Royal Table

This room, in neo-renaissance style was carried out in the 1880s by Leandro Braga. The chestnut panneling incorporates fragments of 16th and 17th century carvings, a common practice in 19th century ecleticism.

The King and Queen, Prince Afonso, dignitaries and sometimes invited guests used to dine at the State Table on a daily basis.

 

BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE ROYAL TABLE  

The tableware and deliveries to other palaces were managed daily by the Head butler and the Supervisor — positions held for years by António Duarte and Narcizo António de Souza. Between the dining room and the washing area, five Silver Stewards, dressed in blue uniforms with gold trim, served at the table and looked after the hundreds of pieces under their care. 

 

Ceremonies held outside this palace required the movement of hundreds of service items, textiles and tableware. Packing and transport were carried out by the teams under the supervision of the Head Butler. On such occasions the Boxes’ Stewards were pivotal.
 The selection shown here corresponds to the items sent for the luncheon offered to Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany, held at the Palace of Sintra, on the 30th March, 1905.

 

As a result of the "à la russe" service, the number of items laid on the table multiplied in the second half of the 19th century. Cutlery, accessories, and the so-called novelties — small decorative objects then in vogue — brought brilliance, humour and sophistication to daily meals.
 They allowed for bolder and even avant-garde choices in the so-called "arts of the table".

 

Tea, coffee, and chocolate became common in the second half of the 19th century, forming an important part of the social life of the time — along with other drinks such as beer, orange blossom water, currant cordial, lemonade, horchata (almond or rice milk), and sparkling water.

Following the 19th-century tendency toward specialized forms for each function, specific sets for certain beverages were sold at the time. Alongside these, most table services included pieces intended for hot drinks.

 

 

SCULLERY  

After each meal, the dishes taken to the State Table were then brought here for washing, counting, and storage. This would have been a place of strong activity but also of attention and care. Pieces in poor condition or that should not be used again were recorded. The iron boiler and the large sink reveal the use of this space. Here we present the copper and brass sets, equipment and ustensils that, in turn, evoke the large kitchens, at the time located in the north wing. 

 

Kitchen, pastry, confectionery and pantry utensils are important material witnesses to 19th-century culinary practice. They reflect the daily routine of the royal household’s table service and its practices, shaped by the manuals of the period, particularly those by Dubois, author of Cuisine Artistique (1872).

Among them, objects purchased from the Parisian shop "À la Ménagère" and from "F. Tornotti" in Turin stand out. They combine functionality and elegance — hallmarks of elite consumption and domestic modernity at the time.

 

Other Tables: services and complements
In addition to the Royal Table, there were many others in this palace — among them those of "Their Highnesses" (the Princes), the "Private Stewards’ Table", the "Table of the Maids of Honour attendants", and the staff table, known as the "Family Table".
Different services, items and food quantities were assigned to each, according to hierarchy. At the "Family" dining room, the various ranks of servants were served at different hours.

The campaign objects of the Portuguese Royal Household reveal the practical side of royal life outside the palaces. Used on journeys, outings and hunts, and designed for easy transport, they combined functionality, elegance and artisanal refinement. They reflect the court’s concern for comfort and etiquette, even in itinerant contexts.

Queen Maria Pia enjoyed outdoor meals, in the countryside or at the seaside, among friends and loyal servants. The staff carried picnic equipment — folding tables and chairs, and striped tents — to the woods of Penha Longa, Adraga beach, or the countryside. In rugged and sometimes isolated places, amid the mist, everything was rigorously controlled — the butler Souza ensured that nothing was left behind.

 

Tables of the Sirius

A leisure vessel of the Royal Household, the yacht Sirius was equipped with its own refined table services.
Built at the Royal Boatyard in Junqueira, it was launched on 14 April 1877 and offered by King Luís to Queen Maria Pia that same year. Elegant and stable, with luxurious interiors and a copper hull, it had a crew of eight men and reached a speed of 11 knots.