West Ham fans find secret engraving in ancient coronation throne

West Ham United fans are convinced part of their club’s crest has been carved into the Coronation throne after spotting a suspicious-looking symbol during the ceremony for King Charles III on Saturday.

Thousands of people lined the streets of London with millions more across the globe watching from home as Charles and his wife Camilla were officially crowned King and Queen in Westminster Abbey.

The historic ceremony continued throughout the day, with the newly-crowned monarchs travelling from Westminster to Buckingham Palace in the Gold State Coach, flanked by vast numbers of military personnel.

Sports such as football, rugby union, cricket, and horse racing all paid tribute to King Charles III over the weekend.

At all five Premier League fixtures on Saturday, players lined up before kick-off as the national anthem was played. However, many Liverpool fans could be heard booing during the anthem prior to their home game against Brentford.

A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said their Majesties had been "deeply touched" by the nation's celebration of their coronation, although many eagle-eyed West Ham fans were instead talking about a familiar-looking carving that could be seen on the throne while the new King was being crowned.

Viewers were quick to point out that a cross close to Charles’ left shoulder looked distinctly like the crossed pair of rivet hammers in West Ham's crest.

The striking resemblance came much to the delight of Hammers’ fans, despite the fact the chair dates back to Medieval times and many of the carvings are thought to have been the result of mischievous 18th Century Westminster Abbey schoolboys. The club, meanwhile, wasn’t established until the late 19th Century.

Despite the discrepancy in dates, it wasn’t long before fans were expressing such delight on social media.

“West Ham are MASSIVE,” one Twitter user wrote.

“This tells me Hammers supporters have been around for Centuries. Oldest club in the world and I'm not having anyone tell me any different,” another added.

While a third joked: “The Queen probably had a scribble. She was a West Ham fan."

Charles III, however, is not a Hammers fan but is believed to be a Burnley supporter, with the coronation coming just weeks following the Clarets' ascent back to the Premier League.

Meanwhile, despite struggling domestically this term, West Ham will be hoping they can be crowned kings of Europe, but must first overcome AZ Alkmaar over two legs for a place in the Europa Conference League final.