........Back in January I posted a blog mentioning a book , ' Maisons Closes Parisiennes ' , recording the history and layouts of some of the more exotic establishments to appear on the streets of Paris during the last hundred years or so....little did I realise that our own royal family played no small part in at least one of these houses , Le Chabanais......
La Chabanais was a ' maison de tolerance ' opened in 1878 , a luxury brothel financed by some of the richest business men in France and adored by the then Prince of Wales , Prince of Hedonism , Prince Albert - ' Bertie ' to his many ladies and admirers . So enamoured was he of the establishment that he reserved a private room and choose the decor himself , including a copper bathtub that could be filled with champagne. He didn't stop there , though.......
This exotic creation in velvet and gold laquer was Bertie's ' Love Seat ' , designed by him so that two or three people - including one portly Englishman - could have simultaneous oral sex.
The top ' floor ' of the seat consisted of a stool with handgrips and stirrups , so that Person One could sit up there with their legs splayed. Below this were footrests that allowed Person Two to stand or squat in front of the occupant of the top floor. At ground level was a long divan where person Three could lie down with their face just below the genital region of Person two..........it must have taken a fair few design meetings to get those positions JUST right......................
......and given that in 1880 ' Bertie ' was heir apparent to the British Empire in all its' glory , I suppose that when he was in position up on the top of the seat he really was sitting on top of the world.
Did I not see one of these on the 'mood board' for the Velvet Hotel scheme?
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