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Tuesday 24 March 2015

Painting Paradise: The Art of the Garden – 2015 exhibition at the Queen’s Gallery

St James' Park and the Mall attributed to British School (c1745)
St James' Park and the Mall attributed to British School (c1745)
On Friday, I was invited to attend a bloggers' event to preview the new exhibition at the Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace: Painting Paradise – The Art of the Garden.  The exhibition is now open and runs until 11 October 2015.

Exhibition poster outside the Queen's Gallery

A garden walk through time

The exhibition portrays the history of the garden using paintings and objects from the Royal Collection. As you walk through the exhibition rooms, you are taken on a chronological tour of the development of the garden, starting with Paradise and ending with The Horticultural Garden. The displays include some lovely touches, such as sprays of artificial flowers, an arbour and a pergola, which help to create the atmosphere of being in a garden.

Paradise

Paradise display in Painting Paradise exhibition

Seven couples in a garden by Bukharan artist (c1510) in  Khamsa (Quintet) of Nava'i manuscript by Mir 'Ali Sir Neva'i Haeva'i (1492)
Seven couples in a garden by Bukharan artist (c1510) in
Khamsa (Quintet) of Nava'i manuscript by Mir 'Ali Sir Neva'i Haeva'i (1492)
acquired by George III c1797
The Sacred Garden

Bower display for The Sacred Garden

Christ and St Mary Magdalen at the Tomb  by Rembrandt van Rijn (1638)
Christ and St Mary Magdalen at the Tomb
by Rembrandt van Rijn (1638)
The Renaissance Garden

The selection of items on display in this section includes a rare copy of Thomas Hyll’s book entitled The Profitable Arte of Gardening (1586) and a picture of the family of Henry VIII showing the Great Garden at Whitehall Palace in the background.

The Profitable Arte of Gardening by Thomas Hyll (1586)
The Profitable Arte of Gardening by Thomas Hyll (1586)
Detail from Family of Henry VIII by British School (c1545)  showing Great Garden at Whitehall Palace in background
Detail from Family of Henry VIII by British School (c1545)
showing Great Garden at Whitehall Palace in background
The Botanic Garden

Charles II Presented with a Pineapple by British School (c1677)
Charles II Presented with a Pineapple by British School (c1677)
The picture of Charles II and the pineapple is fascinating. Although it is said to be the presentation of the first pineapple grown in England, both the King and the man on the left, thought to be his gardener, John Rose, had died before this was achieved! The house in the background may be that of Dorney House, a large house near Oatlands Park. Unusually, Charles II is pictured wearing fashionable clothes rather than ceremonial robes.

In the cabinets before you enter the next garden phase, there are some beautiful decorative objects from the Royal Collection. My favourites are the pieces of porcelain by Chelsea Porcelain Works with detailed botanical designs. There is also a very elaborate Minton soft porcelain pen tray that was given to Queen Victoria when she was a girl.

Circular plate c1755 from the Chelsea Porcelain Works
Circular plate from the Chelsea Porcelain Works (c1755)
Minton soft porcelain pen tray (c1833)  belonging to the young Queen Victoria
Minton soft porcelain pen tray (c1833)
belonging to the young Queen Victoria
The Baroque Garden

The Baroque Garden exhibition room

The Baroque Garden includes a superb example of Georgian recycling - a cabinet made around 1785 incorporating 17th century Florentine decorative panels.

Cabinet by Adam Weisweiler (c1785) incorporating 17th century Florentine decorative panels
Cabinet by Adam Weisweiler (c1785)
Hampton Court

As might be expected from the Royal Collection, there are lots of pictures of royal gardens including several of Hampton Court. Of special interest is the pair of sundials on display which were originally in the gardens, but which have now been replaced with replicas to conserve the originals.

Detail from A View of Hampton Court by Leonard Knyff (c1703)
Detail from A View of Hampton Court by Leonard Knyff (c1703)
Enlarged section of A View of Hampton Court by Leonard Knyff (c1703) - the red arrows show the place of the sundials in the gardens of Hampton Court
Enlarged section of A View of Hampton Court by Leonard Knyff (c1703)
The red arrows indicate the places of the sundials in the gardens
One of a pair of horizontal sundials  by Thomas Tompion (c1699)  which stood in the gardens of Hampton Court.  Replicas now stand in their place.
One of a pair of horizontal sundials
by Thomas Tompion (c1699)
which stood in the gardens of Hampton Court.
Replicas now stand in their place.
The tulip vases were used to display flowers and bulbs at Hampton Court Palace.

