Kew Palace
Information about Kew Palace
Three buildings at Kew, which is now a western suburb of London, have been known as Kew Palace. One of them survives and is open to visitors. Most of the text of this article was first published in 1827.
The building formerly belonged to the Capel family, and by marriage became the property of Samuel Molyneux, Esq., secretary to George II.
Frederick, Prince of Wales took a long lease of the house, which he made his frequent residence; and here, too, occasionally resided his favourite poet, James Thomson, author of "The Seasons." In 1738, another poet, Alexander Pope, gave Prince Frederick a dog, with the following verse inscribed on its collar:
The house contained some good pictures, among which were a set of Canaletti's works; the celebrated picture of the Florence gallery, by Zoffany, (who resided in the neighbourhood). The pleasure-grounds, which contained 120 acres, were laid out by Sir William Chambers, one of the greatest masters of ornamental English gardening.
This second structure was designed in part by King George III, and otherwise by James Wyatt. Commenced in 1802, it was a gothic "castellated palace" which attracted little praise, being considered too namby pamby for a patron of his standing. After the King’s confinement at Windsor, Queen Charlotte declined to occupy the new building. It was demolished during the reign of her son George IV in 1828.
''Innumerable are the instances of princes having sought to perpetuate their memories by the building of palaces, from the Domus Aurea, or golden house of Nero, to the comparatively puny structures of our own times. As specimens of modern magnificence and substantial comfort, the latter class of edifices may be admirable; but we are bound to acknowledge, that in boldness and splendour of design, they cannot assimilate to the labours of antiquity, much of whose stupendous character is to this day preserved in many series of interesting ruins:—
As a record of this degeneracy, near the western corner of Kew Green stands the palace, commenced for George III., under the direction of the late James Wyatt, Esq. The north front possesses an air of solemn, sullen grandeur; but it very ill accords with the taste and science generally displayed by its nominal architect.
To quote the words of a contemporary, "this Anglo-Teutonic, castellated, gothized structure must be considered as an abortive production, at once illustrative of bad taste and defective judgment. From the small size of the windows and the diminutive proportion of its turrets, it would seem to possess
Upon the unhappy seclusion of the royal architect, the works were suspended, and it remained unfinished. Censure and abuse have, however, always been abundantly lavished on its architecture, whether it be the result of royal caprice or of professional study; but the taste of either party deserves to be taxed with its demerits.
The northern front was intended to be appropriated to the use of domestics; the whole building is rendered nearly indestructible by fire, by means of cast-iron joists and rafters, &c., certainly in this case an unnecessary precaution, since the whole pile is shortly to be pulled down. The foundation, too, is in a bog close to the Thames, and the principal object in its view is the dirty town of Brentford, on the opposite side of the river; a selection, it would seem, of family'' taste, for George II. is known to have often said, when riding through Brentford, "I do like this place, it's so like Yarmany."
Sir Richard Phillips (1767-1840), in "A Morning's Walk from London to Kew," (1817) characterized the new palace as "the Bastile palace, from its resemblance to that building, so obnoxious to freedom and freemen. On a former occasion," says he, "I have viewed its interior, and I am at a loss to conceive the motive for preferring an external form, which rendered it impracticable to construct within it more than a series of large closets, boudoirs, and rooms like oratories." The latter part of this censure is judiciously correct; but the epithet "bastile" is perhaps too harsh for some ears.
The premature fate of Kew Palace render it at this moment an object of public curiosity; while the annexed engraving may serve to identify its site, when posterity
.JPG)
The building today known as Kew Palace was originally a mansion, of moderate proportions, opposite the old palace, known as the Dutch House it was taken on a long lease by George III from the descendants of Sir Richard Levett, a powerful merchant and the former Lord Mayor of London, who had purchased it from the grandson of the original owner, a Dutch merchant who had built the house in 1663.[1]
Originally from Sussex, the Levett family (whose name derives from the village of Livet in Normandy) retained ownership of the house, as well as other lands in the Kew complex, until 1781, when the Dutch House was purchased by King George III from the Levett family. However, it had been occupied for several years before by members of the Royal Family from as early as 1734, when they leased the house from the Levett heirs. Indeed a musical portrait of the cello-playing Frederick, Prince of Wales (son of George II) and his sisters, part of the National Portrait Gallery collection in London, painted oil on canvas by Philip Mercier and dated 1733, uses the house as its plein-air backdrop.[2] In 1735 the architect William Kent produced a grandiose plan for a large Palladian palace at Kew, very much in the style of Stowe but this was never executed.
