For sale: Art deco office desk fit for a king
14/05/2007 16:59

Office furniture that once belonged to a former king of England is set to go on sale at Christie's auction house in Paris this week.

The office furniture is housed in a building Edward VIII used to rent on the French Riviera, after he gave up the throne to marry Ms Wallis Simpson and move abroard.

He took the title of Duke of Windsor and left his royal post in 1936, after which he spent much of his life in France with his twice divorced wife.

Cecile Verdier, from Christie's in Paris, told Reuters: "We don't know what the chateau looked like inside because there are very few photographs from the period.

"From accounts of the time, you can see that it was an alternative English court. They really wanted to create a very aristocratic spirit in the rituals of the house."

Among the office furniture up for sale is a set of sycamore and oak art deco pieces, which includes a desk, two folding screens and a waste paper bin.

The desk is expected to fetch around £200,000, while the waste paper bin is a slightly more affordable £10,000.