Castle of Windsor - Sala Waterloo - panoramio

The Waterloo Chamber, dating from 1830 to 1831, is a large room in

Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a List of British royal residences, royal residence at Windsor, Berkshire, Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, about west of central London. It is strongly associated with the Kingdom of England, English and succee ...

dedicated to the military defeat of the French Emperor

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

Bonaparte by

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

n, and

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

n forces under the command of the

Duke of Wellington Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they ar ...

at the

Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (then in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium), marking the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The French Imperial Army (1804–1815), Frenc ...

Designs

WindsorWaterlooChamber2JosephNash edited

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

Jeffry Wyatville Sir Jeffry Wyatville (3 August 1766 – 18 February 1840) was an English architect and garden designer. Born Jeffry Wyatt into an established dynasty of architects, in 1824 he was allowed by King George IV to change his surname to Wyatville ...

to replace the Queen's Drawing Room, Queen's Ballroom, Queen's Audience Chamber, Queen's Presence Chamber, Queen's Guard Chamber, King's Presence Chamber, King's Audience Room, King's Drawing Chamber, and King's Dining Chamber, which were all in

Hugh May Hugh May (1621 – 21 February 1684) was an English architect in the period after the Restoration of King Charles II. He worked in the era which fell between the first introduction of Palladianism into England by Inigo Jones, and the full flo ...

's 17th-century structure, the Waterloo Chamber was formed, along with the Grand Reception Room, White Drawing Room, Green Drawing Room, Crimson Drawing Room, State Dining Room, and Octagonal Dining Room.

Portraits included in the chamber

The portrait painter Sir

Thomas Lawrence Sir Thomas Lawrence (13 April 1769 – 7 January 1830) was an English people, English portrait painter and the fourth president of the Royal Academy. A child prodigy, he was born in Bristol and began drawing in Devizes, where his father was a ...

was commissioned by King

George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 29 January 1820 until his death in 1830. At the time of his accession to the throne, h ...

to paint all the major figures who came together to defeat Napoleon, as well as figures from the restored French monarchy, and today these works still hang assembled there. Lawrence both traveled Europe and at another time kept a studio in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

to complete the task, which was delayed by Napoleon's escape from

Elba Elba (, ; ) is a Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino on the Italian mainland, and the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago. It is also part of the Arcipelago Toscano National Park, a ...

. Among the people depicted in the chamber by Lawrence are

Tsar Alexander I of Russia Alexander I (, ; – ), nicknamed "the Blessed", was Emperor of Russia from 1801, the first king of Congress Poland from 1815, and the grand duke of Finland from 1809 to his death in 1825. He ruled Russia during the chaotic period of the Napoleo ...

, Emperor Francis I of Austria,

King Frederick William III of Prussia Frederick William III (; 3 August 1770 – 7 June 1840) was King of Prussia from 16 November 1797 until his death in 1840. He was concurrently Elector of Brandenburg in the Holy Roman Empire until 6 August 1806, when the empire was dissolved ...

, Field-Marshal Karl Philip Prince of Schwarzenberg, Armand-Emmanuel, Duke of Richelieu, John, Count Capo D'Istria,

Archduke Charles of Austria Archduke Charles Louis John Joseph Lawrence of Austria, Duke of Teschen (; 5 September 177130 April 1847) was an Austrian Empire, Austrian field marshal, the third son of Emperor Leopold II and his wife, Maria Luisa of Spain. He was also the youn ...

Napoleon II Napoleon II (Napoléon François Joseph Charles Bonaparte; 20 March 181122 July 1832) was the disputed Emperor of the French for a few weeks in 1815. He was the son of Emperor Napoleon I and Empress Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma, Marie Louise, d ...

Pope Pius VII Pope Pius VII (; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823) was head of the Catholic Church from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. He ruled the Papal States from June 1800 to 17 May 1809 and again ...

Cardinal Consalvi Ercole Consalvi (8 June 1757 – 24 January 1824) was a deacon and cardinal of the Catholic Church, who served twice as Cardinal Secretary of State for the Papal States and who played a crucial role in the post-Napoleonic reassertion of the legiti ...

Charles X of France Charles X (Charles Philippe; 9 October 1757 – 6 November 1836) was King of France from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. An uncle of the uncrowned Louis XVII and younger brother of reigning kings Louis XVI and Louis XVIII, he supported th ...

, and the aforementioned Duke of Wellington. Although the majority of portraits in the room are by Lawrence, several of the works added in later years are by other painters, including

William IV William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded hi ...

of Great Britain (who did not serve in the Napoleonic Wars) by Sir David Wilkie (1832), General Sir James Kempt by Robert McInnes (1835), Frederick William, Duke of Brunswick by William Corden (1848), William II, King of the Netherlands, when

Prince of Orange Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by the stadtholders of, and then the heirs apparent of ...