George III's residency of the Dutch House was originally intended to be brief, a temporary residence while his new castellated palace in the Gothic style (described above) was built - at first the Royal Family resided at Richmond Lodge but as the family became larger it became necessary to take over other properties on Kew Green, which included the Dutch House.
The new palace was intended to be "a late Georgian Nonsuch".[1] However the new palace was far from completed on 1810 when the King's insanity forced him to retire from public life. The new palace's style was not to the taste of his successor the profligate George, the Prince Regent. In 1828 parliament having studied the accounts ordered the shell to be demolished, and such fixture and fitting as had been installed to be used elsewhere in royal residences.[1] The staircase was in fact later used at Buckingham Palace.[1]
George III's wife, Queen Charlotte died at the Dutch House on November 17, 1818. On ascending the throne in 1837 Queen Victoria gave most of Kew Gardens to the nation, retaining only a small summer house once belonging to Queen Charlotte for her own use. Known as "Queen's Cottage" Queen Victoria seldom visited it and to mark her Diamond Jubilee in 1887 she presented this also to the country.
This third building survives today. It is located in Kew Gardens and despite its name it is the size of a manor house. Kew Palace was used to hold a dinner hosted by Charles, Prince of Wales to celebrate the 80th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II on April 21, 2006. A few days later it reopened as a visitor attraction, following a ten year closure for restoration.
The restoration not only included physical restoration to the building, but also weaving of period draperies and other fabric décor carried out by master weaver Ian Dale of Scotland. An external lift shaft was added on the west wing for disabled access, in the place of a tower which housed three floors of lavatories.
Old Kew Palace
The old palace was built 1631 by Samuel Fortrey.The building formerly belonged to the Capel family, and by marriage became the property of Samuel Molyneux, Esq., secretary to George II.
Frederick, Prince of Wales took a long lease of the house, which he made his frequent residence; and here, too, occasionally resided his favourite poet, James Thomson, author of "The Seasons." In 1738, another poet, Alexander Pope, gave Prince Frederick a dog, with the following verse inscribed on its collar:
- I am His Highness' dog at Kew.
- Pray tell me, sir, whose dog are you?
The house contained some good pictures, among which were a set of Canaletti's works; the celebrated picture of the Florence gallery, by Zoffany, (who resided in the neighbourhood). The pleasure-grounds, which contained 120 acres, were laid out by Sir William Chambers, one of the greatest masters of ornamental English gardening.
George III's Kew Palace
)
George III's Kew Palace.
''Innumerable are the instances of princes having sought to perpetuate their memories by the building of palaces, from the Domus Aurea, or golden house of Nero, to the comparatively puny structures of our own times. As specimens of modern magnificence and substantial comfort, the latter class of edifices may be admirable; but we are bound to acknowledge, that in boldness and splendour of design, they cannot assimilate to the labours of antiquity, much of whose stupendous character is to this day preserved in many series of interesting ruins:—
- Whilst in the progress of the long decay,
- Thrones sink to dust, and nations pass away.
As a record of this degeneracy, near the western corner of Kew Green stands the palace, commenced for George III., under the direction of the late James Wyatt, Esq. The north front possesses an air of solemn, sullen grandeur; but it very ill accords with the taste and science generally displayed by its nominal architect.
To quote the words of a contemporary, "this Anglo-Teutonic, castellated, gothized structure must be considered as an abortive production, at once illustrative of bad taste and defective judgment. From the small size of the windows and the diminutive proportion of its turrets, it would seem to possess
- "Windows that exclude the light,
- And passages that lead to nothing."''
