Mary sits on a throne: she is doubly queenly, because she is the mother of Christ who is King, as the Archangel Gabriel had announced to her: "You will bear a Son (...) he will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David (...) and his kingdom will have no end" (Luke chapter 1, verses 31-33) and because she is immaculate: she reigns over all passions. Her feet are on a pedestal like Christ's: evil has not touched her.
She is clothed in blue, the colour of wisdom, faith and union with God, and in red, the colour of royalty; she wears red shoes, like an empress, and is completely taken over by the Holy Spirit.
Mary always has three stars on her veil, on her forehead and on each shoulder: they symbolise her virginity before, during and after the birth of Jesus. Her garment is edged in gold up to the cuffs, symbolising the uncreated light. The letters are the first and last letters of the Greek words meaning "Mother of God".
Mary herself is a throne for her Son, Jesus, who sits on her lap; Christ is Wisdom and she is the throne of Wisdom, as we sing in the Litany of the Blessed Virgin.
Sister Marie-Paul