When King Charles is crowned later this evening, he will sit on a nearly 700-year-old chair that has seen a long history of past monarchs ascending to the throne.
Over its long history as the centrepiece of coronations, the wooden chair has been through a lot, being graffitied, stolen and surviving bombs during World War 2.
As the ceremony plays out, keen-eyed viewers will notice a large rock underneath the chair, which like the chair, has hundreds of years of history.
Here’s the complex story of the coronation chair and why it’s such a significant part of this near 1000-year tradition.
The Stone of Scone
The Stone of Scone (or stone of destiny), which is enclosed underneath the chair, is a 152kg lump of sandstone.
For years the stone has been a symbol of monarchy, being used in both Scottish and English coronations, and is where rulers of past and present have been crowned upon.
Legend has it that the stone was where Jacob rested his head in Bethnal during the book of Genesis and has been passed around monarchs for decades. However, this has since been disproved as geologists have traced its origins to Scotland.
In the legend, the stone arrived in Ireland around 700 BCE, when the Spanish King’s son invaded the island. As time went on, it was said to have groaned aloud if a claimant to the throne was worthy and stayed silent if they were a pretender.
Legends aside, it was eventually placed in the monastery of Scone in Perthshire, Scotland, in 501, where it would stay for around 300 years.
The object became one of veneration for Scots but was taken in 1296 by English King Edward I during his invasion. He moved it to Westminster Abbey.
Coronation chair
The coronation chair was commissioned by Edward and built in 1300.
Made of Oaken, the chair was originally painted with pictures of birds and animals, with a king resting his feet on a lion.
The stone lies under the chair and is where King Charles will sit during the ceremony.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the chair caught the attention of tourists and schoolboys alike, who took the opportunity to carve their names into the historic centrepiece.
One tourist carved: “P. Abbott slept in this chair 5-6 July 1800.”
The chair came under further disrepair in 1914 when a bombing attack by suffragettes knocked a small corner from it.
Then, it was moved to Gloucester Cathedral during World War Two to save it from being damaged any further. The stone was said to be buried in a secret location.
Scots take it back
After 600 years of British possession, the stone was returned to Scotland in the hands of Scottish nationalists in 1950.
It was recovered a few months later in 1951, and was locked away.
However, in 1996 British Prime Minister John Major announced the stone would be officially returned to Scotland.
It was to be returned to Scotland’s Edinburgh Castle, being brought back to England for coronations.
The stone has now been moved to England, reunited with the chair 70 years after Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation.
Melissa Stokes and Daniel Faitaua will host 1News Presents: Their Majesties' Coronation from 7pm on Saturday May 6 on TVNZ 1, TVNZ+ and 1News.co.nz
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