Before speaking of the other parts of the Abbey buildings we must not forget the little Islip Chantry, or upper part of Abbot Islip’s beautiful chapel in the North Ambulatory. In this Chantry are the presses which contain the celebrated wax effigies of which we so often hear.

In olden times it used to be the custom to carry effigies in the funeral processions of sovereigns and of other important personages, and to leave these effigies standing beside the grave for a month or more after the funeral. This custom succeeded to the yet older one of carrying the dead body of the sovereign with its face exposed, in order to show that the sovereign was really dead, and that there had been no foul play. In those days, unfortunately, foul play was not very uncommon, as we see in the case of Edward II and Richard II.

The oldest effigies were not made of wax, but of wood, and they had heads, hands, and feet made of plaster. The effigy of Henry V was made of boiled leather, or, as an old description says: “boyled hides.” In later days people learned to make effigies in wax, and some of them were no doubt very good portraits. There are eleven of these wax effigies still shown in the Islip Chantry.

The oldest which now remains is that of Charles II, which stood for a long time beside his grave in Henry VII’s Chapel. The face is just like the pictures we see of Charles II. He wears the blue and red velvet robes of a Knight of the Garter, with collar and ruffles of real, and very beautiful, point lace. The effigy of Queen Elizabeth is a Restoration, and no doubt a copy of the original, which had got quite worn out by 1708. Some people think the head may really be that of the first effigy. The face is very sad and worn, and looks as if Queen Elizabeth had been very unhappy in her old age. We recognise the familiar Elizabethan dress, the ruff, the high-heeled shoes, the pointed bodice and wide skirts.

Next to Queen Elizabeth stand the effigies of William III and Mary II, which are placed together in one large case. The crown is on a pedestal between the two figures, and both sovereigns carry the sceptre and the orb, so as to show that they reigned jointly, Mary not being Queen-Consort merely. William was evidently a good deal shorter than his wife, for he stands on a foot-stool in order to look equal in height. Mary wears a brocaded skirt, and a purple velvet robe over it. She also wears imitation paste and pearl ornaments and beautiful lace in her sleeves. The last effigy of a sovereign is that of Queen Anne. She is represented seated, and is dressed in robes of brocaded silk. She wears many ornaments, and has a crown over her dark, flowing hair. Her face is rather fat, with a kindly, good-natured expression.

Close to the case which holds the effigy of Queen Anne is a figure of General Monck, in armour. This figure used to look very much battered and greatly the worse for wear, but it has lately been rather mended up. The cap is the famous one mentioned in the Ingoldsby Legends, in the well-known lines—

General Monck, afterwards Duke of Albemarle, is buried in Henry VII’s Chapel, as we have already said.

The next effigy is that of Frances Theresa Stuart, Duchess of Richmond and Lennox, a great beauty in her day. She was maid-of-honour to Catherine of Braganza, wife of Charles II. She sat as a model for the figure of Britannia on a medal which was struck to commemorate the Treaty of Breda, when peace was made between the English and Dutch after the first Dutch War. This was in 1667. The figure of Britannia is no doubt the same that we now see on our pennies and halfpennies. Frances Stuart is dressed in the robes she wore at the Coronation of Queen Anne. Beside her is her parrot, which died a few days after her. This lady left particular orders about her effigy, directing that it should be “as well done in wax as can bee—and sett up in a presse by itself,... with cleare Crowne glasse before it, and dressed in my Coronation Robes and Coronett.” The effigy at first stood beside the Duchess’s grave in Henry VII’s Chapel.

Next to the Duchess of Richmond and Lennox stand the effigies of Catherine, Duchess of Buckinghamshire, and her little son, the Marquis of Normanby, who died when a child. The Duchess, with her husband and children, are buried in Henry VII’s Chapel, and a large monument is erected there to the Duke, who was distinguished as a politician, soldier, and man of letters in the reigns of Charles II and James II.

The Duchess of Buckinghamshire died in 1743. Her effigy is dressed in the robes that she wore at the Coronation of George II. This lady settled all about her own funeral with the Garter King-at-Arms, and was quite afraid lest she should die before the grand canopy came home. “Let them send it,” she said, “though all the tassels are not finished.” Buckingham House, where the Duchess lived, was built by her husband on the site of the present Buckingham Palace.

In the middle of the Chantry is a glass case containing the effigy of Edmund Sheffield, last Duke of Buckinghamshire, and son of the Duchess whose effigy has just been described. The young Duke died in Rome in 1735, aged only nineteen. This effigy, which is a very fine one, was the last ever carried at a funeral. The Duchess wanted to borrow the great Duke of Marlborough’s funeral car for the funeral of her son. But Sarah, the celebrated Duchess of Marlborough, replied very haughtily that “it carried my Lord Marlborough, and it shall never be profaned by any other corpse.” Whereupon the Duchess of Buckinghamshire retorted: “I have consulted the undertaker, and he tells me I may have a finer for twenty pounds.”

There are two other wax figures in the Chantry, but they are not, properly speaking, effigies, because they were not used in the funeral processions, but were only put up to attract sightseers. These figures represent two very eminent Englishmen, namely, William Pitt the elder, afterwards Lord Chatham, and Lord Nelson. Both figures are remarkably good, and must be excellent likenesses. Lord Chatham wears his peer’s robes, and a wig, such as was then the fashion.

Lord Nelson’s effigy is dressed in naval uniform; all the dress, except the coat, belonged to Nelson himself. The eye-patch for Nelson’s blind eye was found attached to the inner lining of the hat when Maclise borrowed it to copy for his well-known picture, “The Death of Nelson.”

These wax effigies, then, are not mere curiosities, but are interesting, both as showing us an ancient funeral custom and as representing people who played a part in the English history of their day.