An Arundel Tomb

Side by side, their faces blurred,

The earl and countess lie in stone…

One sees, with a sharp tender shock,

His hand withdrawn, holding her hand.

Larkin’s famous poem is about the tomb of Richard FitzAlan and his second wife, Eleanor of Lancaster. FitzAlan stipulated in his will that they should be buried together. The tomb was brought from Lewes Priory sometime after its dissolution in 1537 and by the beginning of the 19th century, it was in need of great restoration. The two figures were separated and Richard’s arms and Eleanor’s right hand were missing. It says on Chichester Cathedral’s website that restoration was undertaken by Edward Richardson, a well known sculptor, who restored the arms to show husband and wife with their right hands joined. However, other sources indicate that recent research has shown this feature to be original. Elizabeth’s legs are also crossed as if turning towards her husband.

There are other tombs which show people holding hands. Richard II specified that his effigy should be holding hands with his beloved spouse, Queen Anne of Bohemia, although these hands have now broken off. Thomas de Beauchamp and his wife, Katherine Mortimer, are also shown holding hands on their tomb in St Mary’s, Warwick. It was the tomb in Chichester Cathedral, however, which caught the imagination of Philip Larkin when he visited Chichester Cathedral early in 1956.

I first read this poem at school and the idea of two people loving each other enough to want to be immortalised in this way has always stayed with me so I was delighted when the chance came for me to see the tomb for myself. The tomb can be found in the North Aisle of the Cathedral (the whole cathedral is well worth a visit!), in a lovely peaceful spot where it can be viewed at leisure.

…The stone fidelity

They hardly meant has come to be

Their final blazon, and to prove

Our almost-instinct almost true:

What will survive of us is love.