On 1 July 1969, in the ruins of Caernarfon Castle, Prince Charles was crowned Prince of Wales by Queen Elizabeth II in the presence of the leaders of the country, its aristocracy and the cameras of the world.
The castle's décor was imagined by the designer Lord Snowdon, brother-in-law of the queen and constable of the castle. Thanks to his creative spirit and his experience as a photographer, Snowdon offered a grandiose staging, consisting of huge banners bearing the arms of the various Welsh counties, a podium for the three thrones and a canopy inspired by the tent of Henry VIII at the Drap d'Or camp.
Snowden also designed, especially for the event, the seats for the several thousand guests expected at the ceremony: solid flamboyant red chairs stamped with the Prince of Wales symbol in gold leaf. With the help of Carl Toms and John Pound, 4,600 copies were produced on time by the Remploy manufactory in Bridgend.
At the end of the nomination, the chairs were dismantled and offered in a flat pack for £12 each (guests having priority over their assigned chair during the event). Lord Snowdon bought six copies for his personal collection.
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Depending on their condition, and provenance, surviving chairs can fetch a few thousand pounds at auction, such as those sold for £1,900 in July 2020 at Dreweatt Auctions in Donnington.
The pair offered at Christie's on 23 September, on the other hand, were in immaculate condition and came straight from the collection of their creator, Lord Snowdon himself. Offered with an estimate of £2,000 to £4,000, the two chairs sold for £43,750, including fees, setting the world record for the design at auction.
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“The success of the sale is a testament to the memory and esteem for Lord Snowdon and the intrigue this very personal collection has generated,” said Benedict Winter, Head of Sale, in a statement.
The auction, entitled 'Snowdon: A Life in Art and Objects', comprised 143 lots, including several works attesting to the different creative phases of Lord Snowdon during his life, such as a photographic portrait of David Hockney (1963), which sold for £8,125. According to Christie's, the sale attracted collectors from over twenty countries around the world, strengthening Lord Snowdon's reputation in the UK and abroad.
