The Woolsack

England is very connected to its history, a place where past and present exist side by side. Institutions and traditions develop across the centuries, often retaining relics from the past. The Woolsack, seat of the Lord Chancellor in the House of Lords, is a prime example of this. Woolsacks were placed in the House of Lords for the judges to sit on during the reign of Edward III in the 14th century, when the wool trade was big business. Sitting on a seat stuffed with English wool would remind those present of the trade that underpinned national prosperity.

Today the Woolsack is still there, simply a cushion covered with red cloth with no back or arms, upon which the Lord Chancellor perches while fulfilling his duties as Speaker of the House. It is the focal point of the House and sits in front of the throne with the even bigger Judges’ Woolsack placed in front of it. Nowadays, the Woolsack is filled with wool gathered from all the countries of the Commonwealth, a reminder of the unity of nations.