The candelabra were created for the Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich. Originally built in 1692 to provide accommodation for retired sailors, the buildings became the Royal Naval College for Officers of the Royal Navy in 1869. The Painted Hall, so named after James Thornhill's murals, was designed by Christopher Wren and served as home to the National Gallery of Naval Art until 1936 when it was extensively restored and used as a dining room for the Naval College. The Hall opened in 1939. The candelabra are engraved on the underside with the date 1939 and the monogram of George VI who, as reigning monarch, was the Admiral of the Fleet from 1936 until his death in 1952. After the Royal Navy departed in 1998 the buildings were opened to the public as the Old Royal Naval College.