A spoon, a stone and a graffiti-covered chair will play key roles in King Charles’s coronation. Here’s why they’re so special

Coronation ceremonies are a rare experience, both for the public and for the monarchy itself.

The United Kingdom’s last coronation took place in 1953 (it was also the first to be televised) and saw Queen Elizabeth II crowned in Westminster Abbey, surrounded by symbolic and rich-in-history items: a graffiti-covered seat, countless jewels and even a metal orb.

But what do they all mean?

As the world awaits the coronation of King Charles III, the Star dusted off the history books — and consulted with a royal expert — to learn more about what to expect on coronation day — May 6 — and the hidden meaning behind regalia set to be part of the grand ceremony taken in by Brits and royal watchers alike.

St. Edward’s Chair, or the Coronation Chair

Made in the 1300s and used in coronation ceremonies since, including the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, Charles will take his seat in St. Edward’s Chair — more commonly known as the Coronation Chair — during his coronation ceremony.

While literally fit for royalty, it may not be an item you’d expect to see used by a monarch. The two-metre-high, pointed chair is covered in graffiti, believed to be from schoolboys who engraved their names in the wood over the years. Perhaps most famously, one tourist carved the words “P. Abbott slept in this chair 5-6 July 1800” on the seat.

“It speaks to a time when a lot of what we now consider to be priceless historical artifacts were a lot more accessible to members of the public,” said royal expert Carolyn Harris. “It’s striking.”

Placed in the centre of Westminster Abbey for coronation ceremonies, in front of the High Altar, the oak chair was made to house the Stone of Scone, a medieval coronation chair of the past — and present.

The Stone of Destiny

Not uncommon for Royal items and regalia, the Stone of Destiny, also known as the Stone of Scone, has “become quite a controversial object,” said Harris. “It was stolen at one point.”

The 336-pound stone slab placed under the Coronation Chair is believed to have been carried to Egypt from Bethel before it made its way to Scotland in a winding turn of events and was used by early Scottish kings during their coronations.

Brought back to Britain by King Edward at the time of the Scottish Wars of Independence, the slab became a part of the coronation regalia. But there “was a real controversy about this very important Scottish artifact being housed at Westminster Abbey,” Harris explained.

So much so that it was stolen by the Scotts in 1950, but was recovered a year later and then kept in a vault. In 1996, former British prime minister John Major announced the stone would return to Scotland, and agreed it could leave Scotland only for coronation ceremonies at Westminster Abbey.

The Stone of Destiny is a relic of medieval days, Harris said, and hearkens back to a period of time where the Royal throne was less than grand. (It looks like concrete.)

The Sovereign’s Orb

Commissioned in the 1660s for King Charles II, the Sovereign’s Orb is presented during the coronation ceremony to, according to the Tower of London, remind the monarch “their power is derived from God.”

It’s a small, hollow, golden orb adorned with a jewel-covered cross mounted on top and bands of gems and pearls covering its circumference, which divides it into three sections. Those sections represent the three continents in the medieval times.

One of many items in the Crown jewels, the Sovereign’s Orb is placed in the right hand of the monarch during the coronation ceremony and is placed on an altar before they’re crowned.

The Ampulla and Coronation Spoon

The Ampulla was made of gold in 1661 — new jewels this time, because they melted the old ones — while the Coronation Spoon is believed to have been made in the 1300s. Both are used to anoint monarchs with oil.

According to the BBC, the oil to be used in King Charles III’s coronation was produced specifically “for the coronation using olives harvested from two groves on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.” The oil was then consecrated at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, which was built on the traditional site of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial.

The BBC reports a canopy may be held over the coronation chair during the anointment to “conceal the King from view,” as it’s considered to be the most sacred part of the coronation.

The True Cross

The Apostolic Nunciature donated “fragments” of the True Cross to King Charles III, believed to have been the one on which Jesus was crucified, according to Vatican News, as an “ecumenical gesture on the occasion of the centenary of the Anglican Church in Wales.”

The wooden fragments will lead the coronation procession, and were delivered to the Royal Chapel of St. James in London in an act Harris said shows King Charles III’s commitment to “interfaith dialogue.”

“It symbolizes good relations between the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church — and that certainly wasn’t always the case,” Harris said.

St. Edward’s Crown

Made in 1661 — you know, because of the melting debacle — St. Edward’s Crown is solid gold and set with rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnet, topazes and tourmaline gems, which was commissioned for Charles II.

According to the Royal Collection Trust, six monarchs have worn the five-pound crown in the past 360 years, making King Charles III the seventh to wear it. (The sixth was Queen Elizabeth II, who wore it during her coronation in 1953.)

After being presented with other items during the ceremony, the Archbishop of Canterbury will crown the King as trumpets sound and guns fire across the country.

When King Charles III leaves Westminster Abbey, he will wear the Imperial State Crown — made in 1937 — which is used for state openings in Parliament and other occasions.

“It’s more frequently seen in public,” said Harris of the two-pound crown fitted with 2,868 diamonds and 17 sapphires, the Black Prince Ruby and St. Edward’s sapphire.

Given financial turmoil across the world, it would perhaps be unfavourable for King Charles III to have commissioned a crown of his own, opting for music commissions instead, including from Andrew Lloyd Webber.

When is the coronation happening anyway?

The coronation of King Charles III takes place at Westminster Abbey on May 6, and will also see Queen Consort Camilla be coronated in a ceremony conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The ceremony and celebrations will begin with a procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, which are set to begin around 11 a.m., or around 6 a.m. Toronto time.

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