Tulip vase by Adriaen Kocks (c1694)
Tulip vase by Adriaen Kocks (c1694)
Bushy Park

I particularly liked the picture of the water gardens at Bushy Park, later home to William IV.

A view of the cascade, Bushy Park Water Gardens by studio of Marco Ricci (c1715)
A view of the cascade, Bushy Park Water Gardens
by studio of Marco Ricci (c1715)
Detail from A view of the cascade, Bushy Park Water Gardens  by studio of Marco Ricci (c1715)
Detail from A view of the cascade, Bushy Park Water Gardens
by studio of Marco Ricci (c1715)
Buckingham House

Buckingham House attributed to Adriaen van Diest (c1705)
Buckingham House attributed to Adriaen van Diest (c1705)
The Landscape Garden

The fiirst Landscape Garden exhibition room

The Sunflower Clock

There is a magnificent porcelain sunflower clock made by the Vincennes Porcelain Factory c1752 which was acquired by George IV in 1819. The sunflower is the symbol of Louis XIV of France, the Sun King. Behind this exhibit hangs a Gobelins tapestry.

The Sunflower Clock from Vincennes Porcelain Factory(c1752)
The Sunflower Clock from Vincennes Porcelain Factory(c1752)
The pair of armchairs is embroidered with designs by Mary Moser.

One of a pair of armchairs embroidered with designs  by Mary Moser attributed to the Royal School for   Embroidering Females under Mrs Nancy Pawsey (c1780)  Chair attributed to Robert Campbell
One of a pair of armchairs embroidered with designs
by Mary Moser attributed to the Royal School for
Embroidering Females under Mrs Nancy Pawsey (c1780)
Chair attributed to Robert Campbell
The Georgian period is well-represented in the exhibition, particularly in The Landscape Garden. There are some lovely paintings and prints of gardens including those at Carlton House, Chiswick, Stowe, Kew and Windsor.

Carlton House

A view of the garden &c at Carlton House in Pall Mall  by William Woollett (1760)
A view of the garden &c at Carlton House in Pall Mall
by William Woollett (1760)
The Earl of Burlington's gardens at Chiswick

A view of the back part of the Cassina & part of the Serpentine   river, terminated by the cascade - Lord Burlington's gardens   at Chiswick after John Donowell (c1753)
A view of the back part of the Cassina & part of the Serpentine
River, terminated by the cascade in the garden of the Earl of Burlington
 at Chiswick after John Donowell (c1753)
The gardens at Kew

The Gardens at Kew by Johan Jacob Schalch (1759)
The Gardens at Kew by Johan Jacob Schalch (1759)
Detail from The Gardens at Kew by Johan Jacob Schalch (1759)
Detail from The Gardens at Kew by Johan Jacob Schalch (1759)
The palace in the next two pictures is not the building we now call Kew Palace, but rather the White House that used to stand opposite.

A view of the Palace form the Lawn in the Royal Gardens at Kew  by William Elliott after William Woollett (1763)
A view of the Palace form the Lawn in the Royal Gardens at Kew
by William Elliott after William Woollett (1763)
 view of the palace form the north side of the Lake at Kew  by William Elliott after William Woollett (c1766)
A view of the palace form the north side of the Lake at Kew
by William Elliott after William Woollett (c1766)
A view of the wilderness at Kew  by Edward Rooker after William Marlow (c1763)
A view of the wilderness at Kew
by Edward Rooker after William Marlow (c1763)
Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace - the garden front from  across the lake  by Caleb Robert Stanley (1839)
Buckingham Palace - the garden front from  across the lake
by Caleb Robert Stanley (1839)
Windsor

The garden of the deputy ranger's lodge, Windsor Great Park  by Paul Sandby (c1798)
The garden of the deputy ranger's lodge, Windsor Great Park
by Paul Sandby (c1798)
Detail from The garden of the deputy ranger's lodge,  Windsor Great Park by Paul Sandby (c1798)
Detail from The garden of the deputy ranger's lodge,
Windsor Great Park by Paul Sandby (c1798)
The hermitage at Frogmore by Samuel Howitt (c1802)   The hermitage was designed by George III's daughter, Princess Elizabeth
The hermitage at Frogmore by Samuel Howitt (c1802)
The hermitage was designed by George III's daughter, Princess Elizabeth
The Norman Gateway and Moat Garden, Windsor Castle  by Paul Sandby (c1770)
The Norman Gateway and Moat Garden, Windsor Castle
by Paul Sandby (c1770)
St James' Park