Upon the unhappy seclusion of the royal architect, the works were suspended, and it remained unfinished. Censure and abuse have, however, always been abundantly lavished on its architecture, whether it be the result of royal caprice or of professional study; but the taste of either party deserves to be taxed with its demerits.
)
A drawing of New Kew Palace, by William Westall, 1823.
The northern front was intended to be appropriated to the use of domestics; the whole building is rendered nearly indestructible by fire, by means of cast-iron joists and rafters, &c., certainly in this case an unnecessary precaution, since the whole pile is shortly to be pulled down. The foundation, too, is in a bog close to the Thames, and the principal object in its view is the dirty town of Brentford, on the opposite side of the river; a selection, it would seem, of family'' taste, for George II. is known to have often said, when riding through Brentford, "I do like this place, it's so like Yarmany."
Sir Richard Phillips (1767-1840), in "A Morning's Walk from London to Kew," (1817) characterized the new palace as "the Bastile palace, from its resemblance to that building, so obnoxious to freedom and freemen. On a former occasion," says he, "I have viewed its interior, and I am at a loss to conceive the motive for preferring an external form, which rendered it impracticable to construct within it more than a series of large closets, boudoirs, and rooms like oratories." The latter part of this censure is judiciously correct; but the epithet "bastile" is perhaps too harsh for some ears.
The premature fate of Kew Palace render it at this moment an object of public curiosity; while the annexed engraving may serve to identify its site, when posterity
- "Asks where the fabric stood."''
Queen Charlotte's Kew Palace
.JPG'))
The building now known as Kew Palace in 1735, originally known as the "Dutch House" because of its Dutch gables.[1]
The building today known as Kew Palace was originally a mansion, of moderate proportions, opposite the old palace, known as the Dutch House it was taken on a long lease by George III from the descendants of Sir Richard Levett, a powerful merchant and the former Lord Mayor of London, who had purchased it from the grandson of the original owner, a Dutch merchant who had built the house in 1663.[1]
Originally from Sussex, the Levett family (whose name derives from the village of Livet in Normandy) retained ownership of the house, as well as other lands in the Kew complex, until 1781, when the Dutch House was purchased by King George III from the Levett family. However, it had been occupied for several years before by members of the Royal Family from as early as 1734, when they leased the house from the Levett heirs. Indeed a musical portrait of the cello-playing Frederick, Prince of Wales (son of George II) and his sisters, part of the National Portrait Gallery collection in London, painted oil on canvas by Philip Mercier and dated 1733, uses the house as its plein-air backdrop.[2] In 1735 the architect William Kent produced a grandiose plan for a large Palladian palace at Kew, very much in the style of Stowe but this was never executed.
)
A musical portrait of Frederick, Prince of Wales and his sisters, dated 1733, uses the house as its plein-air backdrop
The new palace was intended to be "a late Georgian Nonsuch".[1] However the new palace was far from completed on 1810 when the King's insanity forced him to retire from public life. The new palace's style was not to the taste of his successor the profligate George, the Prince Regent. In 1828 parliament having studied the accounts ordered the shell to be demolished, and such fixture and fitting as had been installed to be used elsewhere in royal residences.[1] The staircase was in fact later used at Buckingham Palace.[1]
George III's wife, Queen Charlotte died at the Dutch House on November 17, 1818. On ascending the throne in 1837 Queen Victoria gave most of Kew Gardens to the nation, retaining only a small summer house once belonging to Queen Charlotte for her own use. Known as "Queen's Cottage" Queen Victoria seldom visited it and to mark her Diamond Jubilee in 1887 she presented this also to the country.
Restoration of Kew Palace
)
Kew Palace following the completion of restoration work in 2006.
The restoration not only included physical restoration to the building, but also weaving of period draperies and other fabric décor carried out by master weaver Ian Dale of Scotland. An external lift shaft was added on the west wing for disabled access, in the place of a tower which housed three floors of lavatories.
