The Wellington Tour will visit Frogmore House on September 13, 2014, a special treat, for all of you can come with Kristine and me, Victoria, on our great adventure. For all the details on the tour, click here.
Frogmore House, from the lake
For the Frogmore House website, click here.
Aerial View, House is center right
Frogmore House has served as a sort of refuge for various members of the royal family for several centuries. The property became part of the royal holdings in the 16th century and was leased out to others. The land was acquired because it was adjacent to Windsor Great Park, though it was as marshy as its name indicates. Several houses were built by the Aldworth family, and the larger, known as Great Frogmore, was eventually leased to the Duke of Northumberland, (1665-1716), who was the natural son of Charles II and the Duchess of Cleveland. Eventually it was purchased for ‘
Queen Charlotte (1744-1818), wife of George III, in 1792.
Queen Charlotte, c. 1789-90, by Sir Thomas Lawrence
National Gallery, London
Charlotte and her daughters often fled to Frogmore to escape from the confines of palaces and castles, to this comparatively modest house where they could enjoy a bit more relaxation. Queen Charlotte was an avid gardener and brought a number of unusual plants to this estate. Several of the princesses painted or sketched works shown here.
For a brief segment of the conversation of HRH Charles, Prince of Wales with the Royal Librarian about Frogmore interiors, click here.
The Green Pavilion, 1817, from Pyne’s Royal Residences
The Green Pavilion has been restored to its look during Queen Charlotte’s lifetime. Upon her death, Frogmore was left to her eldest unmarried daughter, Princess Augusta, though most of the furnishings were sold for the benefit of all the princesses.
The Mary Moser Room, photographer: Christopher Simon Sykes
The Royal Collection © 2009 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
The flowered panels by artist Mary Moser (1744-1819) were commissioned by Queen Charlotte, who chose the artist’s name for the room. The unusual four-tier revolving bookstand at the right dates from this same period of time.
After the death of Princess Augusta in 1840, the crown repurchased the estate and Queen Victoria gave it to her mother, Victoria, Duchess of Kent, as her home. Many alterations and modernizations were made once more and the Duchess presided over the redecoration of several principal rooms.
The Duchess of Kent’s Drawing Room, photographer: Derry Moore
The Royal Collection © 2009 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
In addition to artistic interests, reading and stitching, the ladies who enjoyed the informality of Frogmore sometimes organized theatrical programs and concerts by their friends as well as professional musicians. I suspect that after seeing the grandeur of nearby Windsor Castle, we will thoroughly understand why time at Frogmore was so precious.
The Colonnade
All of the residents of Frogmore have enjoyed the garden, and like the rooms, re-imagination often reigned. After the Indian Mutiny, Lord Canning, Governor-General of India, presented an Indian Kiosk captured at Lucknow in 1858 to Queen Victoria who had it placed near the house.
Indian Kiosk
After the death of her mother and her husband, both in 1861, Queen Victoria often sought seclusion at Frogmore She loved the house and garden where ‘all is peace and quiet and you only hear the hum of the bees, the singing of the birds’. She built a mausoleum for Prince Albert and herself on the grounds. It is rarely open to the public due to ongoing restoration projects.
Though no royals have lived at Frogmore for some time, it is often used for meetings and other activities. Below is the family portrait taken at the reception held at Frogmore after the wedding of the Queen’s eldest grandson to Autumn Kelly in 2008.
This image released by the family shows the wedding group of Peter Phillips, top center left, and his bride Autumn Kelly, top center right, at Frogmore House, Windsor Castle, England and (seated left to right front row) Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II, Ivy Kelly, Edith McCarthy, (standing left to right) Mark Phillips, Princess Anne, Kitty Kelly, Brian Kelly. (AP Photo/Sir Geoffrey Shakerley, HO)
I am looking forward to seeing this lovely house which has been so dear to many generations of the royal family. It is open only a few days each year, so The Wellington Tour is fortunate to be eligible.
Consider joining us for The Wellington Tour in September 2014.