Windsor – Page 2 – Number One London

POST WELLINGTON TOUR – THE WINDSOR GREYS

Both Victoria and I were looking forward to seeing to seeing the Windsor Greys when we were there last. The term Windsor Grey is given to grey horses used by the Royalty of the United Kingdom to draw carriages and coaches in various ceremonial processions and, since 1986, when The Queen is Trooping the Colour. They are stabled in the Royal Mews. Some have also represented the crown in various carriage combined driving competitions, at times driven by Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

Two Windsor Grey horses, Claudia and Storm, at the Royal Mews in London are available for observation daily. Storm was featured in a statue with another of the type, David. Back in 2012, we ran a post on the drive to raise money to fund the Windsor Greys Jubilee Appeal which was the committe charged with delivering a statue of the horses in time for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Really, these horses couldn’t be a more fitting symbol to honour Her Majesty, who has such an affinity for horses, and because of their link to Royal traditions.

Thankfully, and not surprisingly, the money was raised and sculptor Robert Rattray executed the statue in bronze, which took over a year to complete, and was on hand when Her Majesty unveiled the life sized piece in March of 2014.

The statue stands in the middle of the Kings Road/Osborne Road roundabout, ready to greet visitors.

As stated above, you can see the Greys at the Royal Mews in London. Below is a display showing how the Greys look when pulling the Royal carriages.

Above and below, Stevenson, one of the horses who are regularly used on the Royal carriages in his stall at the Royal Mews. Victoria snapped these photos while we were there for the Duke of Wellington Tour.

2011 Trooping the Colour

The Royal wedding.

The Wellington Tour: Frogmore House…in Windsor Great Park

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 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

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.

http://wellingtontour.blogspot.com/

The Magnificent Waterloo Chamber: The Wellington Tour

Victoria here, inviting you to join Kristine and me on The Wellington Tour, 4-14 September, 2014. For details on our planned itinerary, costs and other info, click here. Among the features of the tour is a visit to Windsor Castle and especially to its Waterloo Chamber.

Windsor Castle from the Thames

The Waterloo Chamber was constructed within the Castle to commemorate the victory of the Allied Armies over the French in the Battle of Waterloo, June 18, 1815. Architect Sir Jeffry Wyattville (1766 – 1840) created the Chamber in 1824 out of several existing rooms. Parliament designated £300,000 for the project. Like most of King George IV’s inspirations, it ran well over budget, eventually costing about £1,000,000. Wyattville also remodeled many other areas of Windsor Castle for George IV, William IV, and Queen Victoria; he was buried in the Castle’s St. George’s Chapel in 1840.

Watercolour of the Waterloo Chamber in 1844 by Joseph Nash

Waterloo Chamber, currently

For a virtual tour of the entire Waterloo Chamber, click here.

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington

Commander of the Victorious Allied Armies

The walls of the Waterloo Chamber are filled with large portraits of the leaders of the Allied efforts. Most of them are painted by Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830), the Regency era’s favorite artist. Many were reproduced several times by his studio for numerous placements in other palaces, stately homes and distinguished galleries.

Prussian General Gebhardt von Blücher

Wellington’s Comrade-in-arms at Waterloo

Sir Thomas Lawrence 1816

The Prince Regent (later George IV) commissioned Lawrence to paint all the Allied Sovereigns, military leaders, and statesmen. Lawrence traveled around Europe to complete the portraits.

Austrian Field Marshal Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwartzenberg,

Alexander I, Emperor of Russia (1777-1825)

painted by Sir Thomas Lawrence, 1818

According to the Royal Collection Website, “While working on the portrait Lawrence altered the position of the legs, much to the consternation of the Tzar and those courtiers attending the portrait sitting, especially when for a while the sitter was shown with four legs.” Obviously, this condition was corrected!

Pope Pius VII, 1819-20

The portrait of Pope Pius VII (1742-1823), painted in Rome, is widely agreed to be Lawrence’s masterpiece, both incisive and sympathetic.

While heads of state and leading generals were depicted full length, politicians and statesmen were honored with 3/4 length portraits, perhaps putting them in their place?