Nicaise de Keyser Nicaise de Keyser (alternative first names: Nicaas, Nikaas of Nicasius; 26 August 1813, Zandvliet – 17 July 1887, Antwerp) was a Belgian painter of mainly history paintings and portraits who was one of the key figures in the Belgian Romantic- ...

(1846), and General Viscount Hill by

Henry William Pickersgill Henry William Pickersgill Royal Academician, RA (3 December 1782 – 21 April 1875) was an English painter specialising in portraits. He was a Royal Academy, Royal Academician for almost fifty years, and painted many of the most notable figures ...

(c.1820).

In the 20th and 21st Centuries

In 1940, the Lawrence paintings were removed from their frames for safekeeping from German air raids and later temporarily replaced by pantomime works on wallpaper by then-teenage evacuee art student

Claude Whatham Claude Whatham (7 December 1927 – 4 January 2008) was an English film and television director, mainly known for his work on dramas. Early life In 1940, Whatham, a teenage evacuee art student, had been commissioned to paint fairytale pictures ...

. The new works were commissioned by the young Princesses

Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Empress Elisabeth (disambiguation), lists various empresses named ''Elisabeth'' or ''Elizabeth'' * Princess Elizabeth ...

and

Margaret Margaret is a feminine given name, which means "pearl". It is of Latin origin, via Ancient Greek and ultimately from Iranian languages, Old Iranian. It has been an English language, English name since the 11th century, and remained popular thro ...

as the background for their series of pantomimes. In 1943, Elizabeth and Margaret put on a performance of the fairytale

Aladdin Aladdin ( ; , , ATU 561, 'Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with '' One Thousand and One Nights'' (often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of the original ...

. The future

Prince Philip Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from h ...

was in the audience while on leave from the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

; friends and family who were present later related that this was the first time the royal romance began to take hold. Whatham's pantomime series was once again exhibited at the castle in 2020. In 2004, the musical ''Les Misérables'' (then currently in production in the West End) was staged in the chamber, which for the evening was renamed "The Music Room" as part of the state dinner and event marking the end of the celebrations for the one hundredth anniversary of the

Entente Cordiale The Entente Cordiale (; ) comprised a series of agreements signed on 8 April 1904 between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and the French Third Republic, French Republic which saw a significant improvement in Fr ...

between the United Kingdom and France which significantly improved diplomatic relations between the two neighboring nations. Once again, the Lawrence paintings were temporarily removed from the room for the event attended by Queen Elizabeth II and the French President

Jacques Chirac Jacques René Chirac (, ; ; 29 November 193226 September 2019) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and 1986 to 1988, as well as Mayor of Pari ...

, as well as their respective spouses and many other luminaries. The irony of holding such an event on such an occasion in a room dedicated to the victory of the United Kingdom and most of Europe over Napoleon was remarked upon in the press, which led to the chamber's one night name change. Each June, the Garter Day luncheon for the Knights and Ladies Companion of the Garter is held in the chamber.

Gallery

File:Prince Metternich by Lawrence.jpeg, ''

Portrait of Prince Metternich The ''Portrait of Prince Metternich'' is an oil on canvas painting by the British artist Thomas Lawrence of the Austrian statesman Klemens von Metternich. It was created in 1815. Lawrence painted many European leaders involved in the alliance aga ...

'' by

, 1815 File:Arthur Wellesley - Lawrence 1814-15.jpg, ''

Portrait of the Duke of Wellington ''Portrait of the Duke of Wellington'' may refer to: * ''Portrait of the Duke of Wellington'' (Goya), a painting by Francisco de Goya * ''Portrait of the Duke of Wellington'' (Lawrence), a painting by Sir Thomas Lawrence * ''Portrait of the Duke of ...

'' by

, 1815 File:Portrait of Frederick, Duke of York - Lawrence 1816.jpg, '' Portrait of the Duke of York'' by Lawrence, 1816. York was Commander in Chief of the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. File:Robert Stewart - Lawrence 1817.jpg, ''Lord Castlereagh'' by Thomas Lawrence, 1817. Castlereagh was the British Foreign Secretary File:Alexander I by Lawrence (1814-18, Royal collection).jpg, '' Portrait of Alexander I of Russia'' by Thomas Lawrence, 1818 File:Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830) - Frederick William III, King of Prussia (1770-1840) - RCIN 404944 - Royal Collection.jpg, ''

Portrait of Frederick William III of Prussia ''Portrait of Frederick William III of Prussia'' is portrait painting by the British artist Thomas Lawrence of Frederick William III of Prussia, Frederick William III, King of Prussia. Begun in 1814 during the Allied sovereigns' visit to England, ...

'' by Thomas Lawrence, 1818 File:Count Nesselrode.jpg, ''

Portrait of Count Nesselrode Portrait of Count Nesselrode is an oil on canvas portrait painting by the British artist Thomas Lawrence from 1818. It depicts the Russian statesman Karl Nesselrode. History and description The painting was part of a large-scale Commission (art) ...

