Buckingham Palace
London may be called palatial, though, unlike many capital cities in Europe, it contains only one building that approaches one's idea of what a King's house should be - and that is Buckingham Palace; a modern building, whose history can be told in a few words.
On its site originally stood Arlington House, which was sold to the Duke of Buckingham, rebuilt and named after him, and afterwards purchased by George III, who resided there.
Between the years 1825 and 1837, the Palace was reconstructed, as we see it now, by the architects Nash and Blore, Queen Victoria taking up her abode there on her accession to the throne.
Though lacking architectural dignity, Buckingham Palace covers a considerable amount of grounds, and was large enough to secure the utmost privacy for her late Majesty.
(King Edward VII having decided that alterations in some of the apartments, and in the arrangements of the works of Art, etc., are to be made in Buckingham Palace, it is necessary to explain that the description given in this chapter refers to the Palace at the time of the Queen's death - this applies equally to the account of the Royal Mews, and to St. James' and Kensington Palaces, where certain changes may also take place; but the leading features of all three palaces will doubtless remain much the same as before.)
So secluded was her suite of rooms, that when, in 1896, a fire broke out in the east front of the Palace, and no fewer than seventeen fire-engines and manuals came dashing up, causing much noise and excitement, the Queen - recently arrived from Windsor - was unaware that anything unusual had occurred until long after all trace of the outbreak had disappeared.
Buckingham Palace is splendid inside, much more so than most people imagine, and can hold its own in point of magnificence with anything of its kind abroad.
The vestibule, into which the Sovereign's entrance in the quadrangle opens, and the grand marble staircase with its ormolu acanthus balustrades, are very imposing; as are also the state apartments - the throne-room with its splendid ceiling, huge crystal chandelier, and emblazoned arms; the grand saloon; the state dining room; the handsome Bow Room; the green, yellow and blue drawing-rooms; and the picture-gallery, a noble apartment in the centre of the Palace with gorgeously-gilded door-cases and with four marble chimney-pieces elaborately sculptured with medallion portraits of great painters.
(Throughout the Palace a notable feature is the splendour and massiveness of the doors - in most of the rooms, amongst other ornaments, the rare china vases are remarkable, and carefully preserved in glass cabinets are some priceless specimens of faience, one of which, an ancient ship of French origin, was valued years ago at £10,000! Old-fashioned clocks abound. It is a curious fact that in this vast building as at Windsor Castle there is but one small billiard-room.)
There is a fine collection of pictures here, and, indeed, all over the Palace, only surpassed by that at Windsor Castle, where every square foot of available wall-space is covered by them.
In the Dutch and Flemish school, the Buckingham Palace collection is remarkably rich - Rembrandt, Rubens, Teniers, Ostade, Cuyp, Gerard Dow, and Van Dyck, etc.
Amongst the numerous English painters represented, Wilkie is well to the front, and there are endless Royal portraits by Kneller, Lely, Lawrence, Angeli, Winterhalter, etc.
Like the Bow Room, the lower dining-hall overlooks the gardens and terrace, and is one of the cosiest apartments in the Palace.
White and gold form the basis of the decorative treatment, and numerous oil-paintings hang on the walls, including portraits of Queen Anne, George III, his Queen, Caroline, King Frederick I. of Prussia, etc., and a wonderful picture by Stanfield of the opening of London Bridge in I831 by William IV.
The Ballroom
The grandest thing in the Palace, is perhaps the ball-room.
It is nobly proportioned, lighted from above by electricity, and from the sides by handsome gilt-bronze candelabra.
Its ceiling is richly decorated; the walls are panelled in crimson silk; and the floor is beautifully inlaid with oak.
When a state concert is in progress, its appearance is striking in the extreme.
On either side are three tiers of seats facing those on the floor-level, all occupied by most brilliantly-attired personages, for on these occasions the most beautiful dresses and jewels are worn.
At the upper end of the room is the organ (originally at the Brighton Pavilion); on one side of the platform is a right royal-looking harp, and on the other a fine Erard Grand, ornamented with richly gilt scroll-work.
