The books by Nash and Brayley on the Pavilion—Description and history of the building—Its exterior—Entrance hall—Red Drawing-room.
HE left behind him a more abiding monument of his 'folly' than the building itself in a magnificent folio volume of etchings, plain and coloured, a task which he entrusted to Nash, the architect, who employed the artistic assistance of Wilks, Moore, and the elder Pugin, especially the latter, and it took five years (1820 to 1825) to complete.
I have reserved the description of this building until the end of my book, because it ended only with the King's life. The Lord alone knows what it might have become had he lived longer! And I transcribe the best description, that of E. W. Brayley,[101] who in the spring of 1836 made a careful survey of the Pavilion, which had but very slightly been altered since the death of George IV.
'THE ROYAL PALACE AT BRIGHTON,
'FORMERLY THE PAVILION.
'This Edifice, which, in respect to architectural form, has no parallel in Europe, nor perhaps on the globe, is indebted for its origin to his late Majesty George the Fourth, who, when Prince of Wales, first went to Brighton in the autumn of the year 1782 (?), on a visit to his uncle the late Duke of Cumberland, then residing at his house, near the south end of the Steyne, and not far from the cliff. The consequences of that visit have been extraordinary.
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'The greatly increased and still augmenting prosperity of this town, however, is almost wholly due to the patronage which it received from the late Prince of Wales, who, whilst the guest of his uncle, as above noticed, became so pleased with the situation and air, and the bold, open, and diversified character of the downs and neighbouring country, that he, again, visited Brighton in the following summer, and in the next year (1784) the Prince commenced the erection of the Marine Pavilion, now the Royal Palace, for the purpose of forming a distinct and appropriate habitation for himself and suite.