The King’s writing closet is of a triangular form, and has two windows. The hangings and stools are of a pea-green India damask. A glass is here so placed, as to shew all the rooms on that side of the building in one view. Over each door is a flower piece by Baptist, and over the chimney a fine picture of a great variety of birds, by Bougdane. There is here a fine collection of china.
Queen Mary’s closet is hung with needle work, said to be wrought with her own hand; there are also an easy chair, four others, and a screen, all said to be the work of that excellent Queen. The work is extremely neat; the figures are well shadowed, perhaps equal to the best tapestry, and shew great judgment in drawing. Over the chimney piece is an old painting, said to be Raphael’s, representing Jupiter’s throne, by which is the thunder, and his eagle in the clouds.
The Queen’s gallery, which is about seventy feet long, and twenty-five feet wide, is hung with seven beautiful pieces of tapestry, representing the history of Alexander the Great, and done after the famous paintings of Le Brun; they are however not placed according to chronology, for some of the last actions of Alexander’s life are placed before those which preceded them. Under that part of the tapestry which represents the story of Alexander and Diogenes, and which is placed over the chimney piece, is a very neat bust of a Venus in alabaster standing upon an oval looking-glass, under which are two doves billing in basso relievo. Among the other furniture in this gallery, are two very fine tables of Egyptian marble.
The ceiling of the Queen’s state bed chamber is finely painted by Sir J. Thorn-hill, who has represented Aurora rising out of the ocean in her golden chariot, drawn by four white horses. The bed is of crimson damask; and besides other furniture, the room is adorned with a glass lustre with silver sockets. Over a large marble chimney piece is a whole length of King James I. by Van Somer. At his right hand, over one of the doors, is Queen Anne his consort; on his left, their daughter the Princess Elizabeth, afterwards Queen of Bohemia; both by Van Somer. Over the other door is a beautiful whole length of Henry Prince of Wales, their eldest son, by Van Dyck. In the cornice are four other portraits, one on each side, viz. his late Majesty K. George I. his present Majesty King George II. the late Queen Caroline, and the late Prince of Wales.
The Queen’s drawing room has the ceiling painted by Signor Verrio; in the middle of which is the late Queen Anne, under the character of Justice, holding the scales in one hand, and the sword in the other: she is dressed in a purple robe lined with ermine; and Neptune and Britannia are holding a crown over her head. The room is hung with green damask, upon which are placed nine pictures, three on each side of the room, and three at the end. These were formerly all in one piece of a great length, as may be very plainly seen from some of the figures being cut asunder, and placed in different pieces. The whole is the triumph of Julius Cæsar, and was a long procession of soldiers, priests, officers of state, &c. at the end of which that Emperor appears in his triumphal chariot, with Victory holding a laurel crown over his head. It is painted in water colours upon canvas, by Andrea Mantegna.
The Queen’s state audience room is hung with rich tapestry, representing the children of Israel carrying the twelve stones to the river Jordan, as mentioned in Joshua iv. Here is a fine canopy of state, and five pictures at full length, the Duke, Dutchess, and Marchioness of Brunswick their daughter; the Dutchess of Lenox, and Margaret Queen of Scots, all by Holbein.
The Prince of Wales’s presence chamber is hung with tapestry wrought with the story of Tobit and Tobias. Here is a canopy of state of green damask: over one of the doors is Guzman, and over another Gundamor, two Spanish ambassadors: over the third is Madam Chatillon, the French Admiral’s lady; and over the chimney, Lewis XIII. of France, with a walking stick in his hand, and a dog by his side, all by Holbein.
The Prince of Wales’s drawing room is hung with tapestry, representing Elymas the sorcerer struck with blindness; this is taken from one of the cartons. Over the chimney piece is the Duke of Wirtemburg: over one of the doors is a whole length of the wife of Philip II. King of Spain; and over the other, a whole length of Count Mansfield, General of the Spaniards in the Low Countries, all by Holbein.
The Prince of Wales’s bed chamber has a bed of green damask, and four pictures also done by Holbein, viz. over the chimney piece is a whole length of the Duke of Lunenbourg, great grandfather to his present Majesty; over one of the doors Philip II. King of Spain; over another, the consort of Christiern IV. King of Denmark; and over the third, a whole length of the Prince of Parma, Governor of the Netherlands.
In the private dining room are four pictures of the defeat of the Spanish Armada, by Vande Velde; and over the chimney a very fine one, by Van Dyck, of the Lord Effingham Howard, Lord High Admiral of England.