The Home Beautiful: The James Wyatt Armchair, 1805

Oak Armchair
C. 1805
The Victoria & Albert Museum

There’s something wholly English about this open armchair of oak, with cluster-column legs. Crafted in the Gothic Revival style, it is decorated with a turned ring at half height, and square armrests which enclose gothic tracery carving . The back is pierced and divided by cluster-columns into three arcades with tracery carving, The top rail forms a pediment which surrounds further tracery motifs.

The chair is said to be the work of the architect James Wyatt (1746-1813) who may have made it for one of the interiors that the Prince Regent, later George IV, commissioned for Carlton House in London. Records show that the Gothic Library at Carlton House, was supplied with a set of oak seat furniture in 1808. This chair may belong to that set.

Curiously, the chair bears the inventory mark of Windsor Castle. The mark was added about 1835, indicating that this chair eventually ended up at Windsor around the time of William IV. Eight matching side chairs are still in the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle. Why or how this one escaped is something of a mystery.

Antique Image of the Day: Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

She had just enjoyed her breakfast and retired to the Queen’s Sitting Room at Windsor Castle. Princess Beatrice accompanied Queen Victoria, bringing the daily news, so that she could read it to Her Majesty. Together, they sat amidst the glorious artwork and furniture, the morning sunlight filtering through the windows to blanket their comfortable scene.

Taken on May 21, 1895, the gelatine silver print is the work of an unnamed Dutch photographer who had been recommended to the Queen by the Princess of Wales. This image shows a domestic scene set in the most opulent of settings and reminds us that for all the trappings of Royalty, Queen Victoria was simply human.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Click image for High Resolution Picture

Her Majesty’s Furniture: Queen Charlotte’s Arm Chair, 1780

Arm Chair
1780
James M. Brown
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Sir William Chambers’s, with the help of his assistant John Yenn, undertook the redecoration and modernization of the State Apartments at Windsor Castle for King George III and Queen Charlotte between 1778 and 1795. Sadly, this period of decorative history is, as described by the curators of the Royal Collection, “poorly documented and now largely forgotten.”

Whatever changed were made didn’t last long. In the first years of the nineteenth century, the apartments were redecorated again, largely erasing the work instigated by George III, by a renovation spearheaded by Sir Jeffry Wyatville in the 1820s and 1830s for George IV and William IV.

In 1778, Queen Charlotte, consort of George III, had installed a variety of new furnishings in the neo-classical style, possibly designed by Yenn. Among them were two armchairs and ten stools upholstered en suite, and finished in tri-colored gold. This is one of those chairs. It is inscribed on the calico beneath the embroidered covers with the name of the workman responsible for the upholstery, James M. Brown of Windsor, and the date, “21 July 1780.”

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

The Home Beautiful: Curtain Samples for Windsor Castle, 1853

This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Queen Victoria admired the decoration executed in 1850 for the Emperor Napoleon III in his French palaces. Of course, Victoria wanted to “keep up with the Royal Joneses” and ordered a scheme of redecoration for Windsor Castle that would compete with Napoleon’s ambitious new décor.  She commissioned a local department store, Caley Brothers of Windsor, to supply examples of textiles.  

These four textile samples were chosen by Caley Brothers as a proposed set of new grand draperies for Windsor castle.  The green ribbed silk was used for the main body of the curtains while the figured silk ribbon (with the rose of England, the thistle of Scotland and the shamrock of Ireland) in green and white was used to trim the vertical edges of the curtains and the green silk fringe for other edges. The drapes were to be lined with the shiny green silk taffeta.

A handwritten label originally attached to one of the samples states:

“Supplied to Queen Victoria for curtains at Windsor Castle.”

The London interior decorating firm of Colefax & Fowler was employed to work on schemes for the castle based on these fabric choices. A similar motif was ultimately used for the new draperies.  

