Provenance

Commissioned by King George V for the Palace of Holyroodhouse, 1911.
The king's throne chair originally included a cushion, which apparently never featured the GR cipher on the seat that his consort's seat still includes.
The form of these throne chairs was inspired by a chair at Knole in Kent (National Trust inventory 129463) which was loaned by Lord Sackville to the Office of Works for design inspiration. This original chair also informed the design of the 1911 throne chairs for use at the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary (RCIN 29952, with en suite footstools 29953) and the 1937 throne chairs for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (RCIN 2604, with en suite footstools 2605). Their design replicates the style of chair made for the coronations of Charles II and James II in the seventeenth century. The X-shape is also reminiscent of folding stools of the Tudor period. In the seventeenth century, the X-shape remained a decorative feature, and the arms and back were added for comfort. The choice for a historic English design and a British manufacturer was intentional. The purpose was to establish a connection between the new Sovereign and his ancestry, and to emphasize the quality of British craftsmanship.