Card of the Day: Westminster Abbey Presbytery Prepared for the Coronation

As we continue with the series of 1935 Silver Jubilee Cards from Churchman Cigarettes we return to Westminster Abbey, the seat of Royal Coronations. Here, we see the Presbytery at Westminster Abbey prepared for the Coronation. I’m not quite sure WHICH coronation this image refers to, but I’m assuming it’s the scene of the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary since this set of cards is dedicated to them.

A Presbytery, architecturally, refers to the portion of the choir of a church in which the high altar is placed. This is usually raised by a few steps above the rest of the church and is reserved for the priests or clergy as opposed to the laity who occupy the choir. In Westminster Abbey the space east of the transept is the presbytery and this is the area used by the Archbishop of Canterbury to prepare for the Coronation.