  Detail from St James' Park and the Mall (shown at top of this post)  attributed to British School (c1745)
Detail from St James' Park and the Mall (shown at top of this post)
attributed to British School (c1745)
The Horticultural Garden

Some of my favourite items in the exhibition are the books of Humphry Repton’s designs for the gardens at Brighton Pavilion. The illustrations are beautiful, though frustratingly we are limited to just the two pages which are open. How I longed to turn the pages and see the other designs!

Designs for the Pavilion at Brighton West Front of the Pavilion   towards the Garden by Humphry Repton (1806)
Designs for the Pavilion at Brighton - West Front of the Pavilion
 towards the Garden by Humphry Repton (1806)
Detail from Designs for the Pavilion at Brighton - West Front  of the Pavilion towards the Garden by Humphry Repton (1806)
Detail from Designs for the Pavilion at Brighton - West Front
of the Pavilion towards the Garden by Humphry Repton (1806)
Designs for the Pavilion at Brighton  West Front of the Pavilion  towards the Garden   by Joseph Constantine Stadler after Humphry Repton (1808)
Designs for the Pavilion at Brighton
West Front of the Pavilion  towards the Garden
by Joseph Constantine Stadler after Humphry Repton (1808)
The final room contains an interesting array of objects including some jewellery belonging to Queen Victoria, a child’s wheelbarrow and a pair of fans.

The Princess Royal's fan (1856)
The Princess Royal's fan (1856)
Detail from Queen Victoria's birthday fan (c1858)
Detail from Queen Victoria's birthday fan (c1858)
If you love historic gardens, or are interested in seeing more from the Royal Collection, then this is an exhibition not to be missed!

For more information, go to the Royal Collection website.

All items photographed © The Royal Collection Trust
All photographs © Andrew Knowles

Saturday 21 March 2015

Joshua Reynolds: Experiments in Paint – exhibition at the Wallace Collection

Mrs Mary Robinson by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1783-4)  © The Wallace Collection; Photo © Andrew Knowles
Mrs Mary Robinson by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1783-4)
© The Wallace Collection; Photo © Andrew Knowles
Last week, I visited a relatively little known museum, the Wallace Collection, for a special bloggers’ event to celebrate the opening of a new exhibition: Joshua Reynolds: Experiments in Paint. The exhibition runs ended on 7 June 2015 and comprised two rooms displaying 20 Reynolds paintings – 11 belonging to the Wallace Collection and the remainder on loan.

Here is a short video of the exhibition:


Popular and experimental

Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792) was a very fashionable portrait painter during the second half of the 18th century and the first President of the Royal Academy.

The exhibition is the culmination of a four-year research project into the Reynolds paintings owned by the Wallace. Using various techniques including X-ray and infrared imaging, the paintings have been investigated by experts at the Wallace with advice from the National Gallery and the Yale Center for British Art.

X-ray image of the portrait of Mary Robinson shown   above.
X-ray image of the portrait of Mary Robinson shown
above. The X-ray shows that Mary's hand was
originally painted supporting her chin
Photo © Andrew Knowles
The research has given new insights into the way that Reynolds painted. Some of the images produced during the research are on display alongside the actual paintings. These reveal earlier details, from the position of Mary's hand, shown above, to old paintings that have been painted over.

The X-ray image of the Yale Center's portrait of Mary Robinson shown below reveals that the painting was not Reynold’s first attempt, but that underneath the existing painting is another, earlier painting, upside down.

X-ray image of the Yale Center's portrait of Mary   Robinson shown below.
X-ray image of the Yale Center's portrait of Mary
Robinson shown below. The X-ray shows another
portrait that has been painted over.
Photo © Andrew Knowles
Early paintings

The paintings on display include some of Reynold's earliest work such as his self-portrait, painted c1747-9, before he went on the Grand Tour and a canvas entitled Studio Experiments in Colour and Media.

