Coronation Chair facts for kids
The Coronation Chair is a very old wooden chair. It is also called St Edward's Chair or King Edward's Chair. British kings and queens sit on this chair when they are crowned. This special chair was made in 1296 for King Edward I. He wanted it to hold the Stone of Destiny, a famous stone from Scotland that he had captured. The chair is named after Edward the Confessor and is kept at Westminster Abbey.
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History of the Coronation Chair
How the Chair Was Made
In 1296, King Edward I of England took a large stone from Scone Abbey in Scotland. This stone was known as the Stone of Destiny. Scottish kings had used it for centuries when they were crowned. King Edward brought the Stone to England. He then ordered the Coronation Chair to be built to hold it.
The chair is a tall, wooden armchair made in the Gothic style. It was carved from oak wood between 1297 and 1300. The carpenter who made it was named Walter of Durham. At first, the king wanted the chair to be made of bronze. But he changed his mind and chose wood instead.
The Chair's Original Look
The chair was originally covered in shiny gold and colorful glass pieces. Most of these decorations have now fallen off. This chair is the oldest piece of English furniture that we know was made by a specific artist.
Even though it wasn't first planned as a coronation chair, it became linked to coronations in the 1300s. The first time it was definitely used for a crowning was in 1399, for King Henry IV. For a long time, monarchs actually sat directly on the Stone of Scone. But in the 1600s, a wooden platform was added to the chair for them to sit on.
Changes Over Time
In 1689, William III and Mary II became joint rulers. They needed two chairs for their ceremony. William III used the original chair. A second chair was made for Mary II, and it is still kept at the Abbey today.
Golden lions were added to the chair in the 1500s to form its legs. These lions were replaced in 1727. For the coronation of George IV in 1821, one of the lion's heads was replaced. The chair was once painted and decorated with glass mosaics. You can still see hints of these designs, especially on the back. There were outlines of leaves, birds, and animals. A picture of a king, possibly Edward the Confessor or Edward I, with his feet on a lion, was also painted on the back but is now gone. Today, the chair looks like old, worn wood.
In the 1700s, visitors could even sit on the chair for a small fee. Early tourists and choirboys carved their initials into the chair. Souvenir hunters also damaged the corner posts. Nails were often hammered into the wood to attach fabric for coronations. Before Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, the chair was even covered with brown paint.
The Chair's Adventures
On June 11, 1914, the chair was damaged by a small explosion. It is believed that a group called the Suffragettes were responsible. A piece of the chair's corner broke off. Luckily, no one was hurt, and the chair was carefully repaired.
The Coronation Chair has only been moved out of Westminster Abbey twice in its 800-year history. The first time was when Oliver Cromwell became the leader of England. The second time was during World War II. People were worried it might be damaged by German air raids. So, on August 24, 1939, the chair was moved to Gloucester Cathedral for safety. It stayed hidden in a protected part of the cathedral's crypt until the war ended.
On Christmas Day in 1950, some Scottish nationalists broke into Westminster Abbey. They stole the Stone of Scone, causing some damage to it. But the Stone was found in time for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953. In 1996, the Stone was returned to Scotland. It is now kept at Edinburgh Castle. However, it must be brought back to England for future coronations.
Today, the Coronation Chair is very well protected. It is usually kept behind glass in St George's Chapel in the Abbey. It only leaves this spot when it is carried to the special area for coronations. Between 2010 and 2012, experts cleaned and fixed the chair. More work was done in early 2023 to get it ready for the coronation of Charles III and Camilla.
Other Chairs Used at Coronations
Besides the Coronation Chair, other special chairs are used during the crowning ceremony.
- Chairs of Estate are used by the king and queen at the beginning of the service. These chairs are placed near the altar.
- Later in the ceremony, the monarch moves to a throne on a raised platform. This is where they are officially "enthroned" and receive the loyalty of their subjects. If a king's wife (a queen consort) is also crowned, she gets a similar throne next to him, but a little lower.
Unlike the very old Coronation Chair, these other chairs and thrones are usually made new for each coronation. After the ceremony, they are often placed in the Throne Rooms of royal palaces. For example, the Chair of Estate from the 1953 coronation is now in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace.
See also
- Chair of St Peter
- List of chairs
- Westminster Stone theory
