Government House, Bermuda

Last updated

Government House
Bermuda location map.svg
Red pog.svg
General information
Type Official residence
Architectural style Italianate
LocationLangton Hill, Hamilton, Pembroke
Country Bermuda
Coordinates 32°18′13.18″N64°46′56.90″W / 32.3036611°N 64.7824722°W / 32.3036611; -64.7824722
Current tenants Governor of Bermuda
Completed1892
Owner Government of Bermuda
Design and construction
Architect(s)William Cardy Hallet

Government House is the official residence of the governor of Bermuda. It is located on Langton Hill, overlooking the North Shore in Hamilton, Pembroke. Government House is also the official residence of the Bermudian head of state (currently King Charles III) when staying in Bermuda.

Contents

History, architecture and grounds

Former Government House, Mount Langton, 1857 Government House, Mount Langton.jpg
Former Government House, Mount Langton, 1857

Built in the Italianate style, Government House was designed by architect William Cardy Hallet and built in 1892. It replaced an earlier residence called "Mount Langton" (after a Scottish estate belonging to Sir James Cockburn, 9th Baronet, of Langton, Berwickshire, Governor of Bermuda from 1811 to 1812, from 1814 to 1816 and from 1817 to 1819) which had served as Government House from 1815 when the seat of government was moved from St. George's. Built with stone imported from France, it is a landmark which is visible from the road or water with its off-white stone towers and arches. The house's grounds consist of 33 acres (130,000 m2), making them one of the largest open spaces left in Bermuda.

Government House has more than 30 rooms, including a large drawing room and dining room for formal entertaining, both of which open onto a long enclosed glass sun terrace overlooking the pool and garden. All the paintings are of Bermuda images, and the theme continues upstairs through the corridors and upstairs in The Royal Suite, and the private quarters of the governor which overlook the North Shore towards Hamilton Harbour, and the four guest bedrooms whose verandah offers views of Hamilton. Some of the artwork is part of the Government Collection, the rest is on loan from Masterworks Foundation and local artists and these are always changing.

Outside the main entrance to the house are three cannons, which have been in their present position since 1919. On either side of the cannons are two Washingtonia filifera (Petticoat Palms) planted by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in February 1975. From the terrace opposite there used to be steps down into the garden; it was close to these that on the night of March 10, 1973, the then governor Sir Richard Sharples was murdered, together with his aide-de-camp, Captain Hugh Sayers, and his dog.

To the left are the West Gates and on the terrace is a Podocarpus macrophyllus (Japanese yew tree), planted by Governor Sir Alexander Hood and Lady Hood to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. On the next terrace there is a Juniperus bermudiana (Bermuda cedar) planted by Winston Churchill in 1942 after his visit to the United States to meet President Franklin Roosevelt and address a joint session of the United States Congress. On the same level there is a Dictyosperma (princess palm) planted in 1963 by Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, a Roystonea regia (royal palm) planted by Princess Margaret in 1975 and a Thrinax parviflora (thatch palm) planted by Margaret Thatcher in 1981. On the terrace below, on either side of the path, are a pair of Syagrus romanzoffiana (queen palms) planted by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 1994. Near to the next flight of steps is another Podocarpus macrophyllus planted by Queen Elizabeth II in November 1953.

Down the steps there is an avenue of Bermuda cedars, the first on the left planted by Sir Edward Richards, the first black Bermudian to head the government of the Island. Two others bear the names of Princess Alexandra and Princess Margaret. Just to the left of the bottom of the path there is a royal poinciana planted by the Duke of Windsor on in 1940, and 25 yards (23 m) back towards the house a royal palm planted by Prince George, Duke of Kent, in 1928.

Across the lawn towards the garage and outbuildings or Government House takes is a Delonix regia planted by Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, in 1970. Behind is the old drive lined with Phoenix canariensis (Canary Island date palms). Sloping down to the right are woodlands with a paddock and a meadow. Beyond the site of the old house, the flat area to the right of the cottage, there is a semi circular area of grass on which stands a Mangifera indica (mango tree) planted by Prince George, later King George V, and Bermuda's first Hevea brasiliensis (rubber tree), planted by Governor Lt. Colonel William Reid in 1840. On either side of the cutting leading to the entrance to the grounds are evergreen shrubs, and large bougainvillea vines over 100 years old cover the 30-foot (9.1 m) walls.

