The Queen's Palaces | |
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Genre | Documentary |
Written by | Fiona Bruce |
Directed by | Ian Leese (1,2) Deborah Lees (3) |
Presented by | Fiona Bruce |
Composers | Chris Nicolaides John Chilton Peter Linlor |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
No. of series | 1 |
No. of episodes | 3 |
Production | |
Executive producer | Basil Comely |
Producers | Ian Leese (1,2) Deborah Lees (3) |
Running time | 55-60 mins |
Production company | BBC Production |
Original release | |
Network | BBC |
Release | 12 September – 26 September 2011 |
The Queen's Palaces is a 2011 documentary in three parts written and presented by Fiona Bruce that tells the story of the Queen's three official residences, Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse which are amongst the few working royal palaces in the world today. [1]
Bruce charts the history of the palace from its days as a hunting forest for Henry VII and a mulberry garden of James I. Buckingham House was built in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham, and it was later purchased in 1761 by George III for his wife Charlotte and 14 of their 15 children were born there. George removed many of the ornate features but invested heavily in art from Europe. George IV wanted a grander building and with architect John Nash transformed the house into a palace, full of art and sculpture. By the time of his death, the project had overspent its budget by four times, and it was proposed to use it instead as a replacement parliament building. In 1837 Queen Victoria moved in and when she married Prince Albert they commissioned Edward Blore to move the Marble Arch and build a new wing across the front, which included the now-famous balcony, as well as a new ballroom. On Albert's death in 1861 Victoria retired and rarely used the palace. On her death Edward VII remodeled many rooms and installed toilets. In 1913 the last major work was when George V had the front refaced in white Portland stone, and during World War II it received minor bomb damage.
Bruce charts Windsor Castle, the oldest and the largest inhabited castle in the world dating back to the 11th century. Originally built in the Norman period, the castle was the inspiration behind the formation of the Order of the Garter by King Edward III of England much like the glory of the court of the Round Table of King Arthur. The first tournament of the Order was held at Windsor Castle on Saint George's Day 1349. The castle also houses the grand medieval Saint George's Chapel which is the spiritual home of the Order of the Garter. The castle was neglected until the Glorious Restoration of the monarchy by King Charles II who returned the castle to its former splendour by sumptuously redecorating it. The castle was again neglected for many years until the reign of King George IV who completely reinvented it. He doubled the height of the Round Tower by adding 30 ft in height. His greatest monument was the Waterloo Chamber, decorated with portraits of the key players who helped defeat Napoleon. During World War I King George V changed the family name from the Germanic Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the more English House of Windsor as a symbol of strength and sovereignty. The castle suffered damage during World War II, and also the fire of 20 November 1992. Many of the castle's state rooms were destroyed but were all later restored after a £37 million programme was launched.
Bruce charts the history of the Palace from its early days as an Augustinian abbey. Around 1501 James IV decided to convert the buildings into a palace. His daughter Mary, Queen of Scots returned from France to the palace at the age of eighteen after the death of her husband, the King of France, who had died after three years of marriage. Her disastrous second marriage to Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, the 1566 murder of her private secretary David Rizzio and the mysterious death of Darnley. The Palace also holds the last picture of Mary at the time of her execution. Later, the Civil War in England led to the neglect of the house until 1660 when Charles II of England was restored, and he updated the palace into a building never seen before in Scotland with classically themed French tapestries favoured at the time. He ordered a grand staircase and the Great Gallery, containing contemporary portraits of every Scottish monarch then known. In 1745 Bonnie Prince Charlie used the house as a campaign headquarters during his attempt to reclaim the throne for the Stuarts. George IV of the United Kingdom, born a German, was the first king to visit in over 150 years and, as his portrait in the palace testifies, the first one to wear tartan. The final stage covered is that of Queen Victoria, and the bequeathing in 1868 of an elaborate Flemish cabinet.
Buckingham Palace is a royal residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It has been a focal point for the British people at times of national rejoicing and mourning.
The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with their powers regulated by the British Constitution. The term may also refer to the role of the royal family within the UK's broader political structure. The current monarch is King Charles III, who ascended the throne on 8 September 2022 upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II, his mother.
Mary of Teck was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 6 May 1910 until 20 January 1936 as the wife of King-Emperor George V.
The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. The most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, it is outranked in precedence only by the decorations of the Victoria Cross and the George Cross. The Order of the Garter is dedicated to the image and arms of Saint George, England's patron saint.
The House of Windsor is a British royal house, and currently the reigning house of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. The royal house's name was inspired by the historic Windsor Castle estate. Since it was founded on 17 July 1917, there have been five British monarchs of the House of Windsor: George V, Edward VIII, George VI, Elizabeth II, and Charles III. The children and male-line descendants of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip also genealogically belong to the House of Oldenburg since Philip was by birth a member of the Glücksburg branch of that house.
Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge was the tenth child and seventh son of King George III of the United Kingdom and Queen Charlotte. He held the title of Duke of Cambridge from 1801 until his death. He served as Viceroy of the Kingdom of Hanover successively on behalf of his elder brothers King George IV and King William IV.
Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex, was the sixth son and ninth child of King George III and his queen consort, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. He was the only surviving son of George III who did not pursue an army or navy career. A Whig, he was known for his liberal views, which included reform of Parliament, abolition of the slave trade, Catholic Emancipation, and the removal of existing civil restrictions on Jews and Dissenters.
Princess Augusta of Cambridge was a member of the British royal family, a granddaughter of George III. She married into the Grand Ducal House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and became Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
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Kew Palace is a British royal palace within the grounds of Kew Gardens on the banks of the River Thames. Originally a large complex, few elements of it survive. Dating to 1631 but built atop the undercroft of an earlier building, the main survivor is known as the Dutch House. Its royal occupation lasted from around 1728 until 1818, with a final short-lived occupation in 1844. The Dutch House is Grade I listed, and open to visitors. It is cared for by an independent charity, Historic Royal Palaces, which receives no funding from the government or the Crown. Alongside the Dutch House is a part of its 18th-century service wing, whilst nearby are a former housekeeper's cottage, brewhouse and kitchen block – most of these buildings are private, though the kitchens are open to the public. These kitchens, the Great Pagoda and Queen Charlotte's Cottage are also run by Historic Royal Palaces.
A throne room or throne hall is the room, often rather a hall, in the official residence of the crown, either a palace or a fortified castle, where the throne of a senior figure is set up with elaborate pomp—usually raised, often with steps, and under a canopy, both of which are part of the original notion of the Greek word thronos.
The Royal Archives, also known as the King's or Queen's Archives, is a division of The Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. It is operationally under the control of the Keeper of the Royal Archives, who is customarily the Private Secretary to the Sovereign. Although sovereigns have kept records for centuries, the Royal Archives was formally established as recently as 1912 and occupies part of the Round Tower of Windsor Castle. Since the Royal Archives are privately owned, requests for public access must be approved based on the needs and qualifications of the researcher.
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The Royal Collection of the British royal family is the largest private art collection in the world.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse, commonly known as Holyrood Palace, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood has served as the principal royal residence in Scotland since the 16th century, and is a setting for state occasions and official entertaining.
St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in England is a castle chapel built in the late-medieval Perpendicular Gothic style. It is a Royal Peculiar, and the Chapel of the Order of the Garter. St George's Chapel was founded in the 14th century by King Edward III and extensively enlarged in the late 15th century. It is located in the Lower Ward of the castle.
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