On May 6, King Charles III will be crowned in a special ceremony at Westminster Abbey, marking the beginning of the Coronation long weekend. As preparations for the ceremony intensify, conservationists at Westminster Abbey are working to preserve the 700-year-old oak chair that has been used in every coronation since the reign of Edward I in 1272.
The chair, deemed “extremely fragile” by conservationist Krista Blessley, has endured a great deal of wear and tear over the centuries, including graffiti carved into it by tourists and schoolchildren in the 18th and 19th centuries and bomb damage attributed to suffragists in 1914. Ms. Blessley has spent four months meticulously cleaning and stabilising layers of flaking gilding on the chair.
Originally, the chair was embellished with gold leaf and coloured glass depicting birds, foliage, animals, saints, and a king. It was intended to house the Stone of Scone, which Edward I had taken from Scotland. The stone is currently located in Edinburgh, but it will be returned for the ceremony.
Details regarding the coronation ceremony have been released, including 12 newly composed pieces of music and an anthem composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The ceremony is expected to be shorter and more inclusive than Queen Elizabeth II’s 1953 coronation, with approximately 2,000 guests as opposed to 8,000. Camilla, the Queen Consort, will be crowned alongside King Charles, but without the controversial Koh-i-Noor diamond.
It is unknown at this time who will be invited to the ceremony, but it is of particular interest whether Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, will be in attendance. The Coronation long weekend will also feature a procession in a coronation carriage, a concert and lightshow at Windsor Castle, a Big Lunch street party, and a Big Help Out to encourage participation in local volunteer projects.
On 6 May, King Charles III will be crowned during a special ceremony at Westminster Abbey while seated in the coronation chair used by his royal ancestors for centuries. Before Saturday’s event, conservation specialists at the Abbey meticulously cleaned and stabilised the “extremely fragile” 700-year-old chair.
The chair was commissioned by Edward I in 1272 and has been used for nearly every coronation since. It has endured significant wear and tear over the centuries, with tourists and schoolchildren carving graffiti into it and a 1914 bombing attributed to suffragette activists damaging it. A conservator at Westminster Abbey, Krista Blessley, has spent four months consolidating layers of flaking gilding to prepare it for this historic ceremony.
The coronation service is anticipated to be shorter and more inclusive than previous ceremonies, with approximately 2,000 guests in attendance. Camilla, the Queen Consort, will be crowned alongside King Charles III, but without the controversial Koh-i-Noor diamond. The Coronation long weekend will also include a coronation carriage procession, a concert and light show at Windsor Castle, and a Big Lunch block party.
It remains to be seen who will be invited to the ceremony, but it is of particular interest whether Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, will attend. On Saturday, May 6, the Stone of Scone is expected to be brought back from Edinburgh and placed in the chair for King Charles III’s coronation.
