![Charles I, Queen Henrietta Maria, and Charles II when Prince of Wales Dining in Public The interior is almost certainly imaginary (as opposed to being specifically of Whitehall Palace), although the event itself could have been witnessed by Houckgeest, who seems to have been at the English court sometime during the mid-1630s. Charles I owne](https://cmsadmin.rct.uk/sites/default/files/lead-image/trail/255267-1330620727.jpg)
Public Dining in the Reign of Charles II (1630-1685)
The ritual of public dining and its trappings in the time of Charles II
Charles I, Queen Henrietta Maria, and Charles II when Prince of Wales Dining in Public
Signed and dated 1635RCIN 402966
This painting provides an interesting record of Stuart court etiquette. The royal party are seated at a table on the left and are attended by courtiers and servants. A buffet with a display of silver-gilt plate is in the right foreground with an elaborate wine cooler before it on the ground. Attendants carry dishes in and out of the hall through the arch on the right. Those admitted to see the royal family dining in public watch from behind the balustrade forming part of an interior archway in the centre background.