'' by Thomas Lawrence, 1818 File:Armand Emmanuel Duke of Richelieu.jpg, ''

Portrait of the Duke of Richelieu The ''Duke of Richelieu'' is an 1818 portrait painting by the British artist Sir Thomas Lawrence of the French Prime Minister Armand Emmanuel de Vignerot du Plessis, 5th Duke of Richelieu. Richelieu was a leading statesman in Restoration France ...

'' by Thomas Lawrence, 1818 File:Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830) - Francis I, Emperor of Austria (1768-1835) - RCIN 404943 - Royal Collection.jpg, ''

Portrait of Francis I of Austria The ''Portrait of Francis I of Austria'' is a painting by the British artist Sir Thomas Lawrence depicting the Austrian Emperor Francis I (previously Francis II of the Holy Roman Empire). History and description Commissioned by the Prince Regen ...

'' by Thomas Lawrence, 1819 File:Sir Thomas Lawrence - Pope Pius VII (1742-1823) - Google Art Project.jpg, '' Portrait of Pope Pius VII'' by Thomas Lawrence, 1819 File:Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830) - Charles, Archduke of Austria (1771-1847) - RCIN 405140 - Royal Collection.jpg, ''

Portrait of Archduke Charles ''Portrait of Archduke Charles'' is an 1819 portrait painting by the English artist Sir Thomas Lawrence of the Austrian general Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen. History and description A member of the House of Habsburg, Charles was the young ...

'' by Thomas Lawrence, 1819 File:Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830) - Charles Philip, Prince Schwarzenberg (1771-1820) - RCIN 405139 - Royal Collection.jpg, ''

Portrait of Prince Schwarzenberg ''Portrait of Prince Schwarzenberg'' is an 1819 portrait painting by the British artist Thomas Lawrence. It depicts the Austrian military commander Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg. History and description Lawrence, the leading portrait p ...

'' by Thomas Lawrence, 1819 File:Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830) - Robert Banks Jenkinson (1770-1828), 2nd Earl of Liverpool - RCIN 404930 - Royal Collection.jpg, ''

Portrait of Lord Liverpool ''Portrait of Lord Liverpool'' is an oil on canvas portrait by the English artist Thomas Lawrence, depicting the British politician and Prime Minister Lord Liverpool, from ''c.'' 1820. History and description Liverpool had become Prime Minister ...

'' by Thomas Lawrence, 1820 File:Leopold I of Belgium 405144.jpg, ''

Portrait of Prince Leopold ''Portrait of Prince Leopold'' is an 1821 portrait painting by the British artist Sir Thomas Lawrence depicting Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, who later became the first King of Belgium. History and description Leopold had been married ...

'' by Thomas Lawrence, 1821 File:Louis-Antoine, Duke of Angouleme - Lawrence 1825.jpg, ''

Portrait of the Duke of Angoulême ''Portrait of the Duke of Angoulême is an 1825 portrait painting by the British artist Sir Thomas Lawrence depicting Louis Antoine, Duke of Angoulême, the Dauphin and heir to his father Charles X. History and description Lawrence was commissi ...

'' by Thomas Lawrence, 1825 File:Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830) - Charles X (1757-1836), King of France - RCIN 405138 - Royal Collection.jpg, ''

Portrait of Charles X ''Portrait of Charles X'' is an 1825 portrait painting by the British artist Sir Thomas Lawrence depicting the reigning French monarch Charles X of France, Charles X. Following the French Revolution that saw his Louis XVI, eldest brother overthr ...

'' by Thomas Lawrence, 1825 File:KingWilliam IV.jpg, '' Portrait of William IV'' by David Wilkie, 1832 File:Nicaise de Keyser (1813-87) - William II (1792-1849), King of the Netherlands, when Prince of Orange - RCIN 405151 - Royal Collection.jpg, ''William, Prince of Orange'' by

, 1846

References

External links

The Waterloo Chamber on the official website of the British monarchy
*

Royal Collection Trust The Royal Collection of the British royal family is the largest private art collection in the world. Spread among 13 occupied and historic royal residences in the United Kingdom, the collection is owned by King Charles III and overseen by the ...

podcast of a lecture by the

Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures The office of the Surveyor of the King's/Queen's Pictures, in the Royal Collection Department of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom, is responsible for the care and maintenance of the royal collection of pictures owned by ...

Desmond Shawe-Taylor Desmond Philip Shawe-Taylor (born 30 September 1955) was Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures from 2005 to 2020. He succeeded Christopher Lloyd on Lloyd's retirement.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Waterloo Chamber, The 1830 establishments in England Buildings and structures completed in 1830 Windsor Castle Jeffry Wyatville buildings Individual rooms George IV Cultural depictions of Napoleon II Cultural depictions of Charles X of France Cultural depictions of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington Cultural depictions of William IV Cultural depictions of Frederick, Duke of York and Albany Cultural depictions of Lord Castlereagh