A cope is a long, semi-circular cloak traditionally worn for church ceremonies. It is usually made of silk or other rich material in various colours. It often has a decorated ‘hood’, a shield-shaped piece of material that hangs at the back of the neck. Other decorated features can include the ‘morse’, a flap of fabric which fastens the cloak at the front; and the ‘orphreys’, the front edges of the cloak.
What is the Coronation cope made of?
- The Coronation Cope is made of white brocade satin.
- It is embroidered all over with gold sun-bursts, made by stitching gold-wrapped thread onto the surface of the fabric, a technique known as couching.
- The lower edge of the cope has a white, gold and red fringe.
- The hood, morse and orphreys are made of blue velvet.
- The hood is decorated with the initials ‘IHS' in couched gold thread, with a gold fringe.
- The morse has a couched gold thread image of St Cuthbert’s cross.
- Just below the morse, on either side of the cope are the initials ‘ER’ in gold couched thread, which stand for ‘Edwardus Rex’ or ‘King Edward’.
- The orphreys are decorated with coats of arms in gold and silver couched thread: those of the Diocese of Durham, topped with a mitre, and at the base of each orphrey the arms of Bishop Handley Moule, for whom the cope was first made.
Did you know?
- Copes have been used since about the 700s. They developed from the cappa choralis or ‘choir mantle’; a black, hooded vestment worn in church processions and choir services.
- The initials ‘IHS' on the hood of the Coronation cope is what is known as a ‘Christogram’, a symbol representing Jesus Christ. Here, the initials are the first three letters of His name written in Greek ‘ΙΗΣΟΥΣ’.
- This cope was made for Bishop Handley Moule to wear at the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902.
- It was used again by Bishop Moule in 1911 for the coronation of King George V.
- The cope was next worn by Bishop Herbert Hensley Henson in 1937 for the coronation of King George VI.
- The cope was last worn at a coronation by Bishop Michael Ramsey for Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
- The cope has also been worn for various royal visits, for example by Bishop Ian Ramsey when Queen Elizabeth II visited Durham Cathedral on 23rd March 1967.
- The Bishop of Durham plays an important role at the Coronation, the ceremony to crown a new British King or Queen. Together with the Bishop of Bath and Wells, they escort the new ruler into and out of Westminster Abbey, where the ceremony is held. Traditionally, the Bishop of Durham stands at the sovereign’s right-hand side during the ceremony, with the Bishop of Bath and Wells on the left.
Where is it now?
The Coronation cope is very fragile and so is not worn now. It is sometimes shown in Durham Cathedral Museum exhibitions, but is not currently on display.