References
1. ^ Williams, Neville (2006). Royal Homes. London: Lutterworth Press, p. 107. ISBN 0 7188 0803 7.
2. ^ Philip Mercier (1691-1760), Portrait painter. National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved on 2007-04-21.
2. ^ Philip Mercier (1691-1760), Portrait painter. National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved on 2007-04-21.
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External links
- Official site
- The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction, Vol. 10, Issue 275, September 29, 1827, by Various
- Flickr images tagged Kew Palace
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Canary Wharf is the centre of London's modern office towers
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George II (George Augustus; 10 November 1683 – 25 October 1760) was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Hanover) and Archtreasurer and Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.
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The Prince Frederick, Prince of Wales (Frederick Louis; 1 February 1707 – 31 March 1751) was a member of the British Royal Family, the eldest son of George II. He was born into the House of Hanover and, under the Act of Settlement passed by the English Parliament in 1701,
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James Thomson may be
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- James Thomson (engineer) (1822-1892), engineer and professor, brother of William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin
- James Thomson (architect), Scottish architect, City Architect of Dundee
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Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope (c.1727), an English poet best known for his Essay on Criticism, Rape of the Lock and The Dunciad
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Alexander Pope (c.1727), an English poet best known for his Essay on Criticism, Rape of the Lock and The Dunciad
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One acre comprises 4,840 square yards or 43,560 square feet.
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William Chambers
William Chambers, painted in 1764 by Frances Cotes
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Significant buildings Somerset House
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William Chambers, painted in 1764 by Frances Cotes
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Name William Chambers
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Birth date October 27 1723
Birth place Gothenburg, Sweden
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Significant buildings Somerset House
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James Wyatt, (August 3 1746 – September 4 1813), was an English architect, a rival of Robert Adam in the neoclassical style, who far outdid Adam in his work in the neo-Gothic style.
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Gothic architecture is a style of architecture which flourished in Europe during the high and late medieval period. It was preceded by Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture.
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Queen Charlotte, (née Duchess Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; 19 May 1744 – 17 November 1818) was the queen consort of George III of the United Kingdom (1738–1820).
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George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was king of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Hanover from 29 January 1820 until his death.
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The Domus Aurea (Latin for "Golden House") was a large landscaped "portico villa", designed to take advantage of artificially created landscapes, rather than a monumental palace,[1]
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Ruins is a term used to describe the remains of man-made architecture: structures that were at one time complete but which have either been deliberately destroyed or fallen into a state of disrepair over time due to the action of weathering and lack of maintenance.
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Kew
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George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 1738 – 29 January 1820) (New Style dates) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until 1 January 1801, and thereafter of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death.
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James Wyatt, (August 3 1746 – September 4 1813), was an English architect, a rival of Robert Adam in the neoclassical style, who far outdid Adam in his work in the neo-Gothic style.
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George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 1738 – 29 January 1820) (New Style dates) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until 1 January 1801, and thereafter of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death.
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The Prince Frederick, Prince of Wales (Frederick Louis; 1 February 1707 – 31 March 1751) was a member of the British Royal Family, the eldest son of George II. He was born into the House of Hanover and, under the Act of Settlement passed by the English Parliament in 1701,
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George II may refer to:
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William Kent (born in Bridlington, Yorkshire, c. 1685 – April 12 1748) was an eminent English architect, landscape architect and furniture designer of the early 18th century.
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Palladian architecture is a European style of architecture derived from the designs of the Italian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). The term "Palladian" normally refers to buildings in a style inspired by Palladio's own work; that which is recognised as Palladian
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Stowe is a village in Buckinghamshire, England. It is the location of Stowe House, a Grade I listed country house, and Stowe School, which occupies the mansion. It is situated about two miles north-northwest of Buckingham.
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Kew
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Nonsuch Palace was a Tudor royal palace that was built by Henry VIII in Surrey, on the location of Cuddington, near Epsom (the church and village of Cuddington were destroyed to create the plot for the palace).
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George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was king of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Hanover from 29 January 1820 until his death.
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