Opposite the cottage there is a flight of steps leading down into the Marsh Folly Gardens. In this sheltered and well-wooded area there some of the oldest white cedars on the island. On the other side of the road is a rock garden. Back towards the terrace is a collection of Arecaceae (palms) planted by British prime ministers and US presidents: John Major (1991), George H. W. Bush (1990 and 1991), Margaret Thatcher (1990), Harold Macmillan (1961), Edward Heath (1972) and Richard Nixon (late 1960s).

As the largest open green area in Pembroke Parish, it has every endemic and native species of vegetation that existed before the colonisation of Bermuda. These are crucial to ward off erosion and wind damage from hurricanes. The grounds of Government House were severely damaged by Hurricane Fabian on September 5, 2004, and there is underway a long-term programme of clear-up, re-landscaping and planting. Five gardeners from the Parks Department of the Bermuda government maintain the grounds.

Government House today

Government House is used for national and ceremonial functions, as well as receptions and meetings with foreign dignitaries and heads of state. As well as being the official residence of the governor's family, it is also a working office employing executive, secretarial and domestic staff for the governor and the deputy governor (who resides elsewhere).

Although the governor is King Charles III's representative, appointed by the British government, the upkeep of Government House (and the governor's own salary, staff and other expenses) is the responsibility of the Government of Bermuda.

In 2024 the building was deemed uninhabitable due to deterioration caused by water ingress and vacated pending major repair works.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marlborough House</span> Mansion in the City of Westminster, London, England

Marlborough House, a Grade I listed mansion on The Mall in St James's, City of Westminster, London, is the headquarters of the Commonwealth of Nations and the seat of the Commonwealth Secretariat. It is adjacent to St James's Palace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rideau Hall</span> Official residence of both the monarch and Governor General of Canada

Rideau Hall is the official residence in Ottawa of both the Canadian monarch and his representative, the governor general of Canada. It stands in Canada's capital on a 36-hectare (88-acre) estate at 1 Sussex Drive, with the main building consisting of approximately 175 rooms across 9,500 square metres (102,000 sq ft), and 27 outbuildings around the grounds. Rideau Hall's site lies outside the centre of Ottawa. It is one of two official royal residences maintained by the federal Crown, the other being the Citadelle of Quebec.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government House, Canberra</span> Official residence of the Governor-General of Australia

Government House is the official residence of the governor-general of Australia. It is located in the suburb of Yarralumla, in the City of Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory. The house is set amid 54 hectares of parkland. The house and associated grounds were added to the Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clarence House</span> Royal residence in London

Clarence House is a royal residence on The Mall in the City of Westminster, London. It was built in 1825–1827, adjacent to St James's Palace, for the royal duke of Clarence, the future king William IV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kensington Palace</span> Residence of the British royal family in London

Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has been a residence of the British royal family since the 17th century, and is currently the official London residence of the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank and their two sons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamilton, Bermuda</span> Capital and the largest city of Bermuda

The City of Hamilton, in Pembroke Parish, is the territorial capital of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda. It is the territory's financial centre and a port and tourist destination. Its population of 854 (2016) is one of the smallest of any capital city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government House (Manitoba)</span> Building in Winnipeg, Manitoba

Government House of Manitoba is the official residence of the lieutenant governor of Manitoba, as well as that in Winnipeg of the Canadian monarch. It stands in the provincial capital, on the grounds of the Manitoba Legislative Building, at 10 Kennedy Street; unlike other provincial Government Houses in Canada, this gives Manitoba's royal residence a prominent urban setting, though it is surrounded by gardens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Lodge</span> Country house in Southern England

Royal Lodge is a Grade II listed house in Windsor Great Park in Berkshire, England, half a mile north of Cumberland Lodge and 3.2 miles (5.1 km) south of Windsor Castle. The site of homes since the 17th century, the present structure dates from the 19th century, and was expanded in the 1930s for the then duke of York, the future king George VI. Its central section is 3 storeys, with wings two storeys and it has about 30 rooms, with 7 bedrooms. The Royal Chapel of All Saints was built on the grounds in the 1820s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlton House Terrace</span> Street in City of Westminster, United Kingdom

