Dean of the Chapel Royal facts for kids

The Dean of the Chapel Royal is an important official. They are in charge of a kingdom's chapel royal. This chapel is a special church that serves the royal household, which is the group of people who work for the king or queen.

The Dean in England

In England, the Dean of the Chapels Royal is chosen by the king or queen. This person then appoints other staff members. The role of Dean has existed since 1312. Since 1748, the Bishop of London has usually held this position.

The actual day-to-day running of the chapel is handled by the Sub-Dean. This person is the King's main chaplain who lives nearby.

As of 2019, the Chapels Royal in England included several important places:

• The Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace
• The Queen’s Chapel
• The Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace
• The Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula (in the Tower of London)
• The Chapel of St John the Evangelist (also in the Tower of London)
• The Queen's Chapel of the Savoy

Recent Deans in England

• In 1995, Richard Chartres became the Dean. He was also the Bishop of London.
• After he retired as Bishop in 2017, he stayed on as Dean for a short time. This helped the new Bishop, Sarah Mullally, get used to her duties.
• Richard Chartres helped with the baptism of Prince Louis of Wales in 2018. He also took part in a special service in 2019.
• In July 2019, Sarah Mullally became the Dean of the Chapel Royal. She is also the current Bishop of London.

The Dean in Scotland

In Scotland, the title of Dean first appeared in the 1400s. In 1501, James IV of Scotland started a new Chapel Royal. This was at Stirling Castle.

Later, the Dean of the Chapel Royal was often the Bishop of Galloway. This bishop had authority over all royal palaces in Scotland. In 1621, the Chapel Royal moved to Holyrood, Edinburgh.

The role of Dean was stopped in 1689. The money from the Chapel Royal then went back to the Crown. Later, some money was given to three royal chaplains. They were known as the Deans of the Chapel Royal.

In 1886, the office of Dean was brought back. It was combined with the role of Dean of the Thistle. These two roles were separated again in 1969. The Dean in Scotland is also known as the titular Abbot of Crossraguel and Abbot of Dundrennan.

Recent Deans in Scotland

• From 2013 to 2019, Iain Torrance was the Dean. He was also a Chaplain-in-Ordinary to the Queen.
• Since 2019, David Fergusson has been the Dean. He is a professor at the University of Edinburgh. He is also a Chaplain-in-Ordinary to the Queen.

The Dean in Ireland

The Chapel Royal in Dublin Castle was a special church. It served the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1814 to 1922. The Lord Lieutenant was the British monarch's representative in Ireland.

From 1831, the main chaplain to the Lord Lieutenant was usually called the Dean of the Chapel Royal. This role ended when the Irish Free State was created in 1922.