A Lady chapel or lady chapel is a traditional

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

term for a

chapel A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christianity, Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their o ...

dedicated to

Mary, mother of Jesus Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

, particularly those inside a

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

or other large

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

. The chapels are also known as a Mary chapel or a Marian chapel, and they were traditionally the largest side chapel of a cathedral, placed eastward from the

high altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

and forming a projection from the main building, as in

Winchester Cathedral The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity,Historic England. "Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity (1095509)". ''National Heritage List for England''. Retrieved 8 September 2014. Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Swithun, commonly known as Winches ...

. Most

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

and many

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

cathedrals still have such chapels, while mid-sized churches have smaller

side-altar A side-altar or bye-altar is an altar that is subordinate to the central or high altar in a church. The term is generally applied to altars situated in bays of the nave, transepts, etc. Side-altars may be recessed in a side-chapel, or simply bu ...

s dedicated to the Virgin.''Mary: The Imagination of Her Heart'' by Penelope Duckworth 2004 pages 125-126 The occurrence of lady chapels varies by location and exist in most of the French cathedrals and churches where they form part of the

chevet In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. In Byzan ...

. In

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

they were not introduced before the 14th century; in some cases they are of the same size as the other chapels of the chevet, but in others (probably rebuilt at a later period) they became much more important features. Some of the best examples can be found in churches of the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

period in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

and

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. It was in lady chapels, towards the close of the Middle Ages, that innovations in church music were allowed, only the strict chant being heard in the choir. In late Old English the word 'lady' belonged to a declension of feminine nouns which were uninflected for the singular possessive, and the name (Our) Lady Chapel is a fossilized vestige. It should be understood as (Our) Lady's Chapel.

In England

In the 12th-century legends surrounding

King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

Lucius of Britain Lucius (Welsh language, Welsh: Lles map Coel, Lleirwg, Lleufer or Lleufer Mawr) was a supposed 2nd-century List of legendary kings of Britain, king of the Britons traditionally credited with introducing Christianity into Great Britain, Britain. L ...

, the

apostle An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary. The word is derived from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", itself derived from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to se ...

s Fagan and Duvian were said to have erected the

Lady Chapel A Lady chapel or lady chapel is a traditional British English, British term for a chapel dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus, particularly those inside a cathedral or other large church (building), church. The chapels are also known as a Mary chape ...

Glastonbury Glastonbury ( , ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury is less than across the River ...

as the oldest church in Britain;

William of Malmesbury William of Malmesbury (; ) was the foremost English historian of the 12th century. He has been ranked among the most talented English historians since Bede. Modern historian C. Warren Hollister described him as "a gifted historical scholar and a ...

. ''Gesta Regum Anglorum'' 'The Deeds of the Kings of the English'' . Translated by J.A. Giles a
''William of Malmesbury's Chronicle of the Kings of England from the Earliest Period to the Reign of King Stephen'', p. 21.
Henry G. Bohn (London), 1847. the accounts are now held to have been pious forgeries. The earliest English lady chapel of certain historicity was that in the

Saxon The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...

cathedral of

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

; this was transferred during the rebuilding by

Archbishop Lanfranc Lanfranc, OSB (1005 1010 – 24 May 1089) was an Italian-born English churchman, monk and scholar. Born in Italy, he moved to Normandy to become a Benedictine monk at Bec. He served successively as prior of Bec Abbey and abbot of St Ste ...

to the west end of the

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

, and again shifted in 1450 to the chapel on the east side of the north

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...

. The lady chapel of

Ely Cathedral Ely Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Ely, is an Church of England, Anglican cathedral in the city of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England. The cathedral can trace its origin to the abbey founded in Ely in 67 ...

is a distinct building attached to the north transept, which was built before 1016. At Rochester the current lady chapel is west of the south transept (which was the original lady chapel, and to which the current chapel was an extension). Probably the largest lady chapel was built by Henry III in 1220 in

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...

. This chapel was wide, much in excess of any foreign example, and extended to the end of the site now occupied by Henry VII's Lady Chapel. Also in 1220, the office of Warden of the Lady Chapel was established, with the responsibility for the Lady altar, and its sacred vessels, candles and other accoutrements. Among other notable English examples of lady chapels are those at the parish church at

Ottery St Mary Ottery St Mary, known as "Ottery", is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the East Devon district of Devon, England, on the River Otter, Devon, River Otter, about east of Exeter on the B3174. At the 2001 census, the parish, w ...

, Thetford Priory, Bury St Edmunds Cathedral,

Wimborne Minster Wimborne Minster (often referred to as Wimborne, ) is a market town in Dorset in South West England, and the name of the Church of England church in that town. It lies at the confluence of the River Stour and the River Allen, north of Pool ...

and Highfield Church in Hampshire. The Lady Chapel was built over the chancel in

Compton, Guildford Compton is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Guildford (borough), Guildford district of Surrey, England. It is between Godalming and Guildford. It has a medieval church and a close connection to fine art and pottery, ...

