Gilded X-Frame Chairs

Two gilt x-frame chairs can be seen in the Sovereign's Robing Room. They are made from mahogany and were acquired by the House of Lords in 1994. There is some speculation that perhaps these were prototype chairs created by AWN Pugin and his craftsmen in the 1840s before settling on the design.

Sixteen un-gilded versions of this chair with red leather upholstery stamped with gilt roses were created for the Princes Chamber in the House of Lords by John Webb. These chairs can still be seen today in their original position and in the adjoining Royal Gallery.

Further chairs were ordered from Holland and Sons in 1859 for the Speakers dining room although they appeared to have been considered not too comfortable for that purpose and by 1900 had migrated to a new home in the Speaker's library. They are now in the Speaker's State rooms and are upholstered in brown leather rather than red. The Holland chairs also have slight variations in the carving of the roses and the lion's heads.