Buckingham Palace, London.
Buckingham Palace has been the official London residence of British Sovereigns since 1837. It is currently the administrative headquarters of the Monarch. The Palace plays host to many state occasions and official engagements throughout the year and is famous the world over.
The state rooms at Buckingham Palace are also open to the public during the summer recess, when the Queen is in residence at Balmoral. The public can view the many spectacular interiors and the treasures within all of which are looked after and maintained by the Royal Collection. Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms. These include 19 State rooms, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms. Humphries Weaving have proudly worked with the Royal Collection over the past 40 years to supply many sumptuous fabrics that have been photographed worldwide.
The Throne Room
The Throne Room at Buckingham Palace is a much photographed room as it has been the backdrop of many official Royal wedding photographs, it is also used for formal addresses and receiving dignitaries.
Broad loom silk and cotton damask in two tones of crimson for the wall covering and window drapes, as well as the throne canopy hangings. The design is modern and adapted from plaster decoration within the scheme by Frank Davies R.C.A. and drawn in the Humphries Studio in 1984. There is a sample of this cloth held in the Warner Textile Archive.
Project reference: 688
The White Drawing Room
The White Drawing Room is used for formal events including receptions and audiences.
Humphries Weaving has supplied broad loom pale gold damask in silk and cotton for the restoration of the gilt furniture. The same design can be seen on gilt furniture at the British Embassy in Moscow. The design is similar to a version in the Warner Textile Archive first woven in 1922.
Project reference: 216
The Green Drawing Room
The Green Drawing Room is the largest of the state rooms on the first floor.
Green broad loom Silk damask for the wall covering restoration. The new pattern was commissioned in 1977 for the Queen’s silver Jubilee, and was taken from one of the two furnishing patterns existing in the room. The original design was by Frank Davies R.C.A. There is also a sample of this fabric held in the Warner Textile Archive.
Project reference: 282/286
The Blue Drawing Room
The Blue Drawing Room has also been known as the South Drawing Room, it is a grand interior, originally intended as a ballroom. It is now often used for spectacular drinks receptions.
Here you can see broad loom all silk damask in powder blue for the gilt chairs and sofas. Also a broad loom silk and cotton damask in a two tone powder blue effect, in the same design to highlight the pattern for the window drapes and other room furnishings The design is unusual in the Palace décor in that it features a pair of game birds, and has since been used for decoration on the palace retail carrier bag. A similar design was woven in 1921 a version of which can be seen in the Warner Textile Archive
Project references: silk 721, silk & cotton 2142
The State Dining Room
The State Dining Room is one of the principle state rooms used for lavish banquets.
Crimson silk damask in an adapted late 17th Century design for chair seats centres. There is a sample of this fabric held in the Warner Textile Archive. Also a broad loom yellow satin in pure silk for the curtain borders.
Project references: Silk damask 574, Satin 408
The Bow Room
The Bow Drawing Room, situated between the Blue and White Drawing Rooms it is often used as the reception room for Palace events.
Pure silk broad loom damask woven in silver on a crimson ground in two differing scales for window drapes and gilt furniture restoration. The late 17th Century design fabric replaced an earlier version first woven in 1905. The Warner Textile Archive also holds a similar pattern.
Project references: 1365 / 1370
Cotton & Silk damask version woven in 2022 for the reservicing works of Buckingham Palace. Again different scales were supplied for the curtains and furniture.
Project Reference 4539
The Queen’s Private Audience Chamber
The Queen has met on a weekly basis with the British Prime Minister throughout her reign, when in residence at Buckingham Palace these meetings take place in the Queens Audience Chamber.
Pure silk tissue narrow woven in caramel and cream borders for the window drapes. The design features the rose, thistle and shamrock between a studded border edge. There are other versions of this design featured at Windsor Castle woven by Daniel Walters in the mid-19th Century, and earlier weavings of this design can be seen in the Warner Textile Archive.
Pictured are plain satin upholstered chairs, the fabric is satin faced to bring all the silk to the surface of the material, this is particularly difficult to weave perfectly.
Project references: 371 / 1007 / 1054
The 1844 Room
The 1844 Room was named in honour of a State visit received from Tsar Nicholas I of Russia in that year.
Blue and Gold pure silk damask, narrow woven, for window drapes and gilt furniture upholstery. The colour was chosen to compliment the newly rewoven carpet in the room. The fabric replaced earlier silk woven by both Charles Norris & Co. and Warner & Sons. It was first woven as a pure silk tissue in gold on a green satin ground. There is another version of the same design in the Warner Textile Archive.
Project references: 1707 / 1758
The Queen’s Private Study
The Queen’s Private Study, as such is not widely photographed.
Broad loom Pale peach pure silk damask for window drape restoration. The same design in another version can be seen at Audley End Saffron Walden. There is a sample of this fabric held in the Warner Textile Archive.
Project references: 379 / 386 / 406 / 411
