Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 6).djvu/17

Concert, Ball Room, and Drawing Room frequenters come not here: it is for the sole and exclusive use of Her Majesty and those of her family who are going into the Throne Room with her to receive any of her faithful subjects or foreign ambassadors. Your way would have been through a door from the White Drawing Room, leading into the Picture Gallery, along the top of which you would cross, so entering the Throne Room by a door exactly opposite. This Royal Closet contains some very choice and rare art treasures, of which the lovely collection of enamels is not the least: the one you will observe over the doorway leading to the vestibule is the largest known. The subject of it is "The Holy Family."

Here may be seen cabinets, the most costly and beautiful in the Palace. One you will notice standing on the left is of inlaid pebbles, with ormolu carvings, and has pearl jardinières of fruit in the centre; the panels surrounded with birds and floral designs. In another part of the room is a fine inlaid table with a Phoenix in the centre of real lapis lazuli. On an elaborate ormolu stand is an ivory inlaid cabinet mounted on pillars; and still another shows pebbles of every shade in relief, and of great variety of design. The chimney-piece is supported by carved satyrs, a frieze of ormolu running round the fireplace. On the mantel is one of Vulliamy's best timepieces in marble and ormolu.

Walls and furniture are all clad in crimson silk, the latter having richly designed frames overlaid with burnished gold.

Of course, you will readily understand that it is quite impossible for me to point out to you the whole of the treasures, either in this or any other of the rooms. Were I to do so it would literally fill a volume, so I am compelled to content myself with selecting just a few as we go along. From here, then, Her Majesty and the other members of the family proceed via the vestibule to the Throne Room, so we will just take a brief glance at this vestibule before returning to the route proper. The Ministers' staircase, the entrance to which I pointed out to you at one end of the Sculpture Gallery, terminates here; so you will at once see how much less distance has to be covered by those coming this way and those who have to go through the entire suite we have traversed.

The ceiling is decorated in royal blue, gold and green, with ornamental chandeliers burning oil; and I may here remark that though electric light is carried into a number of the rooms, and gas is by no means left out, yet candles of wax, and chandeliers carrying oil lamps, are in much favour. Note the very handsome French clock, and then turn your attention to the two canvas portraits on the staircase. One is of Her Majesty the Queen, and the other H.R.H. the Prince Consort, both by Francis Xaver Winterhalter.

Now we return to the line of procession again. Crossing the top of the Picture Gallery, which place we shall see later on, and taking the door pointed out before, we emerge by it direct into the Throne Room, not facing the Throne, but on the right of that as it faces us. This room is of magnificent proportions, 60ft. by 35ft., and as we stand for one or two minutes and look around, it naturally occurs to us to picture the brilliant scenes that have been enacted therein. Picturesque and splendid indeed it is when beauty, wealth, and valour are gathered together; all aided and intensified by the artistic and solidly grand surroundings. Even now as we stand here military music in the distance tells us that the time for one of the brilliant functions of the season is drawing nigh. Presently the Gentlemen-at-Arms will be here on guard, the Diplomatic Corps will assemble, together with the high officials of the State and Household; Royalty will take up their position about the Throne; and then the long line of débutantes will slowly advance for presentation, resplendent in feathers, jewels, and rich laces and silks.

The first thing to inspect here is obviously the Throne; it, of course, stands on a daïs of massive carving and burnished gold, and is covered with crimson velvet. The chair is capacious and well cushioned, but, somehow, does not look particularly comfortable; neither do I think it proves itself so, for Her Majesty prefers to occupy a smaller and more easy-looking chair in the front. The canopy is exceedingly handsome, rich crimson velvet with the Royal Arms wrought in gold. A large bressummer, with angle trusses beneath, extending nearly the width of the room, forms an alcove in which the Throne stands. The ceiling is richly emblazoned with shields and armorial bearings, emblematic of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and annexation of Hanover; the frieze below is adorned with bassi-rilievi illustrative of the Wars of the Roses.

There are two fireplaces with chimney-pieces of marble, having sculptured figures holding wreaths of laurel in the centre, and continua-