Ladies’ Bedroom at the Palace of Pena returns to blue, as in the time of the monarchy

At the National Palace of Pena, ongoing conservation and restoration works continue to reveal fragments of history that time had almost erased. During the works currently under way in the Ladies’ Bedroom, wall surveys showed that beneath the intense yellow paint applied there in the 20th century there were still traces of the dry blue tone which, according to historical research, was the colour chosen for the room during the last decorative campaign carried out when the Palace was occupied by the Royal Family. To restore this historical memory to the Ladies’ Chamber, the 20th-century layer is being removed and the dry blue tone will once again cover its walls. The Secretary’s Bedroom and the adjoining WC are also being restored as part of the Maintenance Plan for the National Palace of Pena.

“This intervention was preceded by rigorous historical research. We were able to identify and understand the different wall layers that have been superimposed over time,” explains João Sousa Rego, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Parques de Sintra. He also highlights that the works are taking place alongside public visitation, under Parques de Sintra’s Open for Works policy, “so that visitors can learn about our intervention models and the way in which we safeguard and enhance heritage.”

In the Ladies’ Bedroom, in addition to the reinstatement of the blue tone on the walls, the polychrome stucco ceiling will be restored. As for the Secretary’s Bedroom and the adjoining WC, the works include the recovery of surface finishes, including the removal of biological activity and dust; consolidation of the substrate and chromatic reintegration; and the restoration of the polychrome stuccoes, which, on both walls and ceiling, feature a painted finish imitating the aligned boards of a timber structure. In place of the cornice, the naturalistic high-relief decoration is composed of crossed, pruned tree trunks with pinecones, in keeping with the architectural decoration of the National Palace of Pena, particularly its exterior sculpture.

In all three rooms under intervention, the electrical infrastructure and scenic lighting will be upgraded. The works are expected to continue until the end of March 2026. Once this phase is complete, the spaces will undergo a historically informed reconstitution and a review of their museographic presentation.

The Secretary and the Lady: high nobility in service of Her Majesty Queen Amélia

During the reign of King Carlos I and Queen Amélia, the rooms on the upper floor of the cloister were entirely dedicated to serving the Queen, comprising her private apartments and those of her closest attendants, namely the Secretary and the Lady – usually a couple from the high nobility who formed part of the so-called Queen’s Household. Their main role was to accompany the Queen both inside and outside the Palace, acting as intermediaries between Her Majesty and other dignitaries.

However, the spaces now known as the Secretary’s Bedroom and the Ladies’ Bedroom had different functions during the time of King Ferdinand II. The Secretary’s Bedroom was initially the monarch’s toilette room and was later occupied by his second wife, the Countess of Edla, serving as a wardrobe for the “Toilette of Her Ladyship the Countess”.

The Ladies’ Bedroom originally functioned as King Ferdinand II’s bedchamber, and was later transformed into a dressing room, or boudoir, for the future Countess of Edla.