Antique Image of the Day: The Queen’s Christmas Tree, Windsor Castle, 1857

The Queen's Christmas Tree, Windsor Castle
1857
The Royal Collection

Christmas and Victoriana have long been linked together. When we think of Christmas traditions, our thoughts tend to go back to the Victorian and repeat images straight out of Charles Dickens. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert did much to popularize the decoration of fir trees at Christmastime. They embraced this German custom and actually filled the royal residences with many trees—sometimes one for each member of the family as well as trees for the staff. However, while Victoria and Albert made the custom more common in Britain, contrary to popular belief, they were not the ones to initially introduce the practice to the royal household. That primary introduction came from Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III.


It was Victoria and Albert’s tradition to hand out presents on Christmas Eve. We see here an image of one of their Christmas trees in Windsor Castle, taken on Christmas Eve, 1857. This was the queen’s personal tree and all of the presents that she was to receive were placed beneath it. As we can see, among her many presents were autographed photos of popular actors of the day. Queen Victoria was never shy about showing that she was a fan of something. 

The Home Beautiful: Christmas Trees of the Duchess of Kent and the Royal Children at Windsor Castle, 1850

Queen Victoria's Christmas Tree
William Corden, the Younger
after James Roberts, 1851
The Royal Collection

Queen Victoria loved Christmas! She loved it. I think she loved it largely because she really liked to get presents. I mean, she really, really liked to get presents. And, Prince Albert liked to give her presents. So, the Queen had her own little tree on a table upon which she could show off the many opulent gifts she received, and she would admire them and make visitors do the same.  

The image to the left shows one such display of gifts at Windsor Castle in 1851.

So, as you can see, Her Majesty really enjoyed Christmas.  And, why not?  Look at what she was given.  Still...

At a point, she also had nine children. I would assume that most of them enjoyed getting presents, too. But, they, naturally, didn’t get to put their gifts on the Queen’s gift table. They had their own. And their own tree.

Oh, yes, and the Duchess of Kent—Queen Victoria’s mum. Victoria didn’t like her mum too much most of the time. They had, after all, some rather strange history stemming back to the Kensington Palace days. But, Christmas meant that the Duchess of Kent would be hanging around Windsor Castle, and, since she was the mother of the Queen, she did deserve some cheer as well. So, she got to share the royal kiddies’ spot. She did, however, get her own tree. 

How nice. 

And, here’s a drawing of that phenomenon. Created by James Roberts (1800-1867), this beautiful watercolor shows a topographical view of a gorgeous, but unnamed, room in Windsor Castle. Painted in 1850, this image gives us a glimpse at the Christmas trees—dangerously aglow with candles--of the Duchess of Kent and the Royal children and a look at the gifts that they received that year.

Throughout the year, Victoria and Albert commissioned these watercolor drawings of the Royal residences to serve as records of their decor.  Their Majesties always made a point to have paintings created of their Christmas displays.  The Royal Collection contains several such scenes.

The Christmas Trees of the Duchess of Kent and the Royal Children
James Roberts, 1850
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Unusual Artifacts: A Souvenir from Windsor Castle, 1886-1897

Souvenir Brooch
1886-1887
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Here’s a nifty little souvenir that I wouldn’t mind having. I’m sure that they were made by the dozens. I wonder how many are left. This one is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. 

This brooch is in the form of a painter's palette with a view of Windsor Castle. It is crafted of electroplated nickel silver painted in enamel colors.

This was just the sort of thing that a visitor to Windsor could afford to purchase as a trinket. While most women would probably have not worn it, it would have served as a pretty reminder of a fun afternoon.

Antique Image of the Day: Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

She had just enjoyed her breakfast and retired to the Queen’s Sitting Room at Windsor Castle. Princess Beatrice accompanied Queen Victoria, bringing the daily news, so that she could read it to Her Majesty. Together, they sat amidst the glorious artwork and furniture, the morning sunlight filtering through the windows to blanket their comfortable scene.

