The Lord Chancellors Apartments within the House of Lords is part of the Palace of Westminster.
The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. As such the building is commonly referred to as ‘The Houses of Parliament’. The current Palace was designed by the architect Sir Charles Barry after an earlier building was ravaged by fire in 1834.
The Lord Chancellor is one of the most ancient offices of state, dating back many centuries. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister and is a senior member of the Cabinet. They head the Ministry of Justice as the Secretary of State for Justice. As they undertake such an important role they are granted grace and favour use of a set of apartments within the House of Lords.
The River Room
The River Room in the House of Lords is a function room available at the discretion of the Lord Chancellor for specific events, usually charity or cross party related.
Crimson broadloom silk and wool damask for the restoration of the River Room window drapes within The Lord Chancellors Apartments. The design chosen was “Cavendish” by A.W.G. Pugin, which also is to be seen in the state apartments of the Speaker. The original design was discovered by 19th Century specialist Clive Wainwright from the V&A Museum, in a small hard-backed book in the museums collection. This matched a point-paper donated to museum by John Fowler who had purchased it at the 1972 Christies Auction of the Warner & Sons Ltd collection. The draft however was incomplete with one sheet missing. This part was re-drafted in the Humphries Studio by Derek Chatten who redrew it from the book illustration, to complete the Gothic Revival pattern.
Project reference: 1566
The Drawing Room & Dining Room
Humphries Weaving were commissioned to remake mid 19th Century fabric for the restoration of the Drawing Room and Dining Room, within the Lord Chancellors apartments.
Pure wool camlet in Pugin red for Drawing Room and Dining Room drapes and upholstery restoration. Plain wool camlets were made in worsted wool from the 17th Century onwards, which gave a tight weave capability and was generally used for drapes, furnishings and coat facings.
Project reference: 1565
