 |
| Cumberland's Suite |
 |
| King's Privy Chamber |
 |
| Heraldic Animals |
 |
| King's Beasts on the moat |
The Stuart Dynasty ended with Queen Anne's death in 1714. Afterwards the Hanover dynasty came to rule Britain. George I and his son George II were the last monarchs to reside at Hampton Court. Under George I, six rooms were completed in 1717 as per the design made by John Vanbrugh. George II was banned from entering this royal palace after a heated argument with his father in December 1717. The palace was not used between 1718 and 1727. George I made St. James Palace as his residence. After the death of George I in 1727, George II returned to Hampton Palace. Under George II and his wife Caroline, further decorations were done by William Kent to Queen's Staircase in 1733. Queen Caroline's drawing room was decorated with Mantegna's "Triumphs of Caesar". George II built new lodgings on the east side of the Clock Court in 1732 for his second son, Duke of Cumberland. These rooms are called "Cumberland Suite." During his rule, Queen's Staircase work and decoration work were completed. After Queen Caroline's death in 1737, George II stopped visiting this palace.George III never set foot in the palace as he was humiliated by his grandfather when he made some remark.
 |
| Raphael's Cartoon |
 |
| Raphael's Cartoons |
 |
| Crystal Chandelier in King's Privy Chamber |
 |
| King William's Private Garden |
 |
| The Oldest Grape Vine In Europe |
 |
| Dark Red Grapes |
The Great Vine was planted near the small banqueting house in 1769 which grew to an astonishing height of one hundred feet with a stout stem of eighty-one inches and still yields three hundred kilo of grapes every year. When we entered the vine grove, we felt as if we entered a dark cave with a lengthy passage with clusters of dark purple grapes hanging from above the dense leaves of vine which formed a green canopy giving a cool shade. The maze of the winding curves of this gigantic vine creeper is a wonderful miracle wrought by nature. This 240-year old Grape Vine is reputed to be the largest grape vine in the world. In 1796 "The Great Hall" built by Henry VIII was restored. In 1838 during Queen Victoria's reign the palace was opened to the public.
The Institution "Historic Royal Palaces" whose head quarters are based in this palace, has done a lot of work in renovating this monumental palace and restoring its past grandeur and glory. Especially between 1970 and 1980's, many renovations have been made to re-create the bygone splendor of this court. The Great Hall, The Great Gate House and the whole of the West Front were re-Tudorised during this period.Ten statues of the heraldic animals called "King's Statues" stand on the moat leading to the Great Gate House.The "King's Beasts" represent the ancestry of the King Henry VIII and his third wife, Jane Seymour. We also find statues of gilded beasts in the new garden. There was no trace of gardens planted by Henry VIII. In 1924 a small knot garden resembling the 16th century was planted. In 1992 King William's private garden on the south side of the palace was re-planted with hollies and yew trees along a geometric pattern of paths in 17th century style.
 |
| Horse carriage |
 |
| The Panoramic View of Yew Trees |
We rode in a horse-carriage drawn by two stout shire horses each weighing more than three tons. Our guide, an English lady, commented on the various sites as we were passing by. The dark foliage of the well-grown yew trees and marble figures around the fountains seemed very attractive. The vast the open grounds were once filled with wild animals and kings actively participated in hunting sports. In the king's and queen's apartments, we can see the royal collection of paintings and furnishings of the early Tudor, late Stuart and early Georgian Period. The famous Raphael Cartoons ( seven large cartoons designed by Raphael in 1515--1516 ) once adorned the south side of the Fountain Court. Now they have been shifted to Victoria and Albert Museum, London. The copies done by Henry Cooke are displayed in their place.We can also see the rare Chinese Pottery and crystal glassware collected by Queen Mary II. In king's privy chamber a crystal chandelier of 1700's, one of the oldest chandeliers, is seen. Tables, chairs, clocks and stately beds are seen along with beautiful tapestry, hangings and curtains. In king's guard chamber, a large collection of military weapons and arms like muskets, pistols, swords, daggers and armors are seen decorated on the walls. In 1986 fire destroyed a large part of the king's apartment. Repairs were undertaken and the work was completed in 1995.
This palace houses the Royal School of Needlework and is the headquarters of the Historic Royal Palaces. This year this magnificent, historic monument, which has assimilated various styles of artistic construction during the reign of various royal dynasties for more than three centuries celebrated its 500th anniversary on 12th February, 2015. The 25th annual event of the Royal Horticultural Show was celebrated from 2nd July, 2015 to 5th July, 2015. When the Duke of Wurtenberg visited this palace in 1592, he described this marvelous palace as " the most magnificent royal edifice to be found in England or for that matter in other centuries."
This palace stands as a glorious reminder of the times assimilating the diverse changes in different ages and is the product of various architectural changes and innovations which took place during the rule of various British kings and royal personages. It also stands as a solid proof of various historical events and happenings that occurred in her grand apartments.
**********************************************
19th July, 2015 Somaseshu Gutala
No comments:
Post a Comment