Self-portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1747-9)  © The National Portrait Gallery, London
Self-portrait Shading the Eyes by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1747-9)
© The National Portrait Gallery, London
Studio Experiments in Colour and Media © Royal Academy of Arts, London
Studio Experiments in Colour and Media
© Royal Academy of Arts, London
Fancy paintings

The exhibition includes a number of fancy paintings – imaginative paintings of people, representing ideas rather than intended as portraits. These include The Strawberry Girl and The Age of Innocence.

The Strawberry Girl by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1772-3)  © The Wallace Collection; Photo © Andrew Knowles
The Strawberry Girl by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1772-3)
© The Wallace Collection; Photo © Andrew Knowles
The Age of Innocence by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1788)  © The Tate; Photo © Andrew Knowles
The Age of Innocence by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1788)
© The Tate; Photo © Andrew Knowles
Portraits

I particularly liked the two paintings of Mary Robinson, probably because she is the character with whom I am most familiar. The portrait owned by the Wallace Collection is shown at the top of this blog post and is very similar to that owned by the Yale Center for British Art (shown below) although this latter portrait is less finished.

Mrs Mary Robinson by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1783-5)  © The Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection  Photo © Andrew Knowles
Mrs Mary Robinson by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1783-5)
© The Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Photo © Andrew Knowles
4th Duke of Queensbury (Old Q)   by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1759)  © The Wallace Collection; Photo © Andrew Knowles
4th Duke of Queensbury ('Old Q') as Earl of March
by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1759)
© The Wallace Collection; Photo © Andrew Knowles
Miss Jane Bowles by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1775)  © The Wallace Collection; Photo © Andrew Knowles
Miss Jane Bowles by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1775)
© The Wallace Collection; Photo © Andrew Knowles
Miss Nelly O'Brien by Sir Joshua Reynolds (c1762-4)  © The Wallace Collection; Photo © Andrew Knowles
Miss Nelly O'Brien by Sir Joshua Reynolds (c1762-4)
© The Wallace Collection; Photo © Andrew Knowles
There is a second portrait of Miss Nelly O'Brien and a lovely portrait of Miss Kitty Fisher which were on loan and could not be photographed.

Mrs Susanna Hoare and Child
by Sir Joshua Reynolds (c1763-4)
© The Wallace Collection; Photo © Andrew Knowles
Mrs Mary Nesbitt by Sir Joshua Reynolds (c1781)  © The Wallace Collection; Photo © Andrew Knowles
Mrs Mary Nesbitt by Sir Joshua Reynolds (c1781)
© The Wallace Collection; Photo © Andrew Knowles
Reynolds sometimes depicted his sitters in character, such as Mrs Abington as Miss Prue in Love for Love by William Congreve (below).

Mrs Abington as Miss Prue by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1771)  © The Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection  Photo © Andrew Knowles
Mrs Abington as Miss Prue by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1771)
© The Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Photo © Andrew Knowles
The Wallace Collection is in Hertford House in Manchester Square, London and is open every day from 10am to 5pm. Admission to the museum is free.

Headshot of Rachel Knowles author with sea in background(2021)
Rachel Knowles writes faith-based Regency romance and historical non-fiction. She has been sharing her research on this blog since 2011. Rachel lives in the beautiful Georgian seaside town of Weymouth, Dorset, on the south coast of England, with her husband, Andrew.

Find out more about Rachel's books and sign up for her newsletter here.

If you have enjoyed this blog and want to encourage me and help me to keep making my research freely available, please buy me a virtual cup of coffee by clicking the button below.

Monday 9 March 2015

Royal residences of the Georgian kings

A collage of 12 royal residences
12 royal residences (details of each picture below)
Brighton Pavilion

George IV made the Royal Pavilion at Brighton his summer residence from 1786 until 1827, when he abandoned it as lacking in privacy. It started life as a modest farmhouse and was redeveloped into the magnificent, if somewhat eccentric, palace that exists today.

Brighton Pavilion  Top: From History of Brighton and its environs by R Sickelmore (1827)  Bottom: Brighton Pavilion today © Andrew Knowles
Top: Brighton Pavilion from  
History of Brighton and its environs by R Sickelmore (1827)
Bottom: Brighton Pavilion (2004) © Andrew Knowles
Read more about:
George IV’s Brighton
George IV and the Marine Pavilion, Brighton
George IV and the Brighton Pavilion
What did Regency visitors think of the Brighton Pavilion?
Watch my video: A litter of cupolas – Brighton Pavilion in 1823

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace was acquired by George III as a private residence for the royal family in 1761 and was originally known as Buckingham House or the Queen’s House. George IV transformed it into a palace fit for a king, but did not live to see it completed. William IV disliked it and would not live there, but it became the official London residence of Queen Victoria and British monarchs ever since.

