A Royal Seat: Prince of Wales Investiture Chair

If you’re a fan of royal history and furniture design, you might recognize the stylish chair that’s been consigned here in Plymouth as one of the ‘Red Chairs’ from the Prince of Wales’ Investiture. These chairs were created specifically for the guests invited to the prestigious event, held at the Medieval Caernarfon Castle in July 1969. Millions of viewers watched the ceremony on television as the twenty-year-old Prince Charles received his insignia from Queen Elizabeth II, conferring upon him his new title as Prince of Wales.

Lord Snowdon, the Prince’s uncle, and Constable of the castle, was in charge of designing the setting and furniture of the investiture along with Carl Toms and John Pound. The design for the chair itself in bright vermillion red, was part of a theatrical look for the entire event. All 4,600 chairs produced for the ceremony were assembled at Remploy (an organization which employed a disabled workforce in a welfare to work scheme).

The chairs have beech wood frames with seats and backs constructed from preformed plywood, veneered in olive ash and stained in vermillion red. The backs are embossed with the Prince of Wales’s feathers in gold leaf and the original seats are upholstered in red Welsh tweed, using a stable dye that would not run onto the guest’s clothes in case of a Welsh downpour. The underside of the seat bears a Prince of Wales feathers stamp, the date and – obscured by the upholstery – individual handwritten numbering. Chairs were available for guest to purchase after the event for £12 (which helped pay for the occasion).

If you’re keen to own a piece of Royal history, mark your calendars for the Silver, Jewellery & Antiques Auction on Tuesday 30th April, where this chair will be offered for sale at Plymouth Auction Rooms. For more details, please head to bid.plymouthauctions.co.uk/auctions