ROYAL RESIDENCE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 145, 11 February 1932, Page 2

ROYAL RESIDENCE

1TS LATER HISTORY BUCKINGHAM PALACE IS TREASURE HOUSE OF ART. MUCH ALTERED BUILDING. Buckingham House, having been purchased for a royal house, it might have been thought that its chequered eareer had ended. This was not the ease. George III, by whom the mansion was purchased, really intended it as a "town house" to which he and Queen Charlotte could retire when tired of the pomp and formality of their official residence, St. James' Palace. George III had many alterations made to the house, including a "superb lifirary, stored in the most ample manner." Indeed, the increase of his library became one of the King's hobbies. Other additions Were made, including a riding school, and for 20 years Buckingham House was the real home of Britain's "farmer King." Fourteen years after its purchase Buckingham House was settled on Queen Charlotte by Act of Parliament in exchange for Somerset House, and from that 'time the mansion was known as "Queen's House," In 1818 Queen Charlotte died, and Buckingham House automatically became the property of the Prince Regent. Seven years later George IV decided to pull down Queen's House and build himself a new palace. But Parliament had found much money to liquidate His Majesty's debts, and point-blanlc refused to vote the money for the erection of a new palace. George IV was annoyed, but not defeated. With the connivance of an architect (John Nash) "repairs" were shown to necessitate alterations, and by the time preparations for these were complete there was not much left of "Queen's House." A new building was necessary and, with Nash as designer, the great work was begun in 1825. It cost nearly half a million, but before the new palace was completed George IV died. Valuable Additions. Out of the chicanery and extravagance one good thing emanated. The "superb library" established by Geofge III was given to the nation by his son, and was the nucleus of the British Museum. William IV completed th'e new palace his brother had commenced but he ridiculed the Nash design, and he never lived in the palace himself. It was left to Queen Victoria finnly to establish it as the reigning monarch's official London residence. Three weeks after her accession Victoria drove in state to the new palace, which she decided should be known as Buckingham Palace, though many urged her to call her London home "the Queen's Palace." But the palace was ugly, uncomfortahle and badly arranged. When Victoria was wife and mother as well as Queen she wrote some plain mcmoranda ohout the design of a pala -e i ' 1 c7- t here was a "total want ot' a 'co.i n dation for our little family, which is fast growing up," with only attics for nurseries and schoolrooms and with an exterior a "disgrace to the country." Alterations. The Queen's protests were well founded. A new cast front was built, the "Marble Arch" entrance removed to Hyde Park, and the kitchens and domestic arrangements were all rearranged and improved. All through her long reign improvements, large and small, wen on, and it was with general approbation that King Edward VII signified his intention to live in the Palace. Though his sojourns there were neither many nor lengthy, it was at Buckingham Palace the "Peace-maker" died. With its occupancy by King George V and Queen Mary further renovations became necessary, and these included the entire rebuilding of the front of the Palace. It had always been regarded as the most vivid and unworthy of Nash's pretentious designs, and when the memoi'ial to Queen Vicoria was erected in front of the palace, the incongruity of the front was worse than ever. Refronting was decided upon and that and other alterations were conpleted only nine months before the Great War brolce out. Stately Atmosphere. The visitor to the Palace is less impressed by the beauty of the design than he is by the spaciousness of the structure and the general atmosphere of the building and the surrounding gardens, the entrances to whiph are hidden from public gaze by the long frontage. At garden parties the visitor passes through the courtyard to the great hall, or salon, and out into the park-like grounds, which might he in the middle of rural England instead of being in the centre of the world's greatest metropolis, so quiet and private and sylvan are the surroundings. If the visitor be so fortunate as to attend a' Royal reception, he mounts the great stairway and passes through spacious halls and reception rooms, and wide corridors, all appropriately decorated, the schemes of decoration followed being quiet and dignified, there being nothing garish or loud, as is the case with the interiors of so many of the French and other Continental palaces.