Trinity College statue's chair leg replaced with sceptre

The statue of Henry VIII on Trinity College, Cambridge, is now looking more regal, with a gilded sceptre to match its gilded orb

A statue of Henry VIII holding a chair leg as part of a century-old student prank has been given a gilded sceptre.

The statue, which dates to the 1660s, is above the Great Gate of Cambridge University's Trinity College.

A handmade staff was donated as part of celebrations to mark the 75th birthday of King Charles, who studied at the college from 1967 to 1970.

The original sceptre has been replaced with a chair leg by pranksters on and off since the early 20th Century.

It was donated by the Association of Pole-lathe Turners & Green Woodworkers to mark King Charles III's 75th birthday

For much of the 20th Century, the statue has been holding a chair leg instead of the ceremonial staff

Vice master of Trinity College, Prof Louise Merrett, said: "The 75th birthday of King Charles III is a wonderful opportunity to come together as a college and mark another historic occasion in this coronation year."

The King's 21st birthday in 1969, while he was Prince of Wales, was marked by students stringing "Happy Birthday Charlie" across the Great Court.

• Oppenheimer's notes on display at open events

• Cambridge college to examine its slavery legacy

• Samuel Pepys' medieval manuscripts digitised

The statue with its chair leg is a popular sight for tourists, facing outwards above the college entrance onto Trinity Street.

The first sceptre is believed to have broken in the early 20th Century leaving a stump looking like a chair leg, so student pranksters replaced it with an actual chair leg.

King Charles was studying at Trinity when he turned 21 in 1969, so students strung a birthday banner across the Great Court

Staff and students mark King Charles III's birthday on 14 November

The college installed a new ceremonial staff as part of renovations to mark Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953. In less than a week, a chair leg appeared in its place.

When a gale blew away Henry VIII's hand, the college decided to retain the leg as part of its repairs.

The new ceremonial staff was donated by the Association of Pole-lathe Turners & Green Woodworkers, from Barton, Cambridgeshire.

The organisation held a competition at its annual Bodgers Ball to create the new version to mark the King's coronation.

The winning design is by by Kevin Downing from Ireland, and Daryl La Rue and Kathy Morch from Canada.

It was gilded by Trinity carpenter Jon Squires, before it was placed in the statue's right hand.