This mansion, located on Stable Yard Road, is the official residence of the Prince of Wales, Prince Harry and the Duchess of Cornwall. Here they hold official dinners, meetings and receptions, including foreign ones.
This mansion, called Clarence House (London), is visited by thousands of guests from around the world. To a greater extent, visitors are associated with charitable organizations that are under the patronage of princes.
Location
A relatively modest, by some standards, small mansion is located in the historic district of London - Westminster, saturated with the culture and spirit of England and striking in its magnificent architecture.
Among the finest famous buildings of the area is this mansion, which is the residence of the Royal English family. It is closely adjacent to St. James's Palace.
How did it all start?
For more than 170 years, the royal family has been living in Clarence House (see photo in the article). The building was built in 1825-1827 for William IV, who at that time had the title of Duke of Clarence (traditionally assigned to the younger members of the royal family), and his wife Adelaide. Previously, before marriage, he lived in the western zone of St. James's Palace. His own new home corresponded to his position as heir to the crown. After the death of George IV in 1830, the Duke Clarence took the throne as William IV, and he still remained in his mansion.
The building project was created by the famous architect John Nash, who created the Brighton Pavilion, Regent's Park, the terraces of Buckingham Palace and Carleton House.
Nash created a bright mansion in a classic style, similar to a luxurious wedding cake. On the west side, the main entrance is decorated with a double portico, leading to the lobby (now the library), which connects to a long gallery. On both sides of the lobby, the architect created a special breakfast room (now the morning room), a dining room and three reception rooms. The interior of Clarence House is relatively simple compared to other projects, but the total cost of the building, together with the furnishings, exceeded 22.2 thousand pounds.
Further history of the mansion
Wilhelm IV died in 1837, after which his unmarried sister, Princess Augusta, began to own the mansion. She lived in it until her death in 1840. The next inhabitant of the mansion was Queen Victoria 's mother . She lived here until her death, from 1841 to 1861.
Clarence House remained free until 1866, then Alfred, the second son of Victoria (Duke of Edinburgh), settled in it. He was a professional sailor. He traveled the world for 40 years. He made official royal visits to Australia, Brazil, India, Japan, Fiji, New Zealand and Hawaii. After marrying Maria Alexandrovna (daughter of the Russian Tsar Alexander II) in 1874, Alfred began to rebuild and change the interior design of the mansion. The house was reoriented to the south, a new front door appeared, decorated with columns of the Doric order.
Under the Duke of Edinburgh, another addition appeared - the Russian Orthodox chapel on the ground floor. The duchess's retinue included a Russian priest and a singer, who daily performed rituals in this small chapel, which was dismantled after the death of the duke and his wife.
In 1893, Alfred inherited the Duchy of Gotha and Saxe-Coburg from his uncle (older brother of Prince Albert), after which he began to live with his family in Germany, and in London he kept Clarence House (photo in the article) as an apartment. In 1900 (after the death of Alfred), the house was inherited by Arthur, the younger brother of the prince.
Since 1942, Clarence House during the war was engaged in the organization of the British Red Cross, and in the postwar years he was again returned to the royal family.
Post-war years
The mansion became the residence of Princess Elizabeth (the eldest daughter of George VI) after her marriage to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten. They moved to it in 1949.
The death of George VI in February 1952 brought Elizabeth to the throne, and the royal couple began to live in Buckingham Palace. The mansion became the home of the Queen Mother, where she moved in 1953 with Princess Margaret. The Queen Mother at Clarence House had many official responsibilities. The heads of foreign states visited her on the very first day of the visit.
In 1960, after the marriage of Princess Margaret, two rooms on the ground floor were combined to create a garden room. It is a bright room, suitable for a large number of guests. Inside, Clarence House (photo presented in the article) stores a considerable collection of works of British art of the 20th century, owned by the Queen Mother. It includes the work of John Piper, August John, Graham Sutherland and Sickert. There is another collection consisting of excellent Faberge samples, as well as English silver and porcelain.
Prince of Wales
In 2002, for the Prince of Wales, Clarence House became the official residence after the death of the Queen Mother. Due to the fact that the last reconstruction of the house was made more than 50 years ago, he needed a complete restoration. The interior work was carried out under the supervision of Robert Kaim, an interior designer. He introduced a new decor and color scheme into the design, but at the same time tried to maintain the atmosphere of the old family house. The location and purpose of the rooms were preserved, and some of the furniture, and a collection of works of art remained.
In August 2003, the Prince of Wales settled with his family at Clarence House.
Excursions
The mansion is open for tourists. Visitors are offered an hour-long tour of several rooms on the ground floor.
- The Morning Room is considered one of the most beautiful rooms in the UK. There are several British contemporary paintings from the famous Queen Mother collection. In the cabinets is a collection of 18th-century Cheslea porcelain.
- The Lancaster Room - a room used as a reception. Its walls are decorated with a portrait of King Edward VIII and several watercolor drawings by John Piper. On the table is bronze - a gift from William Churchill and his wife.
- The Library is a library that stores in the closets the books of the Queen Mother with her favorite works of famous writers (P. G. Woodhouse, Dick Francis, Le Grand, Moln, Alain-Fournier and Siegfried Sassoon). In this room at Christmas, the Duchess of Cornwall holds festive events for children with disabilities.
Visiting Conditions
Before the entrance, visitors are inspected and passed through a metal detector. People with prams, with sharp-cutting objects, sprays, with unpacked food and with bulk luggage are not allowed.
It should be noted that guide dogs are allowed, and even if necessary, animals are offered water.
Finally
Many gardeners know the beautiful rose Clarence House, which has flowers of a delicate creamy yellow hue. They have a strong and quite pleasant fruity aroma.
This wonderful flower, like the magnificent royal mansions presented in the article, gives a special mood and desire to constantly admire and admire its modest but unique beauty.