The Prince of Wales and his entourage on camels posing for camera in front of Pyramid of Cheops and Pyramid of Cephrenes, Giza, Cairo. The Prince is seated on the camel fifth from the left. The man in the white suit with a cigar, gazing up at the Prince,

Royal Travel

Modes of travel and travelling accessories used by monarchs past and present

    MARTIN GUILLAUME BIENNAIS (1764–1843)

    Travelling service

    1800-15

    RCIN 43936

    Elaborate silver travelling sets like this one came into fashion in France in the early eighteenth century. Known as 'necessaries', they were designed to contain all the necessities of life in a small, convenient form, easily packed for travel. This set includes tea and coffee utensils, toilet accessories, needlework tools, a candlestick and a mirror. The contents pack neatly into a mahogany box with two layers of removable trays, and there is also a wooden drawer which pulls out from the side.

    The travelling service was made by Martin Guillaume Biennais, a French goldsmith who specialised in luxurious silverware and regularly supplied Napoleon I (1769–1821). Napoleon gave the piece as a wedding gift to his adopted daughter, Stéphanie Beauharnais (1789–1960), in April 1806.

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