Knole — Furniture Of Kings - Beyond Downton Abbey: A Guide to 25 Great Houses - page 91

ing in the confines of the royal bedchamber of James II with its breath-taking gold and sil-
ver opulence — the most elaborate state bed ever made for a monarch — the furniture of
kings becomes rather difficult to forget. Lit by subdued artificial candlelight, the solid sil-
ver furniture and miles of gold and silver thread gleam in a way that feels otherworldly.
Knole is so huge that many areas of the mansion have gone uninhabited for long periods
with abandoned furniture hidden under dustsheets. In part, this long history of neglect
helped Knole become a repository for amazing amounts of historical furnishings. What
were once, long ago, royal castoffs have contributed to the accumulation of one of the finest
collections of Stuart furniture in the world. According to Robert Sackvile-West, 7 th Lord of
Sackville, who currently resides at Knole, “The collections have come to define the house
today and give it that fading magnificence, that magic that smoulders rather than sparkles.”
Copy of a table from Knole