The Lost Chapel of Westminster: How a Royal Chapel Became the House of Commons

by John Cooper

An illustrated history of St Stephen's Chapel in the Palace of Westminster, a building at the heart of British life for over 700 years.

Begun in 1292, the royal chapel of St Stephen was the crowning glory of the old palace of Westminster – a place of worship for kings and a showcase of the finest architecture, ritual and music the Plantagenets could muster. But in 1548, as the Protestant Reformation reached its height, St Stephen's was given a new purpose as the House of Commons. Burned out in the great palace fire of 1834, the Commons chamber was then recreated on a remarkably similar medieval design, perpetuating a way of doing politics that is recognisable to this day.

St Stephen's has been part of many lives over the centuries, from the medieval masons who worked through the Black Death to complete the chapel, to the generations of MPs who locked horns in the Commons chamber. Threading together religion, politics, art, architecture and narrative history, John Cooper tells the story of the lost chapel, an iconic building that reflects the national transition from medieval divine-right monarchy to modern parliamentary democracy.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Audiobook

272 pages, Hardcover

First published November 7, 2024

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Reviews

[Melindam]

ARC received by the Publisher, Head of Zeus, via Netgalley.

[CPE · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Cooper’s The Lost Chapel of Westminster is a scholarly work, rich in detail, showing that an immense amount of research has been devoted to the subject. I felt it was a book of two tonal styles: the introductory “Reformation” chapter and the latter part dealing with the seventeenth century onwards are engaging and will be enjoyed by anyone with an interest in history. The part in between, from the building of St Stephen’s Chapel to Charles I, seems much dryer and I struggled to absorb the information at times. I think that’s because it gives huge detail about the physical structure of a building that no longer exists – and this shows the dichotomy of the book.

St Stephen’s Chapel was completed in the 1360s and was destroyed, along with most of Westminster Palace (the old Houses of Parliament) by the fire of 1834. A couple of pieces of the building remain, but any imaginative reconstruction or 3D model must be based upon documents and old paintings or drawings. Cooper can tell us about the Chapel’s builders because the building accounts exist, “a medieval historian’s dream.” We get descriptions of the building; of items such as three iron-bound chests and two pewter candlesticks. We read about gilding, gold leaf and paintings; the names of women who supplied material to the builders; and the canons who worshipped there. As I wrote above, there is immense detail – and I have huge respect for Cooper’s research, but it’s respect, not enjoyment, for this section. If you enjoy reading about medieval ecclesiastical buildings, this is THE book for you – don’t hesitate, snap it up now. It’s all very well written, but it’s not my era and didn’t grab me.

However, I really enjoyed the second part of the book. St Stephen’s Chapel is really important for its post-Reformation influence. The small chapel became the meeting place for the early modern House of Commons in 1549-50 and remained so, with refurbishments and modifications, until the fire of 1834. The subsequent new Houses of Parliament built by Pugin and Barry; and the current rebuild, following a bombing raid in WWII, both deliberately retained aspects of the medieval chapel. The building is too small to seat all members – but there are very few occasions when there are too many members in the Chamber; most debates are fairly sparsely attended. Most of the real work happens in the offices and Committee Rooms around the Chamber. The Chamber is narrow and confrontational with MPs literally taking sides. Cooper debunks the myth about the front benches being two swords’ length apart – the chapel’s aisle permitted a priest and two acolytes to process side by side to the altar and also (which I didn’t know – thank you, Dr Cooper) that MPs don’t bow to the Speaker as they enter, but to the royal arms above the Speaker’s chair. I found this part of the book absorbing. I loved the description of women gathered around the ventilators installed in the Commons, which provided excellent conduction of members’ speeches to those who were forbidden to hear them. I also enjoyed the anecdote about William Pitt confessing he had drunk so much, he couldn’t see the Speaker, and Dundas retorting that he could see two!

So, this is a book of two halves, each of which will be absorbing for many historians – but not everyone should expect to enjoy every chapter equally.

#TheLostChapelofWestminster #NetGalley

[James Smythe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an enthralling exploration of history that captivates from start to finish. It goes into the intricate details of how St Stephen's Chapel, once a place of royal worship adorned with stunning medieval frescoes and intricate stained glass, transformed into the heart of British democracy - the House of Commons.

The book expertly traces the chapel's journey through time, highlighting pivotal moments like the Reformation under Henry VIII, which saw the sacred space repurposed amid religious upheaval. The narrative is enriched with vivid descriptions of the chapel's art, such as the now-lost frescoes depicting scenes from the Old Testament, which serve as a testament to medieval craftsmanship and underscore the cultural loss when the chapel was gutted by fire in 1834.

It nicely links architectural history to political evolution. The physical space of the chapel, with its narrow layout, is shown to influence the adversarial style of debate in British politics that continues to this day. The book also brings to life the characters involved in this transformation, from monarchs and architects to parliamentarians who navigated this sacred space into a bastion of legislative power.

Overall, I think it's a great contribution to knowledge of a generally neglected area of history.

[Lubybel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lost Chapel of Westminster by John Cooper is an all-encompassing account of the magnificent St. Stephens Chapel. Built within the Palace of Westminster over the reign of three monarchs, taking 700 years to complete.


With the royals of the time living and ruling over the land in the Palace of Westminster, the change from Chapel to House of Commons came with the Protestand Reformation.


We learn of the history that gave rise to parliamentarians and the system of governance over the populace with all its pomp and ceremony.


The Chapel of St. Stephen was the absolute crowning glory of The Palace of Westminster and, over the years, underwent many changes to became the House of Commons. 

In 1834, the Chamber was gutted by fire and totally destroyed. The rebuilding of the new House of Commons retained many features of the St. Stephens Chapel.


The building as a whole contains so much history and is clearly and concisely retold here by John Copper.


I thoroughly enjoyed reading this up to date account of Westminster and the Chapel and can only agree with John Cooper that the very walls of the building are drenched in the rich patina of so much history.


My thanks go to NetGalley and to Head of Zeus and Apollo for my advanced copy for my honest review.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus Ltd for this ARC. in return for an honest review.

I selected this book because I love learning about historic buildings, particularly ones as interesting as St Stephen's Chapel. I enjoyed this book and was fascinated by the Chapel’s history and legacy—that it was the home of parliament for nearly 300 years was extraordinary.

This book meticulously traces the chronology of St Stephen's Chapel from its medieval origins to its present state. The author's extensive use of primary and secondary sources instils confidence in the book's credibility, and the planned illustrations would greatly enhance the reader's ability to visualise the discussed points. However, the book's occasional jumps in time and place can make it challenging to follow.
Overall a fascinating read.

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a much shorter book than I was expecting. It is extremely detailed and well researched. However it does feel more of an academic book or one for people who already have a lot of knowledge about the Palace of Westminster. I picked it up as hearing about a lost chapel piqued my interest. However, I don’t think I was really the intended audience - I didn’t find the tone quite engaging enough to maintain my interest and while I finished the book, I did struggle.

If you have existing knowledge of the Palace of Westminster then I think you will enjoy it. However I felt a bit disappointed.

Thanks to the author, publishers & NetGalley for access to this arc in return for an honest review.