Chapel Royal, in England, consists of a dean, sub-dean, forty-eight chaplains, ten priests in ordinary, and a numerous lay choir, styled gentlemen of the chapel, with a clerk of the closet, and deputy-clerks of the closet, and an organist. The chaplain's duty is preaching, a certain number being appointed beforehand to take duty each month of the year; the liturgical offices are performed by the dean, sub-dean, and priests in ordinary. The establishment is bound to attend the sovereign wherever the court happens to be; but in fact the services of the chapel are confined to London—formerly to the chapel at Whitehall, destroyed by fire after the Restoration, more recently to the small oratory in St James's Palace. The earliest records concerning the Chapel Royal date from the reign of Edward IV.
The CHAPEL ROYAL OF SCOTLAND was an ancient foundation originally located in Stirling Castle, founded by Alexander I., and liberally endowed by his successors. In the reign of Queen Mary the Chapel Royal was transferred to Holyrood House. After the Reformation 'the minister of the king's household' conducted service in it, and the chapel was used as their parish church by the people of the Canongate. It was endowed with the teinds of various churches, and the revenues of the abbey of Dundrennan. During the period of Episcopal church government the Chapel Royal of Holyrood was presided over by a dean, generally one of the bishops, and served by a number of chaplains (see HOLYROOD). After the Revolution the revenues of the Chapel Royal were bestowed on various ministers and chaplains. In accordance with the report of the University Commission issued in 1863 the whole revenues have latterly been taken to augment the income of several professors of divinity, among whom they are divided. The present Dean of the Order of the Thistle is appointed by his commission from the crown the Dean of the Chapel Royal of Scotland. The other members of the chapel are the chaplains in ordinary, six in number, who are appointed during the pleasure of the crown. Neither the dean nor the chaplains receive any of the revenues of the Chapel Royal, which have been all disposed of in the manner stated, and their duties are purely honorary.