Carlton House Terrace is a street in the St James's district of the City of Westminster in London. Its principal architectural feature is a pair of terraces, the Western and Eastern terraces, of white stucco-faced houses on the south side of the street, which overlook The Mall and St. James's Park. These terraces were built on Crown land between 1827 and 1832 to overall designs by John Nash, but with detailed input by other architects including Decimus Burton. Construction was overseen by James Pennethorne. Both terrace blocks are Grade I listed buildings. A separate but linked cul de sac at the terrrace's western end is named Carlton Gardens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Belvedere, Surrey</span> A Grade II* listed country house on Shrubs Hill in Windsor Great Park, in Surrey, England

Fort Belvedere is a Grade II* listed country house on Shrubs Hill in Windsor Great Park, in Surrey, England. The fort was predominantly constructed by Jeffry Wyatville in a Gothic Revival style in the 1820s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thatched House Lodge</span> House in Richmond Park in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in London, England

Thatched House Lodge is a Grade II-listed building, dating from the 17th century, in Richmond Park in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in London, England. It was the home of British prime minister Sir Robert Walpole and, since 1963, has been a royal residence, being leased from the Crown Estate by Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy, and, until his death in 2004, her husband, Sir Angus Ogilvy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Governor of Bermuda</span> Representative of the British monarch in Bermuda

The governor of Bermuda is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Bermuda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government House (Nova Scotia)</span> Official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia

Government House of Nova Scotia is the official residence of the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia, as well as that in Halifax of the Canadian monarch. It stands in the provincial capital at 1451 Barrington Street; unlike other provincial Government Houses in Canada, this gives Nova Scotia's royal residence a prominent urban setting, though it is still surrounded by gardens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government House, Sydney</span> Official residence of the governor of New South Wales

The Government House is the heritage-listed vice-regal residence of the governor of New South Wales, Australia, located on Conservatorium Road in the Sydney central business district adjacent to the Royal Botanic Garden, overlooking Sydney Harbour, just south of the Sydney Opera House. Constructed between 1837 and 1843, the property has been the vice-regal residence of the Governor since Sir George Gipps, except for two brief periods; the first between 1901 and 1914, when the property was leased to the Commonwealth of Australia as the residence of the Governor-General of Australia, and the second from 1996 to 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government House, Adelaide</span> Residence of the Governor of South Australia, Australia

Government House, located in Adelaide on the corner of North Terrace and King William Road, is the official residence of the governor of South Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore</span> Cemetery used by the British Royal Family, surrounds the Royal Mausoleum on the Frogmore Estate

The Royal Burial Ground is a cemetery used by the British royal family. Consecrated on 23 October 1928 by the Bishop of Oxford, it is adjacent to the Royal Mausoleum, which was built in 1862 to house the tomb of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The burial ground lies on the Frogmore estate within the Home Park at Windsor, in the English county of Berkshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Peter's Church, St. George's</span>

Their Majesties Chappell, St. Peter's Church, in St. George's, Bermuda, is the oldest surviving Anglican church in continuous use outside the British Isles. It is also reportedly the oldest continuously used Protestant church in the New World. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, St. George's Town is the oldest surviving English settlement in the New World, having been settled by the Virginia Company in 1612.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tresco, Elizabeth Bay</span> Historic site in New South Wales, Australia

Tresco is a heritage-listed residence located at 97 Elizabeth Bay Road, Elizabeth Bay, City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by Thomas Rowe and built by Rowe from 1867 to 1883. The property is privately owned. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. The property has previously functioned as a private residence, navy housing, and homestead and was originally indigenous lands. Before 2004 it was owned by the Royal Australian Navy and served as an official residence for the senior naval officers in New South Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Admiralty House, Bermuda</span> Military unit

Admiralty House, Bermuda, was the official residence and offices for the senior officer of the Royal Navy in the Imperial fortress colony of Bermuda, originally the Commander-in-Chief of the North America and West Indies Station.

Royal tours of Antigua and Barbuda by its royal family have been taking place since the 20th century. Elizabeth II, Queen of Antigua and Barbuda, visited the country thrice: 1966, 1977, and 1985.

References