This is truly a rare treat. Here we see a drawing of the Royal Throne in the House of Lords. This drawing was made by the furniture manufacturers at Holland & Sons to use as a reference. After the death of his mother, Queen Victoria, King Edward VII prepared for his coronation, but wanted to make sure that his consort, Queen Alexandra, would also have a proper, if not smaller, throne. He ordered this drawing to be made of the original Gothic throne that was added to the House of Lords at the Palace of Westminster during its rebuilding. The original throne was designed by A.W.N. Pugin who was responsible for the interiors of the palace.
Pugin’s throne was partly modeled on the Coronation Chair (St. Edward’s Chair) and how it must have looked when still painted and gilded. Edward VII wanted Holland & Sons to make a diminutive version of the throne for Queen Alexandra. The furniture makers used this drawing as their reference, but later made minor changes to the design at the request of Edward VII.
