ROYAL MEMORABILIA: An original King George VI Coronation Stool, 1937

An original King George VI Coronation Stool, 1937.

The stool has a limed oak frame with seat covered in blue/green velvet trimmed with gold braid. Under-seat with metal carrying handles, stamped to underside with maker name “Maple & Co” (visible underneath handle) ‘CORONATION’ and GVI cypher.

Dimensions height 47cm, width 46cm and depth 32cm

Condition report: This piece has been reupholstered historically (most likely over 50 years ago), with velvet similar to that originally used for the event. The stool has also been re-braided with a gold braid (slightly wider and differing in design than the original), braid parting at seams on one corner, staining and surface dirt to velvet. Overall the stool is in good useable condition, some looseness to joints, handles with some paint loss.

The Coronation of King George VI & Queen Elizabeth

The Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth was held on 12thMay 1937.

Planned to be a grand and traditional affair the Coronation of George VI was planned in the mould of the coronation of his father George V.

The ceremony took place on the exact date planned for Edward VIII’s Coronation. George VI had been heavily involved with the arrangements for his brother’s coronation. Edward VIII had desired to have no coronation ceremony at all, and only agreed upon a paired down service. After the abdication crisis it was agreed the event would go ahead on the same date and on a larger scale.

Queen Mary took great interest in the design of the furniture for the ceremony and ensured it had a traditional feel in keeping with previous coronation ceremonies. The event was one of the first large outside broadcasts to be filmed as an outside broadcast for BBC Television (which was then in its infancy).

Furniture manufacturers based in High Wycombe, the centre of English chair making during this period, produced all of the chairs and stools for the ceremony.

For further pieces of coronation furniture included in our store see

ROYAL MEMORABILIA/ KING GEORGE VI CORONATION STOOL: An original George VI coronation stool, 1937

ROYAL MEMORABILIA/ KING GEORGE VI CORONATION CHAIR: An original George VI coronation chair, 1937

These King George VI coronation stool pieces were used by guests during the coronation ceremony and were available for attendees to purchase after the event (as a way to help fund the ceremony itself). Originally the fabric would have had a blue tone, but typically over time all have faded to a green.

For similar coronation stools see the National Trust collection http://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/930899

Dimensions: 47cm, width 46cm and depth 32cm

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Condition Report: This piece has been reupholstered historically (most likely over 50 years ago), with velvet similar to that originally used for the event. The stool has also been re-braided with a gold braid (slightly wider and differing in design than the original), braid parting at seams on one corner, some staining discolouration to velvet. Overall the stool is in good useable condition, some looseness to joints, handles with some paint loss (see images). 

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