Over the centuries, the British Royal Family has been embroiled in numerous scandals that have shocked the nation – but even the most dedicated royal watchers may be unaware of the pleasure-seeking prince and his sex chair.
A new Channel 4 series airing on Tuesday night will explore the unique piece of furniture that was specially designed for the amorous Prince Bertie in the late 19th century before he became King Edward VII in 1901.
In A History of Royal Scandals, historian and presenter, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb, explains that Bertie – Queen Victoria’s eldest son – was ‘married off’ to Princess Alexandra of Denmark in 1863.
After having six children together, Alexandra’s health deteriorated, and she ‘settled for a quiet family life in the countryside’, while Bertie, also known as Dirty Bertie by the tabloids of the time as well as Edward the Caresser, headed to France and ‘swiftly became a magnet to the courtesans of the capital’.
Suzannah reveals that Bertie visited Parisian brothels and sex shows at the Moulin Rouge with ‘gay abandon’.
King Edward VII in coronation regalia in 1902. His waist measured 48 inches (122 cm) shortly before his coronation
Queen Victoria with the future King Edward VII with his bride, Princess Alexandra of Denmark on the day of their marriage in 1863
The playboy prince commissioned a ‘siège d’amour’ or a love chair to allow him to perform despite his growing waist
Historian Catharine Arnold details his visits to the Moulin Rouge music hall, where his nickname was ‘Kingy!’
The dancer ‘La Goulue’ often yelled to him from the stage, ”Ello, Wales! Are you going to pay for my champagne?’
But when his ability to perform could no longer match his carnal appetite, Bertie, Queen Elizabeth II’s great-grandfather, commissioned what became known as the ‘siège d’amour’ (‘love chair’).
The chair was built by Louis Soubrier – a famed Parisian carpenter – for when Bertie went visited a top brothel in the City of Love after gaining a huge amount of weight.
In a clip from the programme, Catharine tells Suzannah: ‘It seems to have been built to cope with his considerable girth.’
The love chair is complete with stirrups to hold the legs of not one but two sexual partners, allowing the playboy prince to have sex with multiple women without crushing them.
Discussing the logistics of the unusual piece of furniture, Catharine says: ‘One idea is that a woman lies down and Bertie then braces himself on the steps.
‘Another woman would then lie underneath on a cushioned part, and her role would be – what they call in the adult entertainment industry – a fluffer.
‘By the time this had been commissioned, Bertie was not only fat, but edging towards impotence, so he would need to be refreshed from time to time.’
She adds: ‘Bertie’s never say die attitude makes you proud to be British really.’
Discussing the logistics of the unusual piece of furniture, historian Catharine Arnold says: ‘One idea is that a woman lies down and Bertie then braces himself on the steps. Another woman would then lie underneath on a cushioned part, and her role would be – what they call in the adult entertainment industry – a fluffer’
He ascended to the throne in 1901 and at his coronation in 1902, King Edward VII made sure to reserve a pew in Westminster Abbey solely for his ‘special ladies’
Summarising his place in history, Suzannah says: ‘Bertie’s antics meant that many onlookers questioned his ability to rule.
But when Queen Victoria died in 1901 and he finally acceded to the throne in 1901 as Edward VII, he threw himself into the role with gusto and truly excelled as a monarch.
‘As a husband, however, he remained profoundly disappointing,’ Suzannah remarks in the new series.
Indeed at his coronation in 1902, King Edward, who was 60 years old at the time, made sure to reserve a pew in Westminster Abbey solely for his ‘special ladies’.
At the time, Edward had an impressive 48-inch waist and would sit down for five meals every day – most of which were ten courses.
Although the original siège d’amour is believed to have been sold at a private auction to an anonymous buyer in the 1990s, a replica of the love chair went on display at the exhibition ‘Splendour and Misery: Images Of Prostitution 1850-1910’ at the Musée D’Orsay in Paris between 2015 and 2016.
Another copy of the chair can be found in the Sex Machines Museum in Prague.
A History of Royal Scandals is presented by historian Professor Suzannah Lipscomb
The six-part series A History of Royal Scandals sees Suzannah delve deep into Britain’s extensive regal history to reveal more about the scandals we think we already know, and perhaps uncover some shocking new ones along the way.
In a year when speculation about the private lives of the current Royal Family has reached fever pitch, Suzannah discovers that intrigue and fascination about what goes on behind palace gates is certainly no modern phenomenon.
Tuesday’s episode focuses in particular on sex scandals, and as well as Prince Bertie’s sex chair, Suzannah explores how rumours of sexual indiscretions were used to target a formidable medieval queen and still follow her centuries on.
It also seeks to find out if 13-year-old King James VI of Scotland was groomed by his 37-year-old uncle, Esme Stewart.
Watch A History of Royal Scandals on More4 on Tuesdays at 9pm.
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