is set to be crowned at Westminster Abbey on 6 May, and conservation experts are hard at work to ensure the 700-year-old oak chair used in the coronation ceremony is ready. The chair, which has been used in almost every coronation since it was made on the orders of Edward I in 1272, is described as “extremely fragile” and is undergoing a painstaking preservation process. This includes cleaning the chair and stabilising layers of flaking gilding.
Conservator Krista Blessley has been working on the chair for four months and says it is a “unique work of art”. She explains that the chair has faced some hard knocks over the centuries, including being scarred with graffiti by tourists and schoolchildren in the 18th and 19th Century, as well as being damaged in a bomb attack attributed to suffragettes in 1914. Ms Blessley’s work includes consolidating the complex layer structure of the chair, as changes in humidity can cause new areas to lift.
The chair was originally covered with gold leaf gilding and coloured glass, with patterns of birds, foliage, animals, saints and a king. It was designed to enclose the Stone of Scone, which had been seized from Scotland by Edward I – and the stone is expected to be brought back to Westminster Abbey for the coronation. Dr George Gross from King’s College London is part of a research project into the history of coronations and highlights the sense of the ancient chair having acquired its own sacred status.
Details have begun to emerge about the coronation ceremony for King Charles III, including 12 new pieces of specially-composed music, with an anthem by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The ceremony is expected to be a shorter and more inclusive service than in 1953, with about 2,000 guests. Camilla, the Queen Consort, will be crowned alongside the King, but her crown will not include the controversial Koh-i-Noor diamond. It’s not yet known who will be invited to the ceremony, with particular interest in whether Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex will be part of the congregation.
The Coronation long weekend will include a carriage procession, a concert and lightshow at Windsor Castle, and a Big Help Out encouraging people to get involved in local volunteering projects. Conservation experts are hard at work to ensure the 700-year-old oak chair used in the coronation ceremony is ready for King Charles III’s coronation on 6 May. The chair has been used in almost every coronation since it was made on the orders of Edward I in 1272 and is described as “extremely fragile”. Conservator Krista Blessley has been working on the chair for four months and her work includes consolidating the complex layer structure of the chair, as changes in humidity can cause new areas to lift.
The chair was originally covered with gold leaf gilding and coloured glass, with patterns of birds, foliage, animals, saints and a king. Dr George Gross from King’s College London highlights the sense of the ancient chair having acquired its own sacred status. Details have emerged about the coronation ceremony for King Charles III, including 12 new pieces of specially-composed music, with an anthem by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The ceremony will have about 2,000 guests and Camilla, the Queen Consort, will be crowned alongside the King.
The Coronation long weekend will include a carriage procession, a concert and lightshow at Windsor Castle, and a Big Help Out encouraging people to get involved in local volunteering projects. It’s not yet known who will be invited to the ceremony, with particular interest in whether Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex will be part of the congregation. Preparations are underway for King Charles III’s coronation on 6 May at Westminster Abbey and conservation experts are hard at work to ensure the 700-year-old oak chair used in the ceremony is ready.
The chair has been used in almost every coronation since it was made on the orders of Edward I in 1272 and is described as “extremely fragile”. Conservator Krista Blessley has been working on the chair for four months and her work includes consolidating the complex layer structure of the chair, as changes in humidity can cause new areas to lift. The chair was originally covered with gold leaf gilding and coloured glass, with patterns of birds, foliage, animals, saints and a king.
Details have emerged about the coronation ceremony for King Charles III, including 12 new pieces of specially-composed music, with an anthem by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The ceremony will have about 2,000 guests and Camilla, the Queen Consort, will be crowned alongside the King. The Coronation long weekend will include a carriage procession, a concert and lightshow at Windsor Castle, and a Big Help Out encouraging people to get involved in local volunteering projects. It’s not yet known who will be invited to the ceremony, with particular interest in whether Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex will be part of the congregation.