Royal Peculiars

The Royal Peculiars are places of worship within the Church of England that have an independent status, in that they are not subject to the control of the bishop in whose diocese they lie, but are rather come directly under the control of the monarch.

They originate from a variety of historical reasons, some accidental and some deliberate, but they continue to operate as functioning places of worship and also, in many cases as significant tourist attractions.

The two most important Royal Peculiars are;

• Westminster Abbey - that is The Collegiate Church of St Peter
• St. George's Chapel at Windsor also known as The Queen's Free Chapel of St George

1.The Chapel Royal

• The Chapel Royal at St James's Palace
• The Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula in the Tower of London
• The Chapel Royal at Hampton Court

2. Royal Chapels

• The Queen's Chapel at St James's Palace
• The Chapel of St John the Evangelist in the Tower of London
• The Royal Chapel of All Saints at Windsor
• The Queen's Chapel of the Savoy
• The Royal Foundation of St Katharine in Ratcliffe
• The Royal Memorial Chapel at Sandhurst

(The distinction between the two is that the Chapel Royal is a specific institution whereas the Royal Chapels are merely private chapels in the ownership of the monarch.)

Sourced from here and there and in particular THE ROYAL PECULIARS -Report of the Review Group set up by Her Majesty The Queen London 2001 available online at the The Lord Chancellor's Department at http://www.lcd.gov.uk/majrep/royalp.htm