The cocoon of a steel butterfly

Malacanang Palace was originally built by the Spanish in 1802, as a summer residence of the Spanish aristocrat Don Luis Rocha. Subsequently it was purchased by the state and after independence, became the residence of the presidents of the Philippines. Perhaps the most infamous resident of modern times was Imelda Marcos, the former first lady of the Philippines and wife of the dictatorial president, Ferdinand. The Filipino press used to refer to them as FL (First Lady), and FM (Ferdinand Marcos). To each other they were Ferdy and Meldy. Marcos ruled the Philippines from 1966 until his ouster in 1986.

Largely remembered for the corruption of his government, a personal fortune of USD10 billion amassed despite a meagre presidential salary, and the extravagance of his wife's profligate spending on shoes, clothes and dubious artwork, their contribution to the interiors of Malacanang were nothing short of hideous vulgarity. The above picture is of the Reception Hall, with imported chandeliers from (the then) Czechoslovakia, and ornate woodwork by famous carvers of Pampanga.

The Ceremonial Hall, (also called the Ballroom) was where important state guests and foreign dignitaries were received by the president. The two "thrones" give some clue as to how the Marcoses viewed their role in life. The once airy verandas which were typical of Spanish colonial houses were enclosed with bullet proof glass and lattice work, by the Marcoses, thus only providing a limited view of the Pasig River which the property overlooks.

The Marcoses enjoyed the patronage of the United States government, and had personal friendships with a number of US presidents, including the former actor, Ronald Reagan.

A further demonstration of Imelda's delusions of grandeur can be seen in her bedroom, (above), with a vague resemblance to the Queen's Bedroom at Versailles, (below).

Some of the pieces from Imelda's wardrobe, including parasols and a (very) small selection of her 3,000 shoe collection. This room was immediately below her bedroom.

After Marcos's death in exile in Hawaii in 1989, Imelda returned to the Philippines, and Manila in 1991, where she has had to fight numerous legal suits brought by the government to retrieve the ill-gotten gains, but not before being elected a legislative representative for her native Leyte. Some funds have been returned, but nothing on the scale of that allegedly stolen. She enjoys considerable support from a wide section of the very poor.

Their reign was not the first of its kind in a third world country, and neither will it be the last. One only has to look at the family of the senior general in Burma, (who's daughter's neck was bedecked with USD30m worth of diamonds at her wedding), or indeed at the extravagance and profligacy of the Mugabes in Zimbabwe.

Despite the obvious, I expect they all also share a similar trait: hideous taste in interior design. Perhaps it should be called "Dictator Style".

Vide also The Wit and Wisdom of Imelda Marcos