Do You Know: What is the woolsack? (colour litho)

What is the woolsack? In the British Parliament, it is the seat of the Lord Chancellor when presiding over the sittings of the House of Lords. Queen Elizabeth caused the seat of the Lord High Chancellor to be fashioned of a sack of wool, as a reminder of the pre-eminent position then occupied by wool in the commerce of England: there are references to the time of Henry VIII when other high officials sat upon sacks. To-day the Woolsack is a large square cushion of wool, covered with red cloth, and technically it is outside the precincts of the House. Illustration for one of a set of 50 "Do You Know?" cigarette cards issued by Carreras in 1939.