Taken on May 21, 1895, the gelatine silver print is the work of an unnamed Dutch photographer who had been recommended to the Queen by the Princess of Wales. This image shows a domestic scene set in the most opulent of settings and reminds us that for all the trappings of Royalty, Queen Victoria was simply human.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Click image for High Resolution Picture

Tuesday Talkies: The Queen's Palaces: Windsor Castle

Part One of two, this BBC special takes you into Windsor Castle as part of a tour of the Queen's palaces.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: “The Centre Table,” 1826

"The Centre Table"
Ebony, Gilded Pine, Gilt Bronze, Oak and Marble
Morel and Seddon, 1826
The Royal Collection

Avid collector King George IV purchased the inlaid hard-stone top of this table in the early Nineteenth Century. Intricately inlaid table tops where quite the fashion, and examples created by Italian craftsmen were highly sought after.


George IV commissioned the furniture makers Morel and Seddon to create the massive base for the table. Crafted of ebony, gilded pine and gilt bronze, the ornate base was completed in 1826 and was intended for use in the newly appointed Crimson Drawing Room at Windsor Castle. George IV was so pleased with the result, he ordered several other inlaid pieces to add to the room.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
This and all images
Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

The Home Beautiful: The Ladle from the Grand Punch Bowl, 1841

Ladel from the Grand Punch Bowl
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
This and all related images
Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Edward, John & William Barnard served as the silversmiths for this handsome ladle of ivory and silver gilt. The piece was made between 1841 and 1842 for The Grand Punch Bowl that has presided over many a soiree at the Royal Residences. The bowl, originally a wine cooler, was changed into its present form for the christening of Prince Albert Edward (later King Edward VII) at Windsor Castle. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert commissioned the Barnards to create this ladle for the event.

The bowl of the ladle is formed of silver gilt in the shape of a large, matted shell with a relief of coral. The ivory shaft is joined by a foliate spray of silver gilt. Since the piece was made for the christening of Prince Albert Edward, the shaft terminates in the Prince of Wales’ feathers.

Her Majesty’s Furniture: A Pair of Onyx Marble Pedestals, 1720

One of a Pair
of Pedestals
Onyx Marble Veneer
Over Hardstone
1720
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection

The placement of art in a room depends on the piece—its size, scale, lines, subject and color. Members of the Royal Family have always been very particular about how they display their precious art and artifacts. In the case of sculpture (and this, really, should always be true), the choice of plinth or pedestal was just as important as the sculpture itself. These were often considered to be as much a part of the sculpture as they were an extension of the architecture of the room.

This pair of onyx marble pedestals is what remains of what was once a set of four with the other two being pink. Though they’re massive, they’re quite delicate. The onyx veneer—imported from Egypt—was prone to easy chipping. The set of pedestals came into Kensington Palace around 1720 under the direction of King George I who ordered them from an Italian designer as a means of displaying a group of four marbles of The Seasons by Camillo Rusconi. They were installed in the King’s Gallery.

In 1828, the Rusconi groups were taken to Windsor Castle. The pedestals were sent for refurbishment. Around this time, the two pink pedestals seemed to disappear while this set of two was sent to Windsor Castle where they now stand in the Queen’s Guard Chamber, supporting bronzes purchased by King George IV.

Her Majesty's Furniture: The James Wyatt Armchair, 1805

Oak Armchair
C. 1805
The Victoria & Albert Museum

There’s something wholly English about this open armchair of oak, with cluster-column legs. Crafted in the Gothic Revival style, it is decorated with a turned ring at half height, and square armrests which enclose gothic tracery carving . The back is pierced and divided by cluster-columns into three arcades with tracery carving, The top rail forms a pediment which surrounds further tracery motifs.

The chair is said to be the work of the architect James Wyatt (1746-1813) who may have made it for one of the interiors that the Prince Regent, later George IV, commissioned for Carlton House in London. Records show that the Gothic Library at Carlton House, was supplied with a set of oak seat furniture in 1808. This chair may belong to that set.

