Points of Interest
The Gardens and National Palace of Queluz
Bedchamber in Queen Carlota Joaquina’s Apartments
Part of Queen Carlota Joaquina’s Apartments, the bedchamber was the space reserved for the Queen’s rest and toilette, the term then used to describe personal grooming. More private in nature, it was connected to other service rooms, such as the privy and the wardrobe, which provided the assistance required for the Queen’s daily routine. The wall decoration and furniture featuring gilded metal details, complemented by the reproduction of the textiles, reflect the royal status of its occupant and the importance attached to the representation of royal standing in the palace interiors.
The paintings on the walls and ceiling reveal the fascination with the archaeological discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum, in Italy, during the eighteenth century. This influence inspired the name Pompeian Room, by which the space became known in the twentieth century. The ornamental motifs and figures evoke classical culture and reflect the neoclassical taste that shaped the renovation of the interiors of the National Palace of Queluz.
About Queen Carlota Joaquina’s Apartments
Born in Spain, Carlota Joaquina (1775–1830) came to live at the National Palace of Queluz at the age of ten, following her marriage to Infante João, the future King João VI (1767–1826). A prominent and controversial figure in Portuguese and Brazilian history, she played an active political role at a time when women’s participation in public life was limited, asserting her influence in court affairs.
In 1807, she accompanied the royal family to Brazil following the French invasions, returning to Portugal in 1821. Later, she supported her son, Miguel, in defending absolutism against the liberal movement.
In the final years of her life, the Queen chose a ground-floor area of the National Palace of Queluz, close to the gardens, for her apartments. She died there in 1830. The rooms, which retain furniture and objects that belonged to her, offer an insight into her daily life and personal taste, shaped by the trends of the period.
Before the Queen occupied them, these rooms had been the residence of Pedro Carlos (1786–1812), who held a prominent position at court as an Infante of both Spain and Portugal.
