The Salisbury Chantry at Christchurch Priory is grand, decadent and rather ornate. It was founded by Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, a woman whose life seemed quite dramatic. She was the niece of both Edward IV and Richard III, but unfortunately for her, she was a Plantagenet and this didn’t entirely fit with the Tudor way of thinking. So, Henry VIII eventually had her executed on 27 May 1541 (and at 07:00 so she had to get up early) and her chantry at Christchurch has survived, but remains unused. There’s a lot more about Margaret Pole at the Historic Royal Palaces website, she was a powerful figure until she was killed…..
Architecturally, the chantry is beautiful in a rich and late Gothic way with its delicate stone tracery and niches that likely held figures long since lost. There are some traces of medieval paint remaining and I imagine in its day it would have rather more glowed with candles and felt a little warmer.
This is the other side of it, by the altar. The fact it survived the Reformation at all is rather miraculous, since most chantries were dissolved and removed with their endowments seized by the Crown. And this is the sort of thing that actually brought down the Catholic Church, it was ridiculous that this wealth brought such privilege in the priory that someone could be buried in a construction such as this right by the altar.
The corruption, nepotism and greed of the Catholic Church at this point is what ultimately led to the Reformation across Europe. The church willingly took wealth from those who didn’t really have any, so fearful were they that they or their loved ones wouldn’t go to heaven. Any money brought privilege and access, a fast track to heaven.
Margaret Pole is now buried at the Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula located in the Tower of London, so that’s not a bad final resting place. It wasn’t the one she wanted and her death meant that she became something of a martyr, which is perhaps why this chantry survived and remains today.