Buckingham Palace

Yesterday I visited Buckingham Palace, as you do, when giving your grand-daughter a birthday treat, and was delighted to come across the Ince & Mayhew side table that was bought by Queen Mary in 1931 from a dealer in Oxford Street for £200.  It was made between 1777 and 1782 for Sir Thomas Rumbold of Woodhall Park, Hertfordshire.  

​The commode was just inside the East Gallery and I recognised it from previous research.  The lion on the frieze reminded me of the lion commode at the Lady Lever Gallery.  The table was made from walnut and pine and was gilded at Queen Mary's request.  Further details and picture on the Royal Collection Trust website.

We both enjoyed going round the State Rooms, especially the Rubens and Titians in the Picture Gallery and the astounding jewellery on display for the Platinum Jubilee, many familiar from the photographs taken by Dorothy Wilding for postage stamps and currency.   There were so many outstanding works of art, but of course my favourite was my ancestor's table as I imagined William Ince checking it over before it left their workshop,