People watching the Coronation of King Charles III will have noticed the very old, unusual Throne.
It appeared to be covered in grafitti. So, what's the story?
The throne is made of oak and has taken part in thirty-nine coronations, the first one being the coronation of King Edward II in 1308. That makes it 715 years old.
During the 18th and 19th century, children attending Westminister Abbey's choir school, thought it was hilarious to carve names and messages onto the wooden throne. The school is connected to the Abbey by tunnels, and they'd sneak through at night for a dare. One message reads "P. Abbott slept in this chair 5-6 July 1800."
Originally the throne was gilded, but the gilt wore off and no-one has bothered to reapply it.
