Coronations and weddings, as well as the funerals of monarchs and members of their families, aroused interest both nationally and locally at court. Lavish celebrations – even when viewed from a distance – allowed people, at least symbolically, to participate in these important events.

The desire to bid a dignified farewell to the deceased has been with people for hundreds of years. In the case of royal families, the setting of the ceremony was also important, that is, the props which emphasised the splendour of the family or of the deceased themselves. Finally, textiles were of great importance, particularly the banners, which were created for this occasion and adorned with coats of arms or gold and silver thread. Examples of funeral banners belonging to two Polish queens; these are held in Swedish collections, namely three banners belonging to Constance of Habsburg (d. 10 July 1631), wife of Sigismund III Vasa, and one belonging to Cecilia Renata Habsburg (d. 24 March 1644) , wife of Władysław IV.

Constance of Habsburg was the second wife of Sigismund III Vasa and the younger sister of Anna, his first wife. She died on 10 July 1631 at Ujazdowski Castle in Warsaw , aged almost 43. Her death in a private residence on the outskirts of the city meant that the queen had to be transported to the Castle, but in this instance the funeral procession was not given a ceremonial character, as a plague-like atmosphere – that is, the plague – was rife ; the body was transported at night, in a carriage accompanied by several other carriages. Shortly afterwards, the King fell ill and died on 30 April 1632; joint funeral ceremonies were therefore organised for the royal couple.

Three funeral banners of Constance of Habsburg are preserved in the collection of the Royal Armoury (Livrustkammaren) in Stockholm (31077_LRK, 21237_LRK and 21238_LRK), which were prepared for her funeral. What they have in common is that, against a black rectangular background, there is a cartouche of white silk, within which is a heart-shaped cartouche with details embroidered in gold thread and silk. The condition of the item with inventory number 31077_LRK is the poorest, but the coat of arms surmounted by a royal crown is still visible. All the fields of the coat of arms are red (31077_LRK and 21237_LRK) – the first and fourth depict an eagle (Crown), whilst the second and third depict a horseman with a raised sword (Lithuania). Item no. 21238_LRK is in the best condition. In this instance, too, a heraldic cartouche surmounted by a crown is set against a black background; the first and fourth fields depict crowns, whilst the second and third fields depict a crowned lion with an open mouth – the coat of arms reflects the coat of arms of Austria.

In the second instance, Albrycht Stanisław Radziwiłł noted in his memoirs that from 19 March 1644, whilst staying in Vilnius, Cecylia Renata began to lose her strength; the queen was pregnant and her due date was approaching. Four days later, the queen gave birth to a stillborn child, and she herself died the following day (24 March). Her body was transported to Warsaw and laid in state in the Chamber of Deputies at the Royal Castle. ‘A procession of 1,200 infantrymen marched ahead [to Warsaw], their muskets pointed towards the ground, followed by the clergy, the Bishop of Wenden at the head of the bier, then the band, and then three senators, carrying the regalia of the kingdom one after the other: I [A.S. Radziwiłł] carried the chancellor’s apple; the Crown Chancellor carried the sceptre; and the Voivode of Bełsk carried the crown. Then the Voivode of Sieradz, the major domus, carried the marshal’s staff with its tip pointing towards the ground. Six horses, covered in black cloth, drew the carriage; the carriage itself was covered in black velvet with a gilded column. The King was carried on a chair, surrounded by senators. Twenty-four courtiers carried blazing torches around the coffin; bringing up the rear were the senators’ wives and the franncymer. Finally, they arrived at the castle, where the coffin was placed in the Chamber of Deputies, which was entirely draped in black cloth. There, after reciting litanies and other prayers, the king, with tears in his eyes, returned to the palace” . The interior of the Chamber of Deputies had been prepared by covering the windows, placing candelabra and draping the walls with special dark fabrics. The regalia and a crucifix were displayed beside the queen.

The funeral did not take place until 20 June, after the queen had been transported to Kraków, on Wawel Hill. ‘The carriage on which the coffin containing the queen’s body was carried was covered in black velvet’, as Radziwiłł notes once again. It appears that Cecilia Renata of Habsburg’s banner was also used during the queen’s funeral.

It takes the form of a rectangular piece of red damask measuring 62 x 52 cm. It is held in the collections of the Armémuseum and forms part of the collection of standards ( ‘Statens Trofésamling’). On one side of the banner – against a red background – there is a laurel wreath with four gold rosettes, within which the Habsburg coat of arms is placed. Surrounding it are the numerals 1 | 6 | 4 | 4, which spell out the year of the Queen’s death and the year the banner was made. On the other side of the banner is a Maltese cross and the Latin inscription IESUS | MARIA | SIS MECUM | IN VIA. The original 259 cm-long poles from the period have survived.

Object details
Banner of Constance of Habsburg: dimensions 56 x 44 cm, inv. no. 31077_LRK, Livrustkammaren collection

Banner of Constance of Habsburg: dimensions 56 x 44.5 cm, inv. no. 21238_LRK, Livrustkammaren collection

Banner of Constance of Habsburg: dimensions 56 x 44.5 cm, inv. no. 21237_LRK, Livrustkammaren collection

The banner of Cecilia Renata: dimensions 62 x 52 cm, inv. no. AM.084109, Armémuseum collection, Stockholm