Public Dining in the Reign of Charles II (1630-1685)
The ritual of public dining and its trappings in the time of Charles II
Ground plan of Westminster Hall set out for the Coronation Dinner, 1685
RCIN 750184
Although this lavish table setting was for the coronation banquet of Charles II's brother, James II, the multitude of plates gives a sense of the culinary indulgence of this period. Sandford's print below gives a wonderful illustration of this.
The History of the Coronation of the most high, most mighty, and most excellent monarch, James II ... and of his Royal Consort Queen Mary, solemnized in the Collegiate Church of St Peter ... on 23rd April, ... 1685 / by Francis Sandford.©
