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Our Kingdom has new thrones!
Debuted during episode #4 of Æ Live, enjoy the pictures of the new Æthelmearc thrones, and the story of their creation, courtesy of Her Majesty Liadain, and the talented co-designer, craftsman, and creator, Duke Ullr Amaranthson of the Midrealm.
Queen Liadain and Duke Ullr collaborated on the design of the new thrones. The historical starting point: The Coronation Chair at Westminster Abbey
Duke Ullr then shared similar examples of things he’s made, and used them as exemplars to decide on key elements for inclusion, such as the apron and spires.
Early on the design process, some confirmed design elements included: Kingdom Arms as primary art, plus natural themes such as trees, bears, stags, and also awards.
Her Majesty loves how “organic” His Grace’s chair is, and how the components tie into one another. In one message, the Queen stated:
In exploring the idea of “nature” and our Kingdom, the symbols for our Order of Merit awards work nicely as a “theme”: Alces and Sycamore and Keystone… not specifically represented as they are for our awards, but more organically. Examples: stags as armrests, winding sycamore leaves, and keystone shape(s).
The other main design criterion: they must fit into a car!!
Once the design was settled, base construction of the thrones began:
Duke Ullr was very good about demonstrating what would work and what wouldn’t. For example, in one design that Her Majesty presented, the “sweep” of the armrest would have been too great and therefore uncomfortable.
Of course, there was a lot of fun along the way. Here’s some gratuitous pup pics! The Kingdom’s favorite Royal Pooch Finley says hello to Duke Ullr’s Risa!
Once the basic construction was complete, the decorative carving could begin. Even then, there was lots of communication and adjustments when needed, such as figuring out the arch of the escarbuncles and the details of the stags’ heads.
The finished product! The Kingdom’s new thrones! Just needs some finish!
Many thanks to Duke Ullr for his time and exquisite craftsmanship and design, and Queen Liadain her time and care in design.
Close-up of the Consort’s Throne