Dean of the Chapel Royal

Dean Of The Chapel Royal (Scotland), an office held by three clergymen of the Established Church, to which they are appointed by the crown. The duties are nominal, being limited to an occasional sermon before her majesty when in Scotland, and attendance at the election of the representative peers. Recent appointments, however, have been conferred in connection with chairs in the University of Edinburgh which are not otherwise endowed. The title of dean is somewhat out of place in the Church of Scotland, where the rule of Presbyterian parity is established. It is a remnant of Episcopacy, which the Church courts have never had occasion to challenge, as the deans do not sit or act in that capacity, and have scarcely any ecclesiastical duties to perform.