Viscount Castlereagh

Sir Thomas Lawrence, 1830

Robert Stewart (1769-1822), Viscount Castlereagh, later second Marquess of Londonderry, served as Secretary of State for War 1805-09, and Foreign Secretary 1812-1822

Robert Banks Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool

Robert Banks Jenkinson (1770-1828), 2nd Earl of Liverpool was Prime Minister from 1812 to 1827, and also preceded the Duke of Wellington as the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, about which more soon!!

In the words of the Windsor Castle guidebook, “Most of the twenty eight portraits were delivered after his [Lawrence’s] death on 7 January 1830. By this time work was already begun of the space of the Waterloo Chamber created by covering a courtyard at Windsor Castle with a huge sky-lit vault; the room was completed during the reign of William IV (1830-7)…the arrangement which survives to this day: full-length portraits of warriors hang high, over the two end balconies and around the walls; at ground level full-length portraits of monarchs alternate with half-lengths of diplomats and statesmen.”

The limewood carvings on the walls were removed from the former Royal Chapel before it was demolished in the 1820s. The carvings date from the 1680’s, the work of renowned artist Grinling Gibbons. According to the Castle Guidebook, “The Indian carpet was woven for this room by the inmates of Agra prison for Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee, finally reaching Windsor in 1894. Thought to be the largest seamless carpet in existence, it weighs two tonnes. During the 1992 fire it took 50 soldiers to roll it up and move it to safety.”

Which brings up a sorrowful subject, the terrible fire of eleven years ago.

20 November, 1992

Extensive damage resulted from the fire though the Waterloo Chamber was only slightly damaged, due to the thickness of the walls. Other areas were destroyed and eventually repaired. To pay for the

£36.5 million repairs, the Queen opened the State Rooms of Buckingham Palace to the Public, but only when she is in residence elsewhere.

When you tour Windsor Castle with Kristine and me, you will see the renovated areas and where the fire burned. And we will view the Waterloo Chamber — and all the State rooms, most of them still very much as they were when redone for George IV by Sir Jeffry Wyattville.

Again to access more information on the Wellington Tour, go to

http://wellingtontour.blogspot.com/

A Couple In England – Day 10 – Part Two

After leaving the Guildhall, Hester and I took a leisurely stroll down to the Thames and stood on the bridge.

“One day I’m going to come back and take the boat ride,” I sighed.

“You’ve never done the boat?” Hester asked.

“No. I never have the time. There’s always somewhere to rush off to see.”

“Speaking of which,” Hester said, looking at her watch, “we’d better get ourselves some lunch before it’s time for the kitchen tour at the Castle.”

So off we went and found ourselves a nearby restaurant, where we ordered tomato basil soup accompanied by warm bread with lashings of butter and two lattes. I can’t recall exactly what Hester and I discussed over the meal, though it had something to do with conducting research at the Royal Archives, the families (ours, rather than Royal) and other odds and ends. Afterwards, we made our way to the Castle.

“Tell me the truth,” I said to Hester as we made our way to the entrance, “are you heartily sick of my dragging you to the Castle? It seems like I make you do it every time I visit.”

“But I’ve never seen the kitchens,” she said. “I’m really looking forward to it.”

We arrived early enough for us to visit the gift shop.

I was on the hunt for a Golden Jubilee item to add to my collection and there wasn’t a shortage of items on offer. Which should I choose? Hhhmmmm. Before I could decide, it was time for the Kitchen Tour, so Hester and I made our way over to the meeting point.

Above is a rendering of the vast Windsor Castle kitchen in late Georgian days. The present day kitchen tour “takes you behind the scenes to the oldest working kitchen in the country, in constant use for nearly 750 years. Today, staff of the Royal Household use the Great Kitchen to prepare food for both grand ceremonial occasions, such as State Banquets, and more informal events in the royal diary. Your guide will tell you about the devastating fire of 1992 and how restoration work uncovered the Great Kitchen’s original medieval structure. You will hear about royal dining, past and present, and have a fascinating insight into Windsor Castle as a working royal palace.” In addition, the tour includes the State Entrance and the medieval Undercroft, areas not normally open to the public.

