State Dining Room

The State Dining Room was arranged for ceremonial meals for 24 people. Its furnishings include 19th-century furniture, while the walls carry portraits of European ruling families. Among them are 19 miniatures of Maria Theresa's family, painted by her daughter Maria Christina. These small paintings form a distinct group among the other portraits. Further pictures show members of the Bourbon dynasty and the Russian emperor Paul I with his wife Maria Feodorovna.

Ferdinand of Coburg appears twice, as Tsar of Bulgaria and in old age. The pair allows a comparison between an official royal image and his later likeness. The glass, porcelain and majolica collections include dinner, tea and coffee services, together with vases and other decorative objects. The Coburgs bought porcelain in different parts of Europe, so the collection is not limited to a single production centre. The room combines dining with the display of family and dynastic portraits: objects used for serving meals stand alongside paintings of identifiable individuals and ruling houses.