Winchester Cathedral’s historic Queen Mary chair – thought to have been used during a 16th century wedding – will be unveiled online two years after being inspected by a conservator.
While the fragile condition of the chair means it cannot be displayed physically at this time, the Cathedral’s website will house a digital exhibition later this autumn. The exhibition, which will include a 3D digital model of the chair, will allow web visitors to experience the chair in close detail and discover more about its fascinating history.
The chair is thought to have been used by Mary I of England during her wedding to Philip of Spain in 1554.
Among the most cherished items within the Cathedral’s historic collection, the Queen Mary chair had fallen into a poor condition, needing complex cleaning and stabilisation of its highly fragile blue velvet upholstery and other parts.
Winchester Cathedral curator for historic objects Eleanor Swire said: “It has been a true pleasure for me to work alongside conservator Heather Porter ACR and to witness her immense skill and ingenuity in navigating what has been one of her most challenging and rewarding projects to date.
“The vulnerability of the velvet pile and detrimental impact of previous historic repairs to the chair demanded creative solutions and painstaking attention to detail, which Heather was able to fulfil. The removal of dust and other accretions has seen the chair restored to a much healthier, happier state, while the stabilisation of fractured or frail elements will be essential in ensuring the avoidance of further damage in the future.”
The Queen Mary chair was housed in the Triforium Gallery before 2012 when it was removed and put into storage.
Further details about public access to the chair will be shared at a donor reception in October.
The chair has been treated thanks to generous funding from the Aurelius Trust, Idlewild Trust and Leche Trust.
Notes to Editors
For more information, contact Lucy Rouse on lucy.rouse@winchester-cathedral.org.uk
About the Queen Mary chair
The project to conserve the Queen Mary chair has presented an opportunity to study the chair in closer detail and to drill down into the rich documentary archive which provides such an extensive historical footprint for the chair.
The exact origin of the chair and its relation to Mary are difficult to establish with certainty. However, the earliest mention of a “blew [sic] velvet” chair was recorded in the Lady Chapel in 1633 [1].
Two years later, an account by Lieutenant Hammond of the Norwich militia contains the earliest association of the chair to Mary, described as a “purple velvet” chair “wherein (if you will believe Mr Verger) Queen Mary did sit, when she married King Philip” [2]. Still today, the chair is often said to have been used by Mary I of England during her marriage to Philip of Spain at the Cathedral in 1554.
Further historical analysis is needed to evaluate varying sources, but through the project, we have drawn together a full reference list of all related source material, from 1633 through to present day. The resulting collection of images and textual references offer an invaluable resource to interpret the history of the chair and its enduring significance to the Cathedral.
[1] Hampshire Records Office: Winchester Cathedral Archive, DC/E2/1
[2] L.G. Wickham Legg, ed. A Relation of a Short Survey of the Western Counties, made by a Lieutenant of the Military Company in Norwich in 1635: Camden Miscellany, Vol. XVI (London: Royal Historical Society, 1936), p.48
About Winchester Cathedral
Winchester Cathedral is one of the most historic and revered cathedrals in the United Kingdom, with a history dating back to the 7th century. Located in the heart of Winchester, Hampshire, the cathedral is a masterpiece of medieval architecture and a vibrant hub of worship, music, and cultural events, attracting visitors from all over the world.
Winchester Cathedral is open to visitors daily from 9.00am to 5.00pm, and on Sundays from 12.30pm to 3.00pm. Last entry is 30 mins before closure. For more information about and the events programme at Winchester Cathedral, visit www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/
Registered Charity Number: 1202915