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King Richard III: “What says Lord Stanley? Will he bring his power?”

Messenger: “My lord, he doth deny to come.”

These two lines, coming at the end of Shakespeare’s ‘Richard III’ could so easily be passed over, yet their significance during the Battle of Bosworth Field, and the subsequent history of the English monarchy, cannot be overestimated.

Today

Though these events may seem far removed from Lathom Park Chapel, there may have been no chapel but for this historic decision. Immediately after the victory at Bosworth, Lord Stanley was advanced to the earldom by the title of Earl of Derby, and he then returned home to Lathom House which had passed by marriage into the Stanley family. Subsequently in 1500 he founded the Chapel as a chantry. It remained a private Chapel until 1924 when it was transferred into the Diocese of Liverpool. A further description of the Chapel is available in our guide book price £5

In 2024 we celebrated 100 years of public worship at the Chapel