This doorway, on the north wall, is very commonplace; with a porch in the later Georgian style, consisting of a couple of pillars of Portland stone, glazed between, and supporting a hood above. Round the corner, however, on the east wall, is a very different doorway, both interesting and picturesque. It is the one which originally gave access to the staircase, and was designed and built by Sir Christopher Wren, probably in the year 1691. The space within the hood or circular pediment above the door is filled with beautiful stone carving, in the centre of which is a shield or panel bearing the initials W. M. R. Above this is a brick niche with a bracket, on which stands an old urn or flower-pot. Something very similar probably stood here formerly, and was thus charged for in the old parchment accounts for the years 1689-91: "Henry Long for a large vase of earth (terra-cotta) wrought with handles and festoons painted with gilt £6 10_s._" =Queen's Staircase.= This forms the entrance by which the public are admitted into the State Rooms. Built by Sir Christopher Wren for Queen Mary on the "Queen's Side" of the Palace, it was called the "Queen's Staircase," while being situated in that part of the Palace which was at one time occupied by Queen Anne and her husband, Prince George of Denmark, it has also been occasionally known as the "Denmark Staircase," as this portion of the building itself has been called the "Denmark Wing." * * * * * In the view of the ordinary Londoner, with eye too much dazzled and demoralized by the tawdry vulgarities of the over-gilded, over-looking-glassed, blazing, modern "Restaurant" style of decoration, this beautiful staircase, in its just proportions and its subdued simplicity, may appear plain, if not mean. Yet as an example of the genuine, unaffected old English treatment of oak wainscoting, as a cover and ornament to large wall spaces, nothing could be more pleasing and more appropriate. The deep rich, almost ruddy, tone of colour of the wood, the admirable proportion and balance of the stiles and rails to the sizes of the panels, their adjustment to the rise of the stairs, and their fitment to the various spaces on the walls, produce an effect of soundness and comfort, most admirable and nowhere to be matched. Old Oak Wainscoting of the Staircase. When the work of cleaning down this woodwork was taken in hand last autumn, it was, as the phrase is, "as black as your hat;" and it was then supposed to have been smeared over, at some time or other, with a black stain. It proved, however, to be only ingrained with dirt and dust, which had been coated over with red-lead and boiled oil, and which quickly yielded to cleansing.