Illustrated.
1819 MAY 24TH 1899
THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE QUEEN
ILLUSTRATED
BEING AN
H I S T O R I C A L G U I D E
TO THE STATE ROOMS, PICTURES, AND GARDENS
BY
Ernest Law, B.A.
Barrister-at-Law
Author of “The History of Hampton Court Palace;” “The Royal
Gallery of Hampton Court;” “Vandyck’s Pictures
at Windsor Castle,” etc.
Notice.—This Catalogue and Guide are copyright, and immediate proceedings in
Chancery will be taken against any infringers thereof.
LONDON
GEORGE BELL AND SONS
1899
HE State Rooms of Kensington Palace, and likewise Queen Anne’s Orangery, will be open to the public every day in the week throughout the year, except Wednesdays, unless notice be, at any time, given to the contrary.
The hours of opening will be 10 o’clock in the morning on week days, and 2 o’clock in the afternoon on Sundays.
The hours of closing will be 6 o’clock in the evening from the 1st of April to the 30th of September, both days inclusive, and 4 o’clock during the winter months.
They will be closed on Christmas Day and Good Friday.
| PAGE | ||
 | RONTISPIECE. H.R.H. the Princess Victoria at the age of Four | [4] |
| Notice to Visitors | [6] | |
| Plate—Kensington Palace and Gardens in the Reign of Queen Anne | [8] | |
| Preface | [14] | |
| Historical Sketch. | ||
| Early History of Kensington | [17] | |
| Building of the Palace | [18] | |
| Deaths of Queen Mary and King William | [19] | |
| Queen Anne at Kensington Palace | [20] | |
| Death of Prince George of Denmark | [22] | |
| Death of Queen Anne | [22] | |
| George I. at Kensington Palace | [23] | |
| George II. at Kensington Palace | [24] | |
| Kensington in George III.’s Reign | [25] | |
| Birth of Queen Victoria | [26] | |
| Plate—The Duchess of Kent with Princess Victoria (aged Two Years) | [27] | |
| Queen Victoria’s Early Years at Kensington | [29] | |
| The Queen’s Childhood at Kensington Palace | [30] | |
| Plate—The Princess Victoria in 1825 | [31] | |
| Princess Victoria becomes Heiress to the Throne | [34] | |
| Queen Victoria’s Accession | [36] | |
| Queen Victoria’s First Council | [37] | |
| Kensington Palace in Recent Years | [40] | |
| Restoration of the State Rooms | [41] | |
| Methods of Restoration | [42] | |
| Arrangement of the Pictures | [44] | |
| Associations with Queen Victoria | [45] | |
| Descriptive and Historical Guide. | ||
| Old Kensington Palace Gardens | [47] | |
| Queen Anne’s Gardens | [49] | |
| Queen Anne’s Orangery | [51] | |
| Terrace of Queen Anne’s Orangery | [53] | |
| Exterior of Queen Anne’s Orangery | [54] | |
| Interior of Queen Anne’s Orangery | [55] | |
| The Alcoves of Queen Anne’s Orangery | [56] | |
| Restoration of Queen Anne’s Orangery | [56] | |
| Kensington Gardens | [58] | |
| Queen Caroline’s Improvements in Kensington Gardens | [58] | |
| Kensington Gardens in the Nineteenth Century | [59] | |
| Plate—South Front of Kensington Palace in 1819—after Westall | [61] | |
| South Front of the Palace | [63] | |
| Wren’s Domestic Style | [63] | |
| East Front of the Palace | [64] | |
| Plate—Plan of the State Rooms | [66] | |
| Public Entrance to the Palace | [67] | |
| Queen’s Staircase | [68] | |
| Old Oak Wainscoting of the Staircase | [69] | |
| Window Sashes of the Staircase | [69] | |
| Queen Mary’s Gallery | [70] | |
| Wainscoting and Carvings of Queen Mary’s Gallery | [71] | |
| Pictures in Queen Mary’s Gallery. Portraits of the Time of William and Mary to George II | [73] | |
| Queen’s Closet | [77] | |
| Pictures of “Old London” | [77] | |
| Queen Anne’s Private Dining Room | [80] | |
| Pictures in Queen Anne’s Private Dining Room | [81] | |
| Queen Mary’s Privy Chamber | [83] | |
| Pictures in Queen Mary’s Privy Chamber | [83] | |
| Queen Caroline’s Drawing Room | [87] | |
| Painted Ceiling of the Queen’s Drawing Room | [88] | |
| Contemporary French and German Portraits | [88] | |
| The Cupola or Cube Room | [93] | |
| The Painted Ceiling of the Cube Room | [94] | |
| Plate—The Cupola or Cube Room as it was when the Queen was Baptized in it | [95] | |
| Painted Walls of the Cube Room | [96] | |
| General Appearance of the Cupola Room | [98] | |
| King’s Drawing Room | [99] | |
| Painted Ceiling of the King’s Drawing Room | [99] | |
| William Kent, the Royal and Fashionable Decorator | [100] | |
| Plate—King’s Drawing Room | [101] | |
| Kent the Father of Modern Gardening | [103] | |
| West’s Pictures in the King’s Drawing Room | [104] | |
| King’s Privy Chamber | [108] | |
| Portraits of George III.’s Time | [108] | |
| The Nursery | [113] | |
| Pictures and Prints illustrative of the Queen’s Life and Reign | [113] | |
| Ante-Room | [114] | |
| Prints illustrative of the Life and Reign of the Queen | [114] | |
| Queen Victoria’s Bedroom | [115] | |
| Prints of the Life and Reign of the Queen | [116] | |
| Mementoes and Relics of the Queen’s Childhood collected in “Queen Victoria’s Bedroom” | [116] | |
| King’s Gallery | [117] | |
| Decorative Carvings in the “King’s Gallery” | [117] | |
