The medieval Star Chamber in the old Palace of Westminster heard cases of national import and personal gain, often with the monarch present. Renowned for trying the elite, & meting out swift, brutal justice, it quickly drew suspicions of corruption and favouritism and was abolished in 1641 during England’s Long Parliament & the build up to civil war. Memorable cases featured libel, corruption, illegal hunting & witchcraft, as well as assault & murder, while punishments saw body parts removed and extreme acts of violence. Note how the ceiling shown here contradicts the accepted definition of gold stars on a blue background, as evidenced in second image, of a document from 1507. A later incarnation or poetic license? Then again, it matches the ‘original’ when taken down in the C19 and removed to Leasowe Castle on the Wirral, still there today.
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