The copper cookware you see in the photo above all bear the cypher of King George IV and the cast iron stoves installed by Prince Albert are still in place, though now rarely used. The kitchens were deserted when we tour them, the photo below being one I swiped off the internet, as photography was not allowed.

As stated above, the tour also included halls and passages that are rarely on show, so that we found ourselves walking through stone corridors that appeared untouched since at least the Georgian era. It was a rare insight into this magnificent building.

After the tour, we returned to the gift shop, where I finally made up my mind and purchased the Jubilee beaker above. It now holds pride of place on my living room mantle.

The Final Installment In This Series Coming Soon!

A Couple In England – Day 10

After Hampton Court Palace, Hubby and I went back to the Castle Hotel and rested for a while before venturing out again for dinner. This time, we ventured a whole two blocks away, just down the High Street to the Duchess of Cambridge pub.

Soon after we’d sat down, I realized that the three blokes at the next table were ardently discussing Downton Abbey. I tried to eavesdrop, naturally, but it was hard to decipher every word and, besides, I was distracted by the Duchess of Cambridge. The Duchess of Cambridge who? I wracked my brain for an historical Duchess of Cambridge who’d rank pub name status. In Windsor, no less. Which Duchess of Cambridge had ties to Windsor? Princess Augusta, who’d married Prinny’s brother, the Duke of Cambridge? Hadn’t they spent a good portion of their time in Hanover, rather than England? And his son, George, had married an actress, whose existence was ignored by the entire Royal Family and she’d been denied the title HRH, anyway. And upon George’s death, the title became extinct until it was bestowed upon the present Prince William. Hhhmmmm . . . .

“Hon?”

“Huh?”

“You were off in a cloud. What are you thinking about?” Hubby asked.

I opened my mouth to answer, realized what I’d been thinking about, and said instead, “Nothing.”

Our waiter approached to take our orders. “Can you tell me which Duchess of Cambridge the pub is named for?” I asked.

“Er, Kate Middleton?” he answered.

This brought me up short. “But the pub’s been here for years. I’ve been here before, long before Kate was the Duchess of Cambridge.”

“Oh, yeah, it’s been here for centuries, but it wasn’t named the Duchess of Cambridge then. We just changed the name last year.”

Ah, now I felt better, although slightly tricked.

After dinner, we made an early night of it and the next day I met Hester at the Guildhall for a private, guided tour of the Museum – where Hester got to meet the Queen.

The present Guildhall replaced an older cornmarket and was built in the late 17th century and is often associated with Christopher Wren, although there’s no evidence of this. The Museum itself is housed in a 19th century extension and serves to display items of local history.

Upstairs, royal portraits adorn the walls, including one of himself given by Prinny which was so large the council had to take a window out to fit it in. Also upstairs is the room where Prince Charles married Camilla – dubbed by myself as “the scene of the crime.” The room contains several stained glass windows and more portraits, including a grim one of Queen Victoria and a rather nice one of the present Queen when young.

Here’s Hester standing in the very room where, by the way, Elton John was also married. To the left in the picture above can be seen one of the new Diamond Jubilee windows, showing Balmoral Castle.
Here’s the story of the dock, or pulpit, Hester is standing upon in Hester’s own words: “In 1882 a Scotsman, Roderick McLean, attempted to shoot Queen Victoria at the railway station. He missed, but was arrested and was to be brought before the magistrates in the Guildhall next day, for formal proceedings to send him for full trial in Reading (county town). But there wasn’t a dock. So overnight a carpenter knocked up the piece of furniture you see. McLean was duly arraigned and despatched for a full trial at Reading. There he was found ‘Not guilty but insane.’ The Queen was furious, there was a big fuss and the result was that today in such cases the verdict is recorded ‘Guilty but insane.’ McLean spent the rest of his life in a mental asylum. Why did he want to shoot the Queen? He had sent her some poetry he’d written, and she hadn’t said thank you! (I always draw the moral when children are present.) Nowadays this dock is used by witnesses giving evidence at Coroners’ Courts.”

Part Two Coming Soon!