Waterloo Chamber

Among the people depicted in the chamber by Lawrence are Tsar Alexander I of Russia, Emperor Francis I of Austria, King Frederick William III of Prussia, Field-Marshal Karl Philip Prince of Schwarzenberg, Armand-Emmanuel, Duke of Richelieu, John, Count Capo D'Istria, Archduke Charles of Austria, Napoleon II, Pope Pius VII, Cardinal Consalvi, Charles X of France, and the aforementioned Duke of Wellington.

[1] In 1940, the Lawrence paintings were removed from their frames for safekeeping from German air raids and later temporarily replaced by pantomime works on wallpaper by then-teenage evacuee art student Claude Whatham.

[2][3][4] In 2004, the musical Les Misérables (then currently in production in the West End) was staged in the chamber, which for the evening was renamed "The Music Room" as part of the state dinner and event marking the end of the celebrations for the one hundredth anniversary of the Entente Cordiale between the United Kingdom and France which significantly improved diplomatic relations between the two neighboring nations.

Once again, the Lawrence paintings were temporarily removed from the room for the event attended by Queen Elizabeth II and the French President Jacques Chirac, as well as their respective spouses and many other luminaries.

The irony of holding such an event on such an occasion in a room dedicated to the victory of the United Kingdom and most of Europe over Napoleon was remarked upon in the press, which led to the chamber's one night name change.