, Surrey; Compton Martin, Somersetshire; and Darenth, Kent. At

Croyland Abbey Crowland Abbey (historically often spelled Croyland Abbey; Latin: ) is a Church of England parish church, formerly part of a Benedictine abbey church, in Crowland in the English county of Lincolnshire. It is a Grade I listed building. History A ...

there were two lady chapels. The Priory Church at Little Dunmow was the lady chapel of an Augustinian priory, and is now the parish church. The Lady Chapel in

Liverpool Cathedral Liverpool Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Liverpool, England. It is the seat of the bishop of Liverpool and is the mother church of the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool, diocese of Liverpool. The church may be formally re ...

is another, more recent, example. Consecrated in June 1910, it was designed by

George Gilbert Scott Sir George Gilbert Scott (13 July 1811 – 27 March 1878), largely known as Sir Gilbert Scott, was a prolific English Gothic Revival architect, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches and cathedrals, although he ...

and is noteworthy for its size and beauty.

Salisbury Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...

and

Truro Truro (; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Cornwall, England; it is the southernmost city in the United Kingdom, just under west-south-west of Charing Cross in London. It is Cornwall's county town, s ...

cathedrals have an eastern chapel that is equivalent to a lady chapel but with a different name, as a result of the whole church being dedicated to Mary.

Places

Canada

* The Lady Chapel at the Cathedral Church of the Redeemer in Calgary, Alberta

Ireland

* The Lady Chapel of St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin * The Lady Chapel of Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin

New Zealand

* The Lady Chapel at St Paul's Cathedral in Wellington

Russia

* The Lady Chapel at Catholic Church of St. Catherine in Saint Petersburg

South Africa

* The Lady Chapel of St Cyprian's Cathedral in Kimberley

United Kingdom

The beautiful Lady Chapel within the cathedral dedicated to the Holy Spirit at Guildford - geograph

* The Lady Chapel at Glastonbury Abbey, formerly supposed to be the oldest church in Britain * The Lady Chapel at Canterbury Cathedral, the probable first Lady chapel in Britain * The Elder Lady Chapel at Bristol Cathedral in England * The Eastern Lady Chapel at Bristol Cathedral in England * The Lady Chapel at Chester Cathedral in England * The Lady Chapel at Chichester Cathedral in England * The Lady Chapel at Ely Cathedral in England * The Lady Chapel at Gloucester Cathedral in England * The Lady Chapel at Hereford Cathedral in England * The Lady Chapel at Liverpool Cathedral (Anglican) in England * The Lady Chapel at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral (Catholic) in England * The Lady Chapel at Manchester Cathedral in England * The Lady Chapel at Rochester Cathedral in England * The Lady Chapel at Wells Cathedral in England * The Lady Chapel at Westminster Abbey (Anglican), also known as the "Henry VII Chapel" * The Lady Chapel of

Westminster Cathedral Westminster Cathedral, officially the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Most Precious Blood, is the largest Catholic Church in England and Wales, Roman Catholic church in England and Wales. The shrine is dedicated to the Blood of Jesus Ch ...

(RC) in England * The Lady Chapel of Winchester Cathedral in England * The Lady Chapel at St Alban's in Southampton, England * The Lady Chapel at All Saints' in London, England * The Lady Chapel at St Augustine's in Birmingham, England * The Lady Chapel at Christ the King's in London, England * The Lady Chapel at Holy Cross in Crediton, England * The Lady Chapel at Holy Cross in Waltham Abbey, England * The Lady Chapel at St Clare's in Liverpool, England * The Lady Chapel at St David's in Pantasaph, Wales * The Lady Chapel at St Jude's-on-the-Hill in London, England * The Lady Chapel at St George's in Birmingham, England * The Lady Chapel at St Helen's in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, England * The Lady Chapel at St James the Great's in Haydock, England * The Lady Chapel at St John the Baptist's in Chester, England * The Lady Chapel at St Mary's in Stamford, England * The Lady Chapel at St Mary's in Widnes, England * The Lady Chapel at St Mary Magdalen's in Woolwich, England * The Lady Chapel at St Mary Magdalen's in Yarm, England * The Lady Chapel at St Mary the Virgin's in Stanton Drew, England * The Lady Chapel at St Matthew's in Oxhey, England * The Lady Chapel at St Matthew's in Westminster, England * The Lady Chapel at St Michael's in St Michael Caerhays, Cornwall * The Lady Chapel at St Michael's in Tilehurst, England * The Lady Chapel of St Pancras's in Ipswich, England * The Lady Chapel at St Peter's in Berkhamsted, England * The Lady Chapel at St Peter's in Sudbury, England * The Lady Chapel at Holy Trinity in Trowbridge, England * The Lady Chapel at Windsor Castle, now formally the "Albert Memorial Chapel"

United States

* The Lady Chapel at Manhattanville College in

Purchase, New York Purchase is a hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set ...

* The Lady Chapel at St. Mark's Church, Rittenhouse Square in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, Pennsylvania * The Lady Chapel at Church of the Good Shepherd (

Rosemont, Pennsylvania Rosemont is a neighborhood and census-designated place in Pennsylvania, United States. Partly in Lower Merion Township in Montgomery County and partly in Radnor Township in Delaware County, it is on the Philadelphia Main Line. It is best kno ...

) * The Lady Chapel at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Notre Dame, Indiana * The Lady Chapel at the Church of the Advent,

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, Massachusetts * The Lady Chapel at St. Patrick's Cathedral, (Manhattan).White, Norval, and Elliot Willensky. ''AIA Guide to New York City''. 5th edition New York: Oxford UP, 2010. Print.

References

* * {{Commons category, Lady chapels Church architecture Chapels Shrines to the Virgin Mary Anglican Mariology Marian devotions