In 1719, this room contained a considerable number of chairs and other seating, as was common for State Bedrooms of the period. There were eight large armchairs and eight tabourets – stools covered in fabrics that matched the wall coverings. Everything was coordinated – as if made in one piece, you might say. However, all trace of the chairs and other seating had been lost by the second half of the 18th century. So they are unfortunately no longer available for reconstruction purposes today.
The special programme for the wedding ceremonial included the following note, and I quote: “Number 9 is the bedroom, where the king and the queen, the prince and princess sit down. The king and the queen have armchairs, and the prince and princess, chaises à dos.”
So the bridal couple were to sit on chairs with backrests. However, during the private audience, the four of them essentially bypassed the rules. There’s an engraving of the meeting that clearly shows all four sitting in armchairs of equal status.
Raymond Leplat, who served as Inspector of the Collection and interior designer, had produced very detailed drawings of the state rooms. They served as templates for engravings of the rooms. These in turn were meant to be published in a large volume of copperplate engravings to document the entire wedding celebrations of 1719. However, due to the scope of the project, the volume was never completed. But, the drawings and the copperplate engravings of the state rooms have survived and now represent a unique resource for researchers.
The furnishings of the State Bedroom were dominated by marquetry objects. Of particular significance are the two vanity cases on matching stands to either side of the fireplace. They are known to be original pieces from when the room was first furnished in 1719. Two large writing desks complemented the appointments. One of them, decorated with exceptionally fine marquetry, is once again on display. The other was passed to the House of Wettin in 1925 as part of the compensation for the former royal family. The State Bedroom, in particular, reveals that some of the items no longer present did not go missing in the war.