Top: Buckingham House from    The History of the Royal Residences by WH Pyne (1819)  Bottom: Buckingham Palace today © Andrew Knowles
Top: Buckingham House from  
The History of the Royal Residences by WH Pyne (1819)
Bottom: Buckingham Palace (2015) © Andrew Knowles
Bushy House

William IV resided at Bushy House from 1797 when, as Duke of Clarence, he was appointed Ranger of Bushy Park. He lived there with his mistress, Dorothea Jordan, until their relationship ended in 1811, and then later with his wife Princess Adelaide. He continued to live at Bushy House even after he became king and following his death, it became the official residence of Queen Adelaide until her death in 1849. In 1900, the site was offered to the Royal Society to house the National Physical Laboratory and ceased to be a royal residence.

Top: Bushy House from History of the life and reign   of William the Fourth (1837) by R Huish   Bottom: The house in Bushy Park today © Andrew Knowles
Top: Bushy House from History of the life and reign
 of William the Fourth (1837) by R Huish
Bottom: The house in Bushy Park (2014) © Andrew Knowles
Carlton House

Carlton House was purchased as the official residence of Frederick, Prince of Wales, George III’s father, in 1732. In 1783, it became the residence of the future George IV when he came of age. George IV continually remodelled it until he became king, at which point he transferred his interest to the other royal residences. It was demolished in 1825 and replaced by a number of prestigious houses - Carlton House Terrace.

Left: Carlton House, south front,  from    The History of the Royal Residences by WH Pyne (1819)  Right: Carlton House Terrace © Andrew Knowles
Left: Carlton House, south front,  from  
The History of the Royal Residences by WH Pyne (1819)
Right: Carlton House Terrace (2015) © Andrew Knowles
Clarence House

Clarence House was built in 1825-7 as the London residence of William IV when he was Duke of Clarence. He continued to live there after he became king in 1830. Following his death, it became the residence of Princess Augusta and the Princess Victoria, Duchess of Kent, Queen Victoria’s mother. It is now the official residence of the Prince of Wales.

Top: Clarence House from The Graphic (Nov 1874)  Bottom: Clarence House today © Andrew Knowles
Top: Clarence House from The Graphic (Nov 1874)
Bottom: Clarence House (2015) © Andrew Knowles
Gloucester Lodge

George III visited Weymouth nearly every year from 1789 to 1805 and stayed at Gloucester Lodge, the house built for his brother William, Duke of Gloucester, on the seafront. It was sold by George IV when he became king and is now a hotel.

Top: Weymouth seafront from The Lady's Magazine (1789)  Bottom: Gloucester Lodge today © Andrew Knowles
Top: Weymouth seafront from The Lady's Magazine (1789)
Bottom: Gloucester Lodge (2012) © Andrew Knowles
Read more about:
George III in Weymouth
Sea bathing in Regency Weymouth
Fashionable entertainment in Regency Weymouth
Watch my video: George’s seaside adventure - George III in Weymouth

Hampton Court

Hampton Court first became a royal residence after it was acquired by Henry VIII in 1528 and rebuilt to his design. It was used by the early Georgian monarchs, but under George III, the palace was divided up into grace-and-favour apartments – rent-free accommodation for those favoured by the King. It is now in the care of Historic Royal Palaces and is open to the public.

Top: Quadrangle, Hampton Court, from    The History of the Royal Residences by WH Pyne (1819)  Bottom: Hampton Court today © Andrew Knowle
Top: Quadrangle, Hampton Court, from  
The History of the Royal Residences by WH Pyne (1819)
Bottom: Hampton Court (2014) © Andrew Knowles
Kensington Palace

William III and Mary bought Nottingham House in 1689 and transformed it into Kensington Palace, an out-of-town royal residence in which to live in preference to St James’s Palace. It was renovated under George I and used extensively by George II. Members of the royal family continued to live there, but it was never used as the residence of the sovereign again. Kensington Palace is in the care of Historic Royal Palaces and is open to the public.

