Cherubs presenting the Regalia

This playful scene of cherubs holding aloft a crown, sword and laurel wreath, typical of the style and colour of baroque art, was painted by Sir James Thornhill for Queen Anne. The ceiling painting is in the central room of the Royal Pew on the first-floor of the Chapel Royal, a space reserved for the monarch, with rooms on either side for gentleman and ladies of the court.

The objects carried by the cherubs represent monarchy, victory and justice, while the corners of the design carry the symbols of the early 18th-century British royal coat-of-arms: the lions of England and Scotland, the harp of Ireland and the fleur-de-lis of France.