Henry ordered the chamber laid out parallel to St. Stephen's Chapel. The King wanted a space that he could use privately, and one in which he could receive guests as needed. It was an oblong room, 82x28 feet. On one end of the chamber was a large bed of estate, a sumptuous bed covered by an ornate canopy sometimes called a baldachin. Such beds weren't usually intended to be slept in, but like thrones in throne rooms were meant to symbolize the power of the King. An 18th century picture of the room as it once was shows its glorious color. Large wooden murals lined the walls, much as tapestries would later be used. The ceiling was also made of painted wooden planks.
Many historic events took place in this beautiful room. Edward I convened several parliaments in the chamber. Even after both Houses had their own chambers, the painted chamber continued to be used for State Openings or joint sessions. Witnesses for Charles I's trial in 1649 were questioned in this room, rather than in the main Westminster Hall where the trial itself was being held. Here, the Regicides met to sign his death warrant. Years later, Charles II was lay in state in this room after his death and before his burial in Westminster Abbey. William Pitt Elder and Younger also lay in state in this room. Over time, the murals and ceiling decorations were painted or plastered over and the room lost some of its former glory. It was in use as a court of claims when, in 1834, the remains of the old palace were swept with fire.
The walls survived but most of the wood, including portions of the mural and ceiling decorations, were carried away as souvenirs. Only a few pieces survive today in the British Museum. The room itself was refurbished and used temporarily by the House of Lords, before the structure was finally demolished in 1851. The only hint at what this gorgeous chamber once looked like is a watercolor by William Capon dated 1799.
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