You’ve probably heard the rumors about the King Henry sex chair, but there is a major historical correction we need to make right out of the gate: it wasn’t Henry. It was Edward. Specifically, King Edward VII, the eldest son of Queen Victoria. People often mix up their "naughty" British monarchs, and given Henry VIII’s reputation with his six wives, it’s an easy mistake to make. But the legendary, custom-built mechanical contraption designed for carnal efficiency belongs squarely to "Bertie" (Edward’s nickname) and the opulent, decadently messy era of the late 19th century.
It’s a wild story.
Imagine the Prince of Wales, a man of considerable girth and an even larger appetite for the finer things in life, frequenting the most elite brothels in Paris. This wasn't just a casual hobby; it was a lifestyle. He spent so much time at Le Chabanais—arguably the most famous bordello in history—that he had his own personalized room. It was here that the infamous "siège d’amour" (love chair) lived.
The Engineering of the King Edward VII Love Chair
The chair itself is a bizarre piece of furniture. Honestly, if you saw it without context, you might think it was a strange medical device or a very avant-garde fainting couch. It featured two levels, upholstered in plush velvet, and featured integrated metal stirrups.
Why stirrups?
Well, Edward VII was a large man. By the time he was in his late 50s, his "proportions" made certain traditional positions quite difficult and, frankly, exhausting. He needed a mechanical advantage. The chair was designed by the renowned Parisian cabinetmaker Soubrier in 1890. It allowed the King to engage with two women simultaneously—or simply one—without crushing them under his royal weight. It was a masterpiece of ergonomics, if you consider "ergonomics" to mean the ability to maintain a high-society lifestyle while indulging in every whim of the flesh.
The design is fascinating because it’s so specific. The top "shelf" and the bottom section were angled in a way that accommodated the King’s belly while providing support for his partners. It wasn’t just about the act; it was about the stamina.
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A Glimpse into Le Chabanais
To understand why a future King of England would commission such a device, you have to understand Paris in the 1880s and 90s. Le Chabanais cost about 1.7 million francs to build in 1878. That is an astronomical sum for the time. It wasn't some seedy alleyway spot. It was a palace of indulgence.
Every room had a theme. There was a Moorish room, a Pompeii room, and a Japanese room. Edward VII felt so at home there that he even had his own coat of arms embossed on the side of his copper bathtub, which he reportedly filled with champagne. The chair was just the crown jewel of his private suite.
When you look at the chair today—and yes, the original still exists—it’s remarkably well-preserved. You can see it at the Soubrier gallery in Paris, though it’s occasionally loaned out to museums like the Musée d'Orsay for exhibitions on the history of prostitution or Victorian-era secrets. It’s a heavy, mahogany-framed beast that looks like it belongs in a Victorian parlor, right up until you notice the placement of the leg rests.
Why the King Henry Sex Chair Myth Persists
So, why do people keep searching for the King Henry sex chair?
Part of it is just the "Henry VIII Effect." We associate Henry with excess, women, and a certain level of debauchery. He’s the "bad boy" of the British monarchy. If there’s a weird sexual device in history, our brains naturally want to pin it on the guy who chopped off his wives' heads.
But Henry lived in the 1500s. The technology to build a velvet-lined, multi-tiered mechanical love seat simply didn't exist in the Tudor era. They were lucky to have indoor plumbing, let alone specialized furniture for group dynamics. Edward VII, on the other hand, lived during the Industrial Revolution. This was the era of gadgets, steam engines, and specialized tools for every conceivable human need.
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- Henry VIII: Known for marriages, religious schisms, and hunting.
- Edward VII: Known for mistresses, gambling, haute couture, and Parisian nightlife.
The confusion is basically a branding error.
The Logistics: How Did it Actually Work?
If you’re wondering about the mechanics, you aren’t alone. Historians and curators have spent decades looking at the Soubrier chair trying to figure out the exact "configurations."
Basically, the design allowed the King to sit or lie in the middle section while his partners used the upper and lower tiers to stay in position. The metal stirrups were key. They provided leverage. Without getting too graphic, the chair solved the "physics problem" of a very heavy man trying to be athletic in his 50s.
It’s also a testament to the relationship between the British royalty and France at the time. Edward was a massive Francophile. He loved the freedom of Paris, which was a world away from the stifling, moralistic atmosphere of his mother’s court in London. Queen Victoria was famously "not amused" by much, and Edward’s behavior was a direct rebellion against her rigid standards.
The Cultural Impact of Royal Scandal
We tend to think that the obsession with royal scandals is a modern invention fueled by TikTok and tabloids. Not even close. The public in the late 1800s knew "Bertie" was a rake. They knew he was hanging out in Paris. While the specific details of the King Henry sex chair (or rather, the Edwardian love chair) weren't published in the morning papers, the whispers were everywhere.
The chair represents the bridge between the Victorian era’s public prudishness and its private decadence. It was a time when you could be the future head of the Church of England while simultaneously commissioning furniture for a French brothel.
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Where is the chair now?
If you want to see this piece of history, you usually have to track down the Soubrier family collection. They are still in the furniture business in Paris. They’ve kept the chair as a sort of family heirloom—a bizarre, slightly scandalous heirloom that happens to be one of the most famous pieces of furniture in the world.
It was featured in the 2013 exhibition "Splendours and Miseries" at the Musée d'Orsay. Seeing it in a museum context is surreal. It’s surrounded by fine art and classical sculptures, yet it remains a very practical, very human object designed for a very specific purpose.
Lessons from the "Siège d'Amour"
There’s a strange kind of honesty in the chair's existence. It shows that even a King has physical limitations and that human desire has always driven innovation—even in the most unexpected ways.
When people talk about the King Henry sex chair, they are usually looking for a story about the intersection of power, wealth, and the secret lives of the elite. The truth—that it was Edward VII and his Parisian "love seat"—is actually much more interesting than the myth. It’s a story about a man who refused to let age or weight stop him from enjoying his life, and a craftsman who was willing to build whatever his royal client needed.
Honestly, the "King Henry" version would probably just be a big wooden bench. The Edwardian version is a piece of engineering history.
Understanding the History
If you’re interested in exploring this era further, look into the life of Edward VII, particularly his "Playboy Prince" years. His influence on the Entente Cordiale (the alliance between the UK and France) is often credited to his personal love for French culture—which, as we now know, included a very specific chair in a very expensive brothel.
Actionable Insights for History Buffs
- Verify the Era: When you hear about "royal gadgets," check the dates. Mechanical complexity usually points to the 19th century, not the Tudor or Medieval periods.
- Explore the Soubrier Collection: If you’re ever in Paris, researching the Soubrier archives provides a fascinating look at 19th-century custom furniture that goes way beyond just the love chair.
- Visit the Musée d'Orsay: Keep an eye on their rotating exhibitions. They frequently host "History of Private Life" exhibits where items like the siège d’amour are displayed with full historical context.
- Read "The Reluctant King": For a deeper look at Edward VII’s personality and why he sought refuge in Paris, biographies of his early life provide the best context for his "extracurricular" activities.
The next time someone mentions the King Henry sex chair, you can politely correct them. It wasn't the man with six wives; it was the man with one very specific, very clever piece of Parisian furniture.