07534 216297, Uncategorized / By
Needle Rock logo

Celebrating the King’s Coronation

People across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth are invited to celebrate the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty The Queen Consort over a weekend of special events on 6–8 May.

The Coronation is centred around a solemn religious ceremony that  has largely remained unchanged for over a thousand years. The ceremony will take place at Westminster Abbey in London and will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Coronation of a new Sovereign takes place in the months after their accession, following a period of mourning. In a similar but simpler ceremony, the Queen Consort will also be crowned alongside His Majesty The King as part of the service.

The Gold Coach

Their Majesties will travel in the Gold State Coach drawn by eight Windsor Grey horses. It is four tonnes in weight and will travel at walking pace. The coach has been used at every Coronation since 1831, when William IV became King.  At Needle Rock, we’d love to see how the inside of this fabulous coach has been upholstered!

The Coronation Invitation

As you know, we love colour and design at Needle Rock, and we were thrilled to see the artwork for the Coronation invitation. Originally it was hand-painted in watercolour, but the design will be reproduced and printed on recycled card, with gold foil detailing.
Central to the design is the motif of the Green Man, an ancient figure from British folklore. This is symbolic of spring and rebirth, to celebrate the new reign. The shape of the Green Man, crowned in natural foliage, is formed of leaves of oak, ivy and hawthorn, and the emblematic flowers of the United Kingdom. 
The British wildflower meadow bordering the invitation features lily of the valley, cornflowers, wild strawberries, dog roses, bluebells, and a sprig of rosemary for remembrance, together with wildlife including a bee, a butterfly, a ladybird, a wren and a robin. Flowers appear in groupings of three, signifying The King becoming the third monarch of his name. 
A lion, a unicorn and a boar – taken from the coats of arms of the Monarch and Her Majesty’s father, Major Bruce Shand – can be seen amongst the flowers. Her Majesty’s arms are now enclosed by the Garter, following her installation as a Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter last summer.

History

In 1969, Prince Charles was invested as Prince of Wales.

4600 investiture chairs were made for seating guests inside Caernarfon Castle. They were designed by Lord Snowdon and The Prince of Wales’s feathers were embossed in gold leaf on the inside back. After the ceremony the chairs were offered for sale at £12.00 each. Invited guests had first refusal and the remaining chairs were sold to the public.!

A nursing chair is a chair that’s comfortable when nursing an infant. In Victorian times the nursing chair was a low seated partially upholstered chair. Nursing included caring for children as well as breastfeeding. The low seat of the chair allowed the mother, who would have been wearing a stiff corset, to interact with small children without bending over. This chair form was particularly popular in England and found primarily in upper class homes. Nursing Chair. The types of wood most frequently used were oak, rosewood or walnut. The seat was often sprung and could be button decorated or adorned with a circumferential braid or pair of braids. The chair legs were frequently of a cabriole style or a straight-legged spindle design. Needle Rock upholstery repair refurbish new vintage period piece.

 

We’ve had a few of these chairs in the workshop over the last few years, what will trickle through after the Coronation we wonder?

A firm favourite in the Needle Rock workshop are a pair of Curule Chairs.  This style of chair is one of the most ancient forms of furniture, and are made with or without arms. In ancient Rome, these chairs were used by the highest government dignitaries, senior magistrates, officials and emperors and served as a place of judgement.  

Check out what Coronation themed items we have!

Check out this fabulous pair of Curule Chairs we currently have for sale.  They could be your very own thrones to sit on.

We hope you have a very enjoyable Coronation weekend.

With love from Ali & Co at Needle Rock HQ. x

Don't Miss Out!
Contact Dr Ali Wright: ali@needlerock.co.uk 07534 216297

Designed by HowardAdair.co.uk

Don’t miss out! Sign up NOW and keep up to date on events, sales and latest projects.

* indicates required
First Name *
Last Name *

By joining our email list you are consenting to receive occasional information by email, post, SMS, phone and other electronic means. The purpose is to keep you updated with Needle Rock projects, offers and exciting developments. Your details will not be given to anyone else or used for any other purpose not related to this business. Needle Rock is 100% compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and you will have the option to unsubscribe.