Front matter

Illustrated.

THIS MINIATURE REPRESENTS THE QUEEN AT THE AGE OF EIGHT

1819 MAY 24TH 1899

H.R.H. THE PRINCESS VICTORIA AT THE AGE OF FOUR. (From a Painting by Denning.)

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.

KENSINGTON PALACE AND GARDENS IN THE REIGN OF QUEEN ANNE.

PAGE

RONTISPIECE. H.R.H. the Princess Victoria at the age of Four4

Notice to Visitors6

Plate—Kensington Palace and Gardens in the Reign of Queen Anne8

Preface14

Historical Sketch.

Early History of Kensington17

Building of the Palace18

Deaths of Queen Mary and King William19

Queen Anne at Kensington Palace20

Death of Prince George of Denmark22

Death of Queen Anne22

George I. at Kensington Palace23

George II. at Kensington Palace24

Kensington in George III.’s Reign25

Birth of Queen Victoria26

Plate—The Duchess of Kent with Princess Victoria (aged Two Years)27

Queen Victoria’s Early Years at Kensington29

The Queen’s Childhood at Kensington Palace30

Plate—The Princess Victoria in 182531

Princess Victoria becomes Heiress to the Throne34

Queen Victoria’s Accession36

Queen Victoria’s First Council37

Kensington Palace in Recent Years40

Restoration of the State Rooms41

Methods of Restoration42

Arrangement of the Pictures44

Associations with Queen Victoria45

Descriptive and Historical Guide.

Old Kensington Palace Gardens47

Queen Anne’s Gardens49

Queen Anne’s Orangery51

Terrace of Queen Anne’s Orangery53

Exterior of Queen Anne’s Orangery54

Interior of Queen Anne’s Orangery55

The Alcoves of Queen Anne’s Orangery56

Restoration of Queen Anne’s Orangery56

Kensington Gardens58

Queen Caroline’s Improvements in Kensington Gardens58

Kensington Gardens in the Nineteenth Century59

Plate—South Front of Kensington Palace in 1819—after Westall61

South Front of the Palace63

Wren’s Domestic Style63

East Front of the Palace64

Plate—Plan of the State Rooms66

Public Entrance to the Palace67

Queen’s Staircase68

Old Oak Wainscoting of the Staircase69

Window Sashes of the Staircase69

Queen Mary’s Gallery70

Wainscoting and Carvings of Queen Mary’s Gallery71

Pictures in Queen Mary’s Gallery. Portraits of the Time of William and Mary to George II73

Queen’s Closet77

Pictures of “Old London”77

Queen Anne’s Private Dining Room80

Pictures in Queen Anne’s Private Dining Room81

Queen Mary’s Privy Chamber83

Pictures in Queen Mary’s Privy Chamber83

Queen Caroline’s Drawing Room87

Painted Ceiling of the Queen’s Drawing Room88

Contemporary French and German Portraits88

The Cupola or Cube Room93

The Painted Ceiling of the Cube Room94

Plate—The Cupola or Cube Room as it was when the Queen was Baptized in it95

Painted Walls of the Cube Room96

General Appearance of the Cupola Room98

King’s Drawing Room99

Painted Ceiling of the King’s Drawing Room99

William Kent, the Royal and Fashionable Decorator100

Plate—King’s Drawing Room101

Kent the Father of Modern Gardening103

West’s Pictures in the King’s Drawing Room104

King’s Privy Chamber108

Portraits of George III.’s Time108

The Nursery113

Pictures and Prints illustrative of the Queen’s Life and Reign113

Ante-Room114

Prints illustrative of the Life and Reign of the Queen114

Queen Victoria’s Bedroom115

Prints of the Life and Reign of the Queen116

Mementoes and Relics of the Queen’s Childhood collected in “Queen Victoria’s Bedroom”116

King’s Gallery117

Decorative Carvings in the “King’s Gallery”117

Chimney-Piece, Map and Dial118

Plate—The King’s Gallery119

Painting of the Ceiling and Wainscot of the King’s Gallery121

Naval Pictures in the King’s Gallery122

King’s Grand Staircase129

Kent’s Alterations in the King’s Grand Staircase130

Plate—The King’s Grand Staircase131

Painted Walls of the King’s Grand Staircase133

Painted Ceiling of the King’s Grand Staircase135

Presence Chamber137

Painted Ceiling of the Presence Chamber138

Ceremonial Pictures of Queen Victoria’s Reign139

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.