=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._
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_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
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=Notice to Visitors.=
The 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.
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[Illustration: KENSINGTON PALACE AND GARDENS IN THE REIGN OF QUEEN
ANNE.]
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=Contents.=
PAGE
FRONTISPIECE. 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
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=Preface.=
The 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.
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