Cathedral team: chapter

The Chapter – sometimes called ‘Dean and Chapter’ – is the governing body of St Davids Cathedral, providing strategic leadership and direction to all areas of Cathedral life. As St Davids Cathedral is a registered charity, the Chapter legal Trustees, responsible for ensuring that obligations are met under charity law.

The Dean and Sub-Dean are automatic members of Chapter, along with the senior clergy of the Diocese of St Davids, who are appointed by the Bishop. Each Chapter member is given their own particular seat in the ancient carved choir stalls, which is named after areas of the historic Diocese, or a ‘general’ seat as a ‘cursal’ canon.

Uniquely among British Cathedrals, the First Canon Cursal is always the Sovereign. The Queen has sat here, on past visits to St Davids. The origins of this go back to the Reformation, though the details are lost.