Tales of the Coronation Chair Trivia Quiz

Answer: Edward I, Longshanks

Edward II, the fourth son of Edward I, is thought to have been the first to use the chair at his coronation in 1308, although the first documented evidence indicates the chair first was used by Henry IV in 1399. A court artisan named Master Walter, or Walter of Durham, was commissioned to build the chair, which was to include painting and gilding.

He was paid 100 shillings for his work.

Answer: Oak

Originally the plan was to build a bronze chair. However, that idea was discarded in favor of the oak. During a recent study of the Coronation Chair, it was determined that the chair may have been decorated in two stages; first it was painted with white lead paint with colored designs and vermillion lettering.

Then it was decorated with gilding, colored glass, and enamels that were covered by clear glass.

Answer: Stone of Scone

It is said that the king confiscated the Stone of Scone after the Battle of Dunbar in 1296. Some believe, however, that the monks of Scone Abbey substituted the original with a facsimile because the historic descriptions of the stone do not match the present stone. Nevertheless, the stone was part of the Coronation Chair since its inception; it is now thought that the compartment under the seat was originally enclosed by some sort of wooden decoration.

The Stone of Scone remained part of the Coronation Chair until 1996, when it was returned to Scotland. Part of the agreement dictates that it will be returned to England as needed for future coronations.

Answer: Mary II

Because there were two monarchs that were crowned at the 1689 coronation, a duplicate chair was made for Queen Mary II. During conservation work on the Coronation Chair in 2010, the chair used by Mary II was displayed in its place.

Sources disagree as to whether the Coronation Chair was used during the coronation of Mary I. While some say that she refused to sit in the seat because it had been used by her Protestant brother, others say that she sat in the chair for the homage, but was actually crowned in a different chair, one that was perhaps blessed by the pope. Still others say that by the time of her coronation in 1553, the use Coronation Chair was too much a part of the coronation tradition to exclude from the service. On the other hand, her rejection of the oils used in her brother's coronation is well known!

Answer: True

The inside back of the Coronation Chair displays a painting of a robed king whose feet are resting on a lion; it is generally believed to be a likeness of Edward the Confessor. Images of eight kings adorn the exterior back. Paintings of foliage, birds and animals that were the work of Master Walter are still visible on the sides of the chair.

Many sources agree that during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the chair was damaged by choirboys and/or schoolboys, who carved their initials and other graffiti onto the chair. Tourists and pilgrims are also blamed; part of the finials at the back were even partially sawed off the chair.

The earliest found graffiti dates to 1714, while the last mark was dated 1815.

Answer: It was painted brown.

Although a reason other than "improvement" for painting the chair brown could not be found, the brown paint, as well as black paint over some of the gilded areas, did apparently create public concern. After being used at the June 21, 1887 service, much of the brown was "scrubbed" off the chair, due to questions in Parliament and a general public outcry. Sadly, the removal of the paints caused further damage to the chair, and some places where the paints were evident were left untouched.

Answer: Edward VIII

Edward VIII abdicated the throne to marry Wallis Simpson on December 10, 1936. The date of his coronation had been set for May 12, 1937. Interestingly, another Edward, Edward V, did not make his coronation, and therefore, did not use the chair. The young son of Edward IV, imprisoned in the Tower by his uncle, Richard III, disappeared before the July 6, 1483, coronation could be held.

Answer: It was damaged by a bomb. Suffragists were blamed.

Although the details of the attack were never fully uncovered, on June 11, 1914, it is believed that suffragists tied a small bomb to the chair. Made of two bicycle bells encased in nuts and bolts, the bomb caused an explosion that ripped off the pinnacle of the chair, and caused deep gashes. The chair was also damaged during a 1950 attempt to steal the Stone of Scone.

Answer: King Edward's Chair

Also called St. Edward's Chair, the Coronation Chair was named after Edward the Confessor. Usually considered the last king of the House of Wessex, Edward was the only Anglo-Saxon to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church. He is called "the Confessor" because, rather than suffering martydom, he lived a saintly life.

There is still much discussion regarding his "saintly reputation"; it may have been granted more from the successful petitioning of the abbeys than his saintly disposition. A grateful Pope Alexander III, who had received needed support from Henry II, issued the bull of canonization on 7 February 1161, ninety-five years after Edward's death.

Answer: Westminster Abbey

The Coronation Chair has only been moved two times in British history. Thankfully, it was not destroyed during the English Civil War, as many items were. In fact, it was moved to Westminster Hall for the second investiture of Oliver Cromwell, at which he wore purple robes lined with ermine and received a sword of justice and scepter. No crown, however, was used in the ceremony.

The second time it was moved was during WWII for safekeeping to the crypt of Gloucester Cathedral. During the 2010 renovation project, it was kept in a specially made enclosure within St. George's Chapel at the Abbey so that visitors could see the work taking place.