The Gatehouse, Lambeth Palace and the church of St Mary in Lambeth with the Thames and Westminster Bridge in 1814. Cooke.

As it is now the Palace comprises the Great Hall, four flats, two chapels, three state rooms and studies for the Archbishop and the Bishop of Lambeth. There are in addition two towers, eight cottages and over six acres of gardens. Interestingly, the recent Mellows’ report (2002) proposes turning the site into a conference centre or commercial hospitality suite, allowing the archbishop and others to continue to live there, and giving them the use of the state rooms for forty percent of the time. 

For those concerned about meeting the archbishop whilst doing the rounds, the following notes on etiquette might prove useful : the Archbishop of Canterbury is styled ‘ The Most Reverend’, retired archbishops ‘The Right Reverend’. As automatic members of the Privy Council, he may use the title ‘The Right Honourable’ for life. In formal documents, the Archbishop of Canterbury is referred to as ‘The Most Reverend Father in God, John Arthur Frederick (or whatever), by Divine Providence Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of All England and Metropolitan’. If engaging with him in debate in the House of Lords, you should use the title ‘The Most Reverend Primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury’. He may also be formally addressed as ‘Your Grace’, or else as ‘Archbishop’ or ‘Father’. In a procession, it is safe to assume that you should stand behind him, unless you are a member of the Royal Family, in which case you will have been trained from infancy on where to stand.

2.2 The Church

The church, St Mary in Lambeth, has been on the site since 1072. The building shown in the illustrations was completed in the 14th century. But as Augustus Hare notes in 1878: ‘falling under the ruthless hand of restorers it was rebuilt (except its tower of 1377) in 1851-52 by Hardwick, and its interest has been totally destroyed...Almost the only interesting feature retained in this cruelly abused building is the figure of a pedlar with his pack and dog (on the third window of the north aisle) who left "Pedlar's Acre" to the parish, on condition of his figure being always preserved on one of the church windows. The figure was existing here as early as 1608.’

It was underneath this tower that Mary of Modena sheltered on fleeing the capital on December 10th, 1688: ‘The party stole down the backstairs (of Whitehall) and embarked in an open skiff. It was a miserable voyage. The night was bleak: the rain fell: the wind roared: the water was rough: at length the boat reached Lambeth: and the fugitives landed near an inn, where a coach and horses were in waiting. Some time elapsed before the horses could be harnessed. Mary, afraid that her face might be known, would not enter the house. She remained with her child, cowering for shelter from the storm under the tower of Lambeth church, and distracted by terror whenever the ostler approached her with his lantern. Two of her women attended her, one who gave suck to the Prince, and one whose office was to rock his cradle: but they could be of little use to their mistress; for both were foreigners who could hardly speak the English language, and who shuddered at the rigour of the English climate. The only consolatory circumstance was that the little boy was well, and uttered not a single cry. At length the coach was ready. The fugitives reached Gravesend safely, and embarked in the yacht which waited for them.’ Macaulay, History of England.

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