that was in the church for many years.
- Victoria's loyal Scottish servant, John Brown, is buried in the churchyard.
- Princess Beatrice, Queen Victoria's youngest daughter, donated four bells. These bells still hang in the church's belltower.
- Edward VII gave two marble medallions. They remember his brother, Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and his sister, Victoria, Princess Royal and German Empress.
- Edward's son, George V, donated a communion table. It is made of white marble from the island of Iona, a very historic place in Scotland.
- Elizabeth II gave a Bible decorated with the royal coat of arms.
- After the death of Elizabeth II at Balmoral in 2022, the church held a private service for the royal family.
Burials of Note
See also