Curiously, the chair bears the inventory mark of Windsor Castle. The mark was added about 1835, indicating that this chair eventually ended up at Windsor around the time of William IV. Eight matching side chairs are still in the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle. Why or how this one escaped is something of a mystery.

Pets of the Belle Époque: King Edward VII’s Dog, Caesar

"I am Caesar.  I belong to the King."

I'm repeating portions of this article from 2010 because, well, I'm particularly fond of the story of Edward VII and his terrier buddy.  I have updated this article quite a lot and added many new images as well as film footage from Edward VII's 1910 funeral procession.

Caesar, The Royal Collection

King Edward VII, son of Queen Victoria, was a great lover of dogs. He kept many dogs as companions and for sport, however, his favorite was a Wire Fox Terrier named Caesar. Caesar was King Edward’s constant companion. When the king traveled both in England, and abroad, he always brought Caesar with him. Caesar, being a terrier, had a mind of his own and was known to get into mischief from time-to-time. That only made the King love him more.

Caesar and Edward VII
The Royal Collection

Caesar wore a jaunty little collar with a gold tag which read. “I am Caesar. I belong to the King.” The tag served useful when Caesar invariably ran off in search of adventure—something he did quite often. Once, in fact, the entire Marienbad Police Force was dispatched to find Caesar after he had darted into the woods. While Caesar was perfect in the King’s eyes, when he would visit friends, his hosts often found the dog to be rather “stinky.”

Such a beloved pet, Caesar was immortalized in a jeweled sculpture created by Carl Fabergé which was given as gift from the King to his wife Queen Alexandra. Made of enameled chalcedony, the figure featured a gold collar and ruby eyes.

Figure of Caesar by Fabergé 
Jackson's World

In 1910, upon the death of the King, Caesar was reportedly broken hearted. The terrier walked in the King’s funeral procession—behind the carriage holding the casket. The sculpture atop the tomb of Edward VII depicts Caesar curled up at the King’s feet.

The British people felt a deep sympathy for Caesar and his bereavement. His image graced many postcards and a book was written “by Caesar” following the King’s death entitled, “Where’s Master?” The frontispiece of the book reads as follows:

We’ve come to the end of the journey.
They say I can’t follow Master any further.
They say there are no little dogs where master has gone.
...But, I know better.

Caesar in the King's Funeral Procession
The Royal Collection

Caesar's Book
Jackson's World

Upon the King’s death, Caesar stayed close to Queen Alexandra. When he passed away, she described him as her greatest comfort during a time of great loneliness. Caesar was a noble and royal companion who just happened to have a royal master.

The Queen made sure that Caesar was given a tomb of his own which befitted his noble spirit.

When the tomb of Edward VII and Queen Alexandra was unveiled in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in 1927, the Royal Family was pleased to see that sculptor Bertram Mackennal placed Caesar back in his rightful place at the feet of the King.

Caesar as depicted on the tomb at St. George's Chapel

A View of the Tomb of Edward VII and Alexandra taken just after the unveiling in 1927

Another View of Edward VII's Funeral Procession.
Caesar is shown by the black arrow.


 

Where's Master?

Painting of the Day: “A Performance of Macbeth, Windsor Castle,” 1853

A Performance of Macbeth, Windsor Castle
Louis Haghe, 1853
The Royal Collection

Public outrage at the actions of our leaders is nothing new. Sometimes, a leader will not be aware of the message that she’s sending when she does something that is innocent enough. Such was the case with Queen Victoria who very much enjoyed viewing Italian, French and German operas and theatricals. The English people were upset, wondering why the queen wasn’t as interested in native theatre as she was in foreign productions.


So, in order to quiet the public, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert instituted an annual tradition of inviting the British company of actor Charles Kean into their home to perform works of English origin. This 1853 watercolor by Louis Haghe shows one of these performances. Here, we see the royal family seated in the “Rubens”’ room of Windsor Castle, enjoying a performance of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. You can see the queen and prince seated on the left, with their children on the floor. Victoria was so impressed with the performance that she attended the London production of the show many times.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II