Her Majesty the Queen will be in Yorkshire next month to celebrate Maundy Thursday at Sheffield Cathedral and we are honoured to have been asked to make a special seat for the occasion.
The commission follows our involvement with the cathedral’s centenary Gateway Project. We worked closely with architects Thomas Ford & Partners to make a number of specialist pieces, including a solid oak organ plinth with finger-jointed corners.
The architects have since designed a chair for the Queen to use during the service that is in keeping with the refurbished interiors of the cathedral.
Working from their pencil drawn sketch, we have used our knowledge of proportions and engineering skill to transform it into an elegant and ergonomically structured chair.
Three ceremonial chairs will be made in the same style, one of which will be used by the Queen on Maundy Thursday.
The chair is being manufactured in English Oak and we have incorporated stainless steel from Sheffield into the arm rests for a contemporary look. The cathedral felt it was very important to incorporate steel from Sheffield and to have the chair made here in Yorkshire.
Her Majesty the Queen will celebrate the Royal Maundy at Sheffield Cathedral on Maundy Thursday 2 April.
During the Royal Maundy, which commemorates the washing of the disciples’ feet by Jesus, the Queen will distribute specially minted Maundy money to 89 men and 89 women aged over 70, one for each year of her life.