When the late Queen was present, she sat in the front chair close to the platform; and a lady who had the honour of singing an ode before her on one of these grand occasions in the Jubilee year of 1887, told me that Her Majesty followed every note with the careful attention of a professed musician.
The gardens at Buckingham Palace were at one time quite secluded, but are now overlooked by the upper windows of the lofty mansions in Grosvenor Place.
In summer, however, the thickness of the trees to a large extent intercepts the view, and, for London, the grounds are still rural and quiet, and abound with all kinds of bird-songsters.
This Royal park of forty acres is well adapted for garden-parties, on which rare occasions, magnificent fruit is sent up by special train from the Royal gardens at Frogmore.
Flowers, palms and rare exotics light up the lawns, and for those who desire them there are pleasure-boats on the lake, piloted by the Sovereign's watermen in their quaint costume.
Along the entire north front of the Palace, extend suites of private apartments, almost always occupied by some members of Her late Majesty's family - Prince and Princess Christian, the Duchess of Albany, etc., or by Royal relatives from abroad.
(During the year 1899, there were at different times thirty-eight Royal guests at the Palace, the period covered by their visits being eighty days.)
The rooms actually used by the late Queen, are in the north-western angle of this frontage, and are absolutely private.
They are furnished comparatively plainly, and the sitting-room is crowded with paintings, enamels and works of art.
There also is the late Prince Albert's music-room, with elaborate ceiling and cornice, carved and pinnacled book-cases and music cabinets, heavy chandalier, and plain but exceedingly cosy sofas and couches.
The Prince Consort's taste is conspicuous in many parts of the Palace and grounds, especially in the private chapel, where of late years some notable weddings have taken place.
Formerly there stood in the Buckingham Palace garden two conservatories, built in Ionic style, one of which, the southernmost, was converted into a chapel, which accounts for its very light and unecclesiastical appearance.
Its roof was raised, the necessary fittings were added, and, the transformation completed, it was consecrated in March 1843, by Archbishop Howley.
The aisles are formed by two rows of fluted columns, with gilded capitals, and the Sovereign's gallery is supported by some of the Ionic pillars from the screen at Carlton House.
The general plan of this chapel, which is quite small, is similar to that so often seen in old-fashioned places of worship.
The altar is perfectly plain, but over it hangs a panel of magnificent tapestry representing the Baptism of Christ.
At one side of it, is a finely-carved marble pulpit, which had to be moved from its place - a somewhat difficult task - on the occasion of the last Royal wedding.
The ceiling, diapered with coloured panels, is lighted by a clerestory of glass.
The colouring and decoration are most brilliant, almost startlingly so, and it requires some time to realize that this is a place devoted to sacred, and not to secular, purposes.
It is said that nothing has been altered from the original scheme of decoration as approved of by the late Prince Consort, all his ideas on the subject being rigidly maintained.
One end of the chapel is occupied by the Sovereign's gallery, approached from the state apartment by a narrow passage.
Of course, the chapel does not lack the inevitable clock, which is of very small proportions and significantly faces the occupant of the pulpit, who cannot see the Sovereign when present even from his elevated position!
Applications, backed by credentials, to the Lord Chamberlain's department at St. James' Palace, generally ensure an order to view the state apartments; but no persuasion would induce the very responsible Inspector of the Palace to go beyond his written instructions and allow any other part of the building to be seen.
Strangers are apt to go away much disappointed at this, having formed an erroneous idea from inaccurate articles in various publications, that they would see the late Queen's private rooms.
Facts relating to Royalty have a strange knack of becoming perverted, of which the following is a case in point :-
In warm weather Her late Majesty often retired from Windsor Castle to cool, shady Frogmore, where she had afternoon tea in a little kiosk close to the tomb of the Prince Consort.
But gossip gravely reported that the Queen had this refreshment inside the Mausoleum itself!
Imperial London, Arthur Henry Beavan, 1901