Top: Kensington Palace from  
The History of the Royal Residences by WH Pyne (1819)
Bottom: Kensington Palace (2012) © Andrew Knowles
Read more about Kensington Palace

Kew Palace

George II first used Kew Palace as a royal residence for part of his family from 1729. George III housed his two eldest sons here whilst using the White House, Kew, as a country retreat. Kew Palace was used during George III’s mentally incapacitating illness and Queen Charlotte died there in 1818. Queen Victoria gave the palace to the public and it is now managed by Historic Royal Palaces.

Left: The old palace at Kew from Memoirs of HM Sophia Charlotte   of Mecklenburg Strelitz, Queen of Great Britain by WM Craig (1818)  Right: Kew Palace today © Andrew Knowles
Left: The old palace at Kew from Memoirs of HM Sophia Charlotte
 of Mecklenburg Strelitz, Queen of Great Britain by WM Craig (1818)
Right: Kew Palace (2014) © Andrew Knowles
Read more about:
Kew Palace
Kew Gardens
Queen Charlotte’s Cottage, within Kew Gardens

St James’s Palace

Built for Henry VIII in the 1530s, St James’s Palace became the principal London palace of the British sovereign after the Palace of Whitehall was destroyed by fire in 1698. Part of the St James’s Palace was destroyed by fire in 1809, but court levées were still held here until 1939. It remains an official residence although no sovereign has resided here since the time of William IV.


Top: St James' Palace from    The History of the Royal Residences by WH Pyne (1819)  Bottom: St James' Palace today © Andrew Knowles
Top: St James's Palace from  
The History of the Royal Residences by WH Pyne (1819)
Bottom: St James's Palace (2014) © Andrew Knowles
White House, Kew

Frederick, Prince of Wales, George III’s father, lived in the White House at Kew from 1730. George III inherited the White House from his mother and used it as a country retreat. George III was incarcerated here during several bouts of mental illness and he ordered its demolition in 1802. All that remains to mark the site is a sundial opposite to Kew Palace.

Left: The north prospect of HRH The Prince of Wales' House at Kew  - detail from John Rocue's map A New Plan of Richmond Garden (1748)  Right: The sundial opposite Kew Palace that marks the site  of the White House © Andrew Knowles
Left: The north prospect of HRH The Prince of Wales' House at Kew
- detail from John Rocque's map A New Plan of Richmond Garden (1748)
Right: The sundial opposite Kew Palace that marks the site
of the White House (2014) © Andrew Knowles
Read more about the White House at Kew

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle has been a royal residence since about 1100. It was a favoured out-of-town residence of both George III and George IV who carried out extensive building works at the castle. It remains an official residence of the King today.

Top: The Upper Ward, Windsor Castle from   The History of the Royal Residences by WH Pyne (1819)  Bottom: The Lower Ward, Windsor Castle today © Andrew Knowles
Top: The Upper Ward, Windsor Castle from 
The History of the Royal Residences by WH Pyne (1819)
Bottom: The Lower Ward, Windsor Castle (2015) © Andrew Knowles
Read more about:
Windsor Castle
St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle
1815 exhibition: Waterloo at Windsor 1815-2015
Updated 30/9/22

Headshot of Rachel Knowles author with sea in background(2021)
Rachel Knowles writes faith-based Regency romance and historical non-fiction. She has been sharing her research on this blog since 2011. Rachel lives in the beautiful Georgian seaside town of Weymouth, Dorset, on the south coast of England, with her husband, Andrew.

Find out more about Rachel's books and sign up for her newsletter here.

If you have enjoyed this blog and want to encourage me and help me to keep making my research freely available, please buy me a virtual cup of coffee by clicking the button below.

 
Sources used include:
Craig, William Marshall, Memoirs of HM Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg Strelitz, Queen of Great Britain (1818)
Huish, Robert, History of the life and reign of William the Fourth (1837)
Pyne, WH, The history of the Royal Residences of Windsor Castle, St James's Palace, Carlton House, Kensington Palace, Hampton Court, Buckingham House and Frogmore (1819)
Rocque, John, A New Plan of Richmond Garden (1748)
Sickelmore, Richard, History of Brighton and its environs (1827)
The Graphic (1874)
The Lady's Magazine (1789)

Historic Royal Palaces website
Royal Collection Trust website
The official website of The British Monarchy 
 
© RegencyHistory