UK royals to use 700-year-old golden throne for King Charles' coronation, new details out

As the UK royals move closer to the coronation, new details related to the decoration of the chair have emerged. King Charles would be crowned on this golden throne during his coronation ceremony. King Henry VIII, King Charles I, Queen Victoria, and the late Queen Elizabeth II have all been crowned on the golden throne. The Royal's chair has been covered with graffiti - much of it carved by Westminster schoolboys and visitors to Westminster Abbey during the 18th and 19th centuries, as per a Sky news report. One of the carvings on the golden chair reads: "P. Abbott slept in this chair 5-6 July 1800."

The golden throne of the UK 

According to Sky News, the golden throne was estimated to be crafted in 1300 for King Edward I and was used to house the famous Stone of Scone, the coronation stone, which was constructed from oak. However, there have been many debates about when exactly was the chair used to crown the first monarch. A king has been painted on the back of the chair, which could be either Edward the Confessor or Edward I. Whereas, the four gilt lions that form the base have been carved in 1727 to replace the originals, which were not added until the early 16th century. The gloden throne has been featured in coronation ceremonies since 1308, however, the first confirmed use was at the time of the crowning of King Henry IV in 1399.

For King Charles's coronation, the chair or throne has been decorated with coloured glass, gilded, and painted with patterns of birds, foliage, and animals by the king's master painter. According to Westminster Abbey's paintings conservator Krista Blessley,  a previously overlooked part of a figure has been found on the throne. Blessley found "previously undiscovered toes in the punch-work gilding on the back", which may have been a figure, while she was studying and analysing the golden throne. While cleaning the Royal UK throne, Blessley said,  it is a "real privilege". 

"It's so important to our country's history and in the history of the monarchy, and it's really unique as a conservator to work on something that's part of a working collection and still used for the original function it was made for," said Krista Blessley, Westminster Abbey's paintings conservator.