Taken from British Library Lansdowne MS 285.
https://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/ILLUMIN.ASP?Size=mid&IllID=3997
Here is a modernised transcription of a form of a coronation. It is published here to mark the crowning of King Charles III.
Extracts from Folio 2 onwards:
First the Prince that is now to be crowned the day before his Coronation shall be 1 | apparelled and clothed with most noble and fairest clothing. And so he shall ride from the 2 | Tower of London to his Palace at Westminster through the City of London bareheaded 3 | Riding with him temporal lords and the Commonality of the same City with 4 | other much and noble people /// 5 |
The King’s seat: Also, it must be ordained that in the day of the King’s Coronation, 6 | in the Great Hall of Westminster, the King’s seat be Royally ordained and dressed with 7 | cloths of silk and gold and Royal cushions and carpets.
The Pulpit: Also, in 8 | Westminster Church must be ordained a Pulpit with “grees” [steps] on every side. And that 9 | must be fair arrayed with cloths of Silk & of gold and about on the ground, both. 10 |
The King’s Throne: Also, in that Pulpit, shall be a Royal Throne and a Royal seat in 11 | the which the King shall sit. And it shall also be Royally arrayed with cushions 12 | and cloths of gold and silk.
The Abbot of Westminster shall inform the King: 13 | Also, it is, to wit, that the Abbot of Westminster, which is, for the time, two days 14 | other before the King’s Coronation, or the Queen’s, and shall inform them of divers 15 | observances that they shall do & keep in their Coronation, and warn them to 16 | strive and to cleanse their Conscience before the holy anointing. And if the 17 | Abbot be dead sick or in foreign countries, or “leefully lett'”[lawfully stopped] Then shall one of the monks 18 | of the Church be chosen by the Convent that shall fulfil and do in the Abbot’s 19 | stead at the said time of Coronation.
The Shirt and the Coat: Also, the 20 | same day of the Coronation, the same Prince that shall be crowned shall 21 | be lifted up in the foresaid Royal seat in the Hall, but first he shall be bathed 22 | And after the bath, there shall be ordained to him a new shirt and a Coat of 23 | Silk opened to the breast, open between the shoulders & the middle of the 24 | arms. And above the Coat he shall be clothed with other noble vestments 25 | And he shall wear one [pair of] hose without shoes.
The solemn procession: Also, 26 | there shall be a solemn procession ordained by the Abbot and Convent of Westminster 27 | unto the King’s seat in the Great Hall, in the which the Prince shall sit abiding the procession 28 | and in this procession shall be Archbishops and other prelates, and then 29 | shall the Prince descend and follow the procession into the Church, and he 30 | shall go upon new Ray [striped] cloth laid under his feet on the ground from the said 31 | Church, and there shall be singing in the “Resteyning” of [receiving?] Kings and Queens 32 |
… The Archbishop, with a high voice, shall enquire the will of the people as touching the King’s Coronation. And that while shall the prince stand in his Throne or Chair and turn him also to the parties of the people. And after that question shall an anthem be song…
The Offering of the King. Also when the anthem is song and ended, the King shall come down off his pulpit unto the High Altar between bishops that shall lead him on which altar he must offer a cloth of gold…
The Lying of the King before the Altar. Also, when the King hath offered, he shall lie down flat on the pavement before the altar upon cushions and cloths of silk, Royally arrayed, till that the Archbishop or some other that shall Crown him hath said Deus Fidelum. And then there shall be made a Sermon to the people. Another that the King shall make. And when the Sermon is done, the King shall come to the Altar to make his oath, which he shall confirm with the Sacrament of the Altar.
The lying down again of the King before the Altar. Then shall a hymn begin: Veni Creator Spritus…
The Anointing of the King in 6 places. Afterwards, the King shall arise out of his Chair to go to the altar and “do of” [take off] his clothes save his Coat and his Shirt that he may receive the anointing… and shall be anointed in 6 places, that is to say: in the hands, within the breast, between the shoulders and in the great of the arm, and in the head in the manner of a Cross with the Holy Oil.
The Abbot of Westminster. And then after the aforesaid anointing and wiping with linen cloth (which shall be burned), the openings of the place of the anointing in his Coat and Shirt shall then be closed after the anointing of the Abbot of Westminster or one in his stead.
The Abbot of Westminster shall take off the King’s Pelion: Also, when the King is anointed on his head, the King’s head shall be held with a linen cloth for the Holy anointing. And so it shall be still till the viij [8] days after he is anointed, at which day the Abbot of Westminster or a Monk in his stead, shall come to the King and take off that Pelion (turban) and wash the King’s head and make it clean…