Caring for textiles

Old linen can be preserved and used for many years if it is cared for using gentle methods. And it thrives on being used. At the Linen Chamber, linen is handled with care and expertise.

After tablecloths and napkins have been used during dinners, they go through a process that includes many steps, from stain removal and laundering to folding, mangling and rolling. The linen is cold-mangled, which is not only gentle on the material but also brings out all the fine details of the linen.

The tablecloths and napkins are then kept in a cool storeroom for at least three months before being used again, so that the fibres can rest and return to their correct form.

The Linen Chamber

All the royal linen is looked after by the Linen Chamber, which is a department within the Royal Court of Sweden. Those who work here are traditionally known as linen chamber maids. A housekeeper oversees the Linen Chamber, and is in charge of cleaning.

In days gone by, clothing and other expensive goods would be stored here.

The Union Linen

The Linen Chamber's oldest collection of tablecloths and napkins is called the Union Linen. It was woven in 1891 using the damask technique by Lemaitre Demeestere & Fils, in the French city of Lille.

The pattern features the coat of arms of the Swedish-Norwegian union, woven into the middle of the tablecloth. Around the coat of arms is a beautiful, highly detailed pattern. The Union Linen is used on ceremonial occasions such as weddings and The King's dinner for the Nobel Laureates.

Damask

Damask is a weaving technique. The pattern in damask fabric is created by the different lustres of the threads, depending on the direction in which they lie. Damask is named after the city of Damascus.