The Coronation Chair has been the centrepiece of coronations for over 700 years as it is placed in the centre of Westminster Abbey, in front of the High Altar.

It was commissioned by Edward I in 1300 to enclose the famous Scone of Stone, or Scone of Destiny, a block of red sandstone that was originally used in the Coronation of Scottish monarchs before being brought from to Westminster Abbey in 1296. In 1996, by permission of Queen Elizabeth II, the stone was returned to Scotland and now only leaves for coronations. It is now kept at Perth Museum.

The magnificent oak Chair decorated with patterns of birds, foliage and animals on a gilt ground. The figure of a king, either Edward the Confessor or Edward I, with his feet resting on a lion is painted on the back.

As expected there has been significant damage to the Coronation Chair over the centuries, including graffiti on the back as a result of naughty Westminster schoolboys and visitors carving their names in the 18th and 19th centuries! A significant restoration programme was undertaken in 2010 to restore the Coronation Chair whilst retaining it’s historic charm.