“The Great Show”: Ritualistic Equestrianism in the Coronation of King Charles II, 1661

Mary Tefft White Cultural Center, University Library

Horses have played an integral part in the coronation ceremony of a King or Queen of England for centuries. While mostly for utilitarian purposes, their roles became increasingly ceremonial during the early modern period. Scholars such as Peter Edwards, Pia Cuneo, and Jennifer Flaherty have explored the multitude of ways in which symbolism was embedded in horse culture through art, literature, and material sources. This paper seeks to draw attention to an instance where emblematic equestrianism was embedded within a religious and ceremonial setting, while also providing insight into the symbolic nature of horse culture in early modern England. For the Restoration, ceremonial objects such as the Gold Spurs were brought back, recreated, and reinvested with former meanings like knighthood. The King’s Champion, dressed in full armor, reenacted a historic and symbolic ritual that challenged anyone who denied the monarch’s power and authority over the people. Located directly behind the King in the coronation procession was a spare horse whose purpose was not only utilitarian in function but also ceremonial. The paraded horse symbolized monarchy while wearing the trappings of the Saddle of Estate and bearing the title of Horse of State. In restoring continuity and tradition in England, coronation officials used ritualistic equestrianism as symbols of knighthood, power and authority, and monarchism in what diarist Samuel Pepys called “the great show” – otherwise known as the coronation of King Charles II.