ROYAL MEMORABILIA/ INVESTITURE CHAIR: An original chair and cushion used during the Prince of Wales Investiture ceremony, 1969.

These chairs were designed by Anthony Armstrong-Jones – 1st Earl of Snowdon, Carl Toms (1927-1999) and John Pound (Ministry of Works) and were manufactured by Remploy. The chair is in red stained ash laminate plywood and red painted elm, with large gilt Prince of Wales feathers motif impressed to backrest, bearing motto ICH DIEN (I Serve). The chair has the original Welsh tweed seat cover and is stamped by Remploy to underside of seat. The cushion in vermillion red Welsh tweed fabric, with gold trim, tassels to edges and central gold button bearing Prince of Wales feathers.

This chair and cushion feature in House & Garden Magazine May 2023 ‘Country House’ issue.

Chair dimensions overall: The chair height 78cm x depth 55cm x width 55cm

Condition report: We have recently had the chair re-foamed to comply with modern standards. The fabric is the original chair fabric with small darned repair to front. The chair is in overall very good condition, some minor surface knocks and scratches some small paint flecks visible to chair frame and slight warp to chair back. The cushion in good condition, some minor surface staining to underside, original foam so hardening as is typical (see images).

The Investiture Ceremony, 1969

The Investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales took place at Caernarfon Castle, North Wales on 1st July 1969. Lord Snowdon along with designer Carl Toms and John Pound were responsible for the Investiture ceremony design. Given a tiny budget of only £50,000 the team were to design a set, within the Castle itself with the intention of creating an event steeped in Royal history whilst being contemporary and appealing to modern television audiences.

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 manufactured at Remploy (an organization which employed a disabled workforce in a welfare to work scheme). The original fabric seat cover are made of Welsh tweed. Chairs were available for guest to purchase after the event for £12 (which helped pay for the occasion). Many of the seat backs were attached to the stands during the ceremony – after the ceremony had taken place the leg and arm section were sent to their new owners for assembly at home.

The cushion is one of 2,725 supplied to members of the public who had purchased tickets to view the ceremony from the stands. After the ceremony the cushion became the property of the ticket holder at a cost of 5 or 10 guineas.

A pair of Investiture chairs previously owned by Lord Snowdon sold at Christies Auctioneers, London in September 2020 for £43,700.

To watch highlights of the Investiture ceremony (where these chairs are visibly in use) see https://www.britishpathe.com/asset/89498/

For other pieces of Royal furniture included in our store see ROYAL MEMORABILIA/ INVESTITURE CHAIR: An original Prince of Wales Investiture chair, 1969

Dimensions: The chair height 78cm x depth 55cm x width 55cm

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Condition Report: We have recently had the chair re-foamed to comply with modern standards. The fabric is the original chair fabric with small darned repair to front. The chair is in overall very good condition, some minor surface knocks and scratches some small paint flecks visible to chair frame and slight warp to chair back. The cushion in good condition, some minor surface staining to underside, original foam so hardening as is typical (see images).