| Chimney-Piece, Map and Dial | [118] | |
| Plate—The King’s Gallery | [119] | |
| Painting of the Ceiling and Wainscot of the King’s Gallery | [121] | |
| Naval Pictures in the King’s Gallery | [122] | |
| King’s Grand Staircase | [129] | |
| Kent’s Alterations in the King’s Grand Staircase | [130] | |
| Plate—The King’s Grand Staircase | [131] | |
| Painted Walls of the King’s Grand Staircase | [133] | |
| Painted Ceiling of the King’s Grand Staircase | [135] | |
| Presence Chamber | [137] | |
| Painted Ceiling of the Presence Chamber | [138] | |
| Ceremonial Pictures of Queen Victoria’s Reign | [139] | |
HE following pages, compiled under the sanction of the Lord Chamberlain of Her Majesty’s Household and the First Commissioner of Her Majesty’s Works and Buildings, are intended to meet the requirements of visitors to the State Rooms of Kensington Palace, now open by command of the Queen to the inspection of the public during Her Majesty’s pleasure. This little book, therefore, is to be understood as aiming only at a descriptive and historical account of the particular parts of the building on view—not, in any sense, as attempting a general history of the Palace. Nevertheless, the author may, perhaps, be permitted to say that, as far as his object extends, he has endeavoured to render the information here given as accurate and complete as possible, by devoting the same amount of time and labour to research and verification, as though he had been writing a book of a critical nature for a restricted circle of readers, instead of a mere handbook for ordinary sightseers.
In this way, the writer conceives, can he best promote the object which, it may be assumed, the Queen and Her Majesty’s Government have had in view in restoring and opening these State Rooms to the public—namely, that they should serve as an object-lesson in history and art, and a refining influence of popular culture and education.
In pursuance of this design the author has had recourse not only to such well-known standard authorities on his subject as Pyne’s “History of Royal Residences,” 1819; Faulkner’s “History of Kensington,” 1820; Leigh Hunt’s “Old Court Suburb,” 1853; and Mr. Loftie’s “Kensington—Picturesque and Historical,” 1887; but also to a large number of earlier and less known historical and topographical works, which have served to illustrate many things connected with the history of this interesting old building.
His main sources of information, however, have been the old manuscripts, parchment rolls, and state papers, preserved in the British Museum and Record Office—especially the “Declared Accounts” and “Treasury Papers,” containing the original estimates, accounts and reports of Sir Christopher Wren and his successors, relating to the works and buildings at Kensington. None of these have ever before been examined or published; and they throw much light on the art and decoration of this palace, while also, for the first time, setting at rest many hitherto debatable points.
The author must here once again—as in works of a similar nature elsewhere—express his obligations for the kind assistance he has received from all those who have charge of the Queen’s palaces—the Hon. Sir Spencer Ponsonby Fane, G.C.B., Comptroller of Her Majesty’s Household; the Hon. Reginald Brett, C.B., Secretary of Her Majesty’s Board of Works and Buildings; Sir John Taylor, K.C.B., Consulting Architect and Surveyor to the Board; and Mr. Philip, Clerk of the Works at Kensington Palace.
At the same time he wishes to make it clear that for the information contained herein, and for the opinions and views expressed, he himself is alone responsible.
Here also the author must make his acknowledgments to the editor of “The Gentlewoman,” who has kindly lent him the blocks for the portraits of the Queen.
It may be as well to take this opportunity of emphasizing what is more fully insisted on in subsequent pages, that Kensington Palace, as a public resort, is not to be considered in the light of an Art Gallery, but as a Palace with historical pictures in it. The clear understanding of this may prevent misapprehension as to the scheme followed in restoring the state rooms to their original state, where the pictures—and their frames—are arranged on the walls as a part only of their furniture and decoration.
Finally, it may be observed that though the outline of the history of the Palace, prefixed to the description of the State Rooms, has necessarily been brief, the Queen’s early life, and the interesting events that took place here in June 1837, seemed to require a fuller treatment. These, therefore, have been described in detail, mainly in the words of eye-witnesses, which, though they have often been printed before, may, being repeated here, acquire—the compiler has thought—a new vividness and interest, when read on the very spot where they were enacted; and thus insure for these famous scenes an even wider popularity than before.
