A saddle thought to have first been used in the coronation of George III in 1760 forms part of a new display of coronation artefacts at Lincoln Museum – formerly known as The Collection
The saddle belongs to the King’s Champion and would have been used at the coronation of each new monarch.
Clad in full armour and carrying a gauntlet, the Champion would ride into Westminster Hall on a white horse and throw down the gauntlet, challenging anybody who denied the sovereign to be the rightful heir to the crown.
After challenging three times, and there being no response, the monarch would toast the health of the Champion, in the knowledge that he or she was undisputed as sovereign.
The earliest record of the ceremony dates to the coronation banquet of Richard II in 1377, with the last such ceremony taking place at the coronation of King George IV in 1821.
The office of King’s or Queen’s Champion has been held by the Dymoke family since 1292, and the title is directly linked to the feudal ownership of their home, the Manor at Scrivelsby in Lincolnshire.
Despite no longer being expected to ride in on horseback, the Champion does still has a role to play in modern coronations.
For Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953, Lieutenant-Colonel John Dymoke served as the Queen’s Champion bearing the Union Standard. Charles III’s King’s Champion is the current 34th Lord of the Manor of Scrivelsby, who carried the Royal Standard in the Westminster Abbey ceremony.
The saddle on display in Lincoln is leather covered with red silk velvet and ornamented with silver-gilt lace, braid and fringe, and was probably first used at the Coronation of George III in 1760.
Alongside the saddle, a selection of other memorabilia celebrating previous coronations including Edward VII’s, George VI’s and Elizabeth II’s is also on display.
The King’s Champion saddle and other artefacts are now on display at Lincoln Museum – formerly The Collection Museum – on Danes Terrace, Lincoln. Entry is free.
