The Painted Chamber was part of the original Palace of Westminster. It was destroyed by fire in 1834.
Because it was originally a royal residence, the Palace did not include any purpose-built chambers for the two Houses. Important state ceremonies, including the State Opening of Parliament, were held in the Painted Chamber. The House of Lords usually met in the White Chamber. The House of Commons, however, did not have a chamber of its own; it sometimes held its debates in the Chapter House of Westminster Abbey until a permanent home in the former St. Stephen's chapel became available in the 16th Century.
At the trial of Charles I, the evidence of the witnesses summoned was heard in the Painted Chamber rather than Westminster Hall.
Read more about Painted Chamber: Bibliography
Famous quotes containing the words painted and/or chamber:
“To Him, the painted swallow,
to Him, the lump of amber,
to Him, the boy and girl
with roses and love-knots,
to Him, the little cat
to play beneath the Manger....”
—Hilda Doolittle (1886–1961)
“The fate of the country does not depend on how you vote at the polls,—the worst man is as strong as the best at that game; it does not depend on what kind of paper you drop into the ballot- box once a year, but on what kind of a man you drop from your chamber into the street every morning.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)