See the Thrones That Will Be Used for the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla
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Coronation thrones have been part of the royal traditions since the late 13th century. The extremely antique “Coronation Chair” (AKA St. Edward’s Chair, named after the individual who originally asked for it to be constructed) is “one of the most precious and famous pieces of furniture in the world,” according to Westminster Abbey officials.
The 6 ½-foot-tall original Baltic oak chair is only used as a chair during the coronation services, and was recently very delicately made over and touched up for the upcoming coronation of King Charles III on May 6. (Between coronations, the original throne is often on display in front of the High Altar at St. George’s Chapel in London.)
Since that seat has centuries of history and isn’t the most comfortable or sturdy piece of furniture, it will only be used for a short time when Charles is officially crowned as king. Other ceremonial chairs and thrones are used for the different stages of the coronation service as well, palace staff confirm.
“In addition to the St. Edward’s Chair, the king and the queen consort will be seated in Chairs of Estate and Throne Chairs at different points during the service,” The Royal Family revealed on Instagram.
Rather than asking for new furniture to be created from scratch, King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla opted for a more eco-friendly alternative. They asked for their select seats to be designed using repurposed pieces from the Royal Collection made for previous coronations. The Chairs of Estate were made for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, and the Throne Chairs were constructed for the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937.
Sustainability is such a key focus area for King Charles III for the past 40 years that he launched The Prince’s Foundation in 2018. The non-profit focuses on “heritage-led regeneration” with an aim to forge strong “relationships between ourselves and the natural world [to] create a more sustainable future.”
You can see those thrones getting their initial adjustments on Instagram:
To prepare for the coronation, gilding and furniture conservators from the Royal Collection trust "cleaned, restored and consolidated the giltwood frames," according to a media release from The Royal Family. Additionally, "new silk damask was woven by the Humphries Weaving Company to the same pattern with which they were originally upholstered. This was to allow for the cyphers of The King and The Queen Consort to replace those of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, which were removed and will be kept in the Royal Collection."
The new cyphers were embroidered by hand by the Royal School of Needlework and created "with cloth of gold, woven with a metal thread. The cloth of gold was then embellished with gold metallic threads. Upon completion, the cyphers were applied onto the silk damask using the appliquè technique. The upholstery was completed by the Royal Household’s upholsterers, including the re-use of the original braid and trimmings," according to the release.
The Royal Family confirmed that six graduates of The Prince’s Foundation at Highgrove used traditional materials, sustainable British oak and classic techniques to bring the other congregation chairs to life. These chairs are covered in blue velvet and showcase the cyphers of their majesties. The chairs will be auctioned following the coronation, and the proceeds will be donated to charity.
In case your coronation invitation didn’t arrive for you to take one of those seats yourself, you can still tune into the action and see the furniture—and so much heritage and history—on display on May 6. While you watch, you can feel like you’re almost right in the room with Charles, Camilla and the family by recreating their Big Lunch menu in your own home.
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