T is for Thrones

Many people think of kings and queens carrying out their work from a throne. This is no longer true, but thrones are used for some ceremonies.

There are several Royal chairs which are called thrones. An important throne is the chair in the House of Lords on which The Queen sits at the State Opening of Parliament.

Other important thrones are the Chair of Homage which The Queen sat on after she was crowned in Westminster Abbey in 1953, and St. Edward’s Chair, also in Westminster Abbey, where The Queen sat when the act of crowning took place.

In Buckingham Palace there is a Throne Room. It contains the coronation chairs of The Queen’s parents – King George VI and Queen Elizabeth – and of her grandparents – King George V and Queen Mary. In the centre of the room are the two chairs made for the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, The Queen’s great-grandparents.