By DPA
London : The throne on which British Queen Elizabeth II was crowned at Westminster Abbey in 1953 has been damaged by the church’s central heating, The Sunday Times reported.
Almost every British monarch since 1308 has been crowned on this throne at Westminster Abbey.
The throne’s gilding has come off the wood and it is being repaired, it said.
The newly installed heaters in the church produced considerable variation in humidity, causing the damage.
Also the central heating system maintained the temperature in the church at 20 degrees Celsius, which was a lot hotter than the temperature in museums that are specially geared towards conserving works of art, experts told the paper.
The church was not a museum, and this was exactly the problem, art restorer Marie Louise Sauerberg said.
However, several wooden panels with 14th-century paintings were also under threat, as was a mosaic by the altar.
Restoration work on the damaged items will start next year.