Belfast school chosen to have illustrated bench displayed at Hillsborough Castle for the Coronation

A Belfast primary school has been chosen to create a seat fit for a King to mark the coronation of King Charles III.

Blythefield Primary School has been chosen from over 1,500 entries across the UK to have their own illustrated bench created and displayed at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens during the Coronation celebrations.

Pupils at the school, based in Blythe Street in Belfast, have designed their own colourful Coronation benches, around the theme of values for a new era.

As part of their celebrations to mark the coronation, pupils at Blythefield PS held their own coronation party on Friday.

Principal of Blythefield, Catherine Roulston, said: "There's been a lot of artwork happening, bunting and flags being made, and then a huge amount of preparation behind the scenes with all our decorations and our artwork that the people produced has been fantastic.

"These children will always remember this day, and we wanted to make it so special, put in all the effort, pull out all the stops so they would have a day that they would never forget in their primary school history."

Children and young people from across the UK were invited to think about their hopes for the future, alongside the symbolism of the upcoming Coronation, and to create their own bench designs as a visual representation of these ideas.

Fifteen winners were selected by a panel of judges at the Tower of London, from over 1,500 bench designs submitted from around the UK.

Serena Craig, Primary 2 teacher at Blythefield, led the school bench project: "We really wanted inclusion to come across on the bench.

"The children in our school are from various Commonwealth countries, from Malaysia, Bangladesh, and we wanted to put that onto the bench.

"Also protecting the environment, which we know is a value shared with King Charles.

"The children have worked so well and it's just a wonderful experience that they've achieved."

Blythefield’s bench will be sited at Royal Hillsborough for visitors to admire across the Summer, before moving to its final home within the School.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.