Chairs From the Coronation of King Charles Will Be Auctioned For Charity Next Month

For those who crave the chance to own a little bit of royal history, there's a unique opportunity on the horizon. Next month, auction house Christie's will host a special sale—via The Collector, their international online platform for Decorative Arts—auctioning off six sets of chairs from the coronation services of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

The chairs, which were used to seat members of the royal family and international dignitaries during the May 6, 2023 coronation at Westminster Abbey, will be sold to raise funds for four charities chosen by Charles and Camilla; Emmaus UK, SafeLives, The Prince’s Trust, and The Prince’s Foundation. Bidding will begin online on October 13, concluding November 3, with proceeds to be divided evenly among the charities. (Additional chairs will later be offered for private sale by Christie's, benefiting the same charities.)

Designed and created in a collaboration between cabinetmaker N.E.J. Stevenson and The Snowdon School of Furniture, the royal blue chairs were specially commissioned by the king and queen and made with sustainably-sourced British oak. They were upholstered by the Royal Household Upholstery team in their workshops at Frogmore.

The pieces in many way echo royal history, paying homage to both Charles's mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and grandfather, King George VI. For his 1937 coronation, the chairs commissioned by George VI featured his royal cypher embroidered on the velvet chair backs, a design detail that George's daughter, Elizabeth used in her own 1953 coronation. As the services earlier this year featured the coronation of both Charles and Camilla, both of the royals's cyphers were incorporated into the design.

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