Edward VII's chair for lovemaking and its counterpart in a Prague museum

Edward VII (1841-1910) had a special chair for amorous pursuits. Renowned for his unbridled appetites and colourful sexual adventures, the king preferred a particular contraption for comfortable lovemaking with two partners at once. A similar couch is on display at the Sex Machines Museum in Prague, together with a practical demonstration of the position recommended for it. Originating in the sumptuous Parisian brothel Le Chabanais, this model swiftly won the hearts of adulterers across Europe and proved to the taste even of the great-grandfather of Elizabeth II. It is believed that Edward prized the love chair for the sense of security it afforded: the portly monarch could be certain that in the heat of the act he would not crush any woman. After what one has seen, it is strange even to imagine how the people of the twenty-first century manage their coital tasks without special suites of furniture, handrails and divans