Some of you know I try and be a tourist in my own city otherwise one only sees the daily grind of London instead of the reasons why it is considered a destination.
Regular readers know I did a tour of Buckingham Palace last year.
I walked past it on my way to this summer's tourist activity.
Glorious August London traffic!
Look at how empty the Mall is!
I not only walked by Buckingham Palace but also walked by the red coat guards stomping up and down in their ceremonial fashion. Tourists should not be disappointed if they miss
the changing of the guards. One should just walk towards Clarence House and watch two guards ceremoniously stomp back and forth as a good substitute.
This year I decided on Clarence House and entered through the door that is on the Mall.
They had a decorative entry marquee before the tour started in the gardens.
I was clicking away and noticed that part of St James was also part of the grounds of Clarence House.
I wondered what was through those gates and noticed the planting as Prince Charles is a passionate gardener. I had heard he had beehives and all sorts of gardens even in his London home.
I also saw his vegetable garden when I was told there would be no photos allowed at all.
So I will leave you with a few pictures from the guidebook that was part of the tour.
The house seems to have always housed a senior royal.
It is not only the home to Prince Charles but has been the home to the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret and even to Queen Elizabeth before she became Queen.
I took a shot of the most famous room of the house from the book.
This is their Morning Room and the room where most family and official portraits are taken. All the recent Prince George christening photos were taken here.
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This room has mostly stayed the same since the days when
Queen Elizabeth lived here.
As I adore porcelain I asked what the collection of china was that was proudly displayed on either side of the fireplace.
( better seen on the first picture of the room two pics above )
The guide said it was Chelsea Porcelain which was not considered fashionable until it was discovered that the Queen collected it. Copies are now available through the Royal collection gift shop.
The guided tour only included the main garden and a few rooms on the ground floor.
This is the dining room and apparently Prince Charles always sits facing the unfinished portrait of the Queen Mother.
This is the dining room and apparently Prince Charles always sits facing the unfinished portrait of the Queen Mother.
The guide did say that the house has a romantic gloom as light is very much a scarcity.
When I entered this hall, I was struck at how dark it actually was.
The house was everything you would expect from a royal home with all its furniture and trappings.
It was an hour long and the guides were very knowledgeable about the house and history in general which added to the tour.
It also ended with a glass of very chilled champagne in the garden so I would highly recommend visiting next year when the house is open again.
I have never had any desire to visit England...until you arrived in my life. I love the glimpses and glances. However, when I do visit I will be coming to see you baby. Much love.
ReplyDeleteLove these tours! I am crazy about london and can't wait to go back!
ReplyDeleteWhat gorgeous rooms and am heartened to hear them described as dimly lit. Even taking away the fact that those rooms have priceless furnishings, the scale, sense of proportion, and use of colour is all perfect.
ReplyDelete@BB - I think you would very much appreciate the local humor - right up your street! x
Delete@Wendy - you must come in the summer when the royals are away because they are a very limited season!
@GSL - it was almost too dark dare I say and I left feeling depressed. But it is amazing to have that space in London so one shouldn't complain right?
Those rooms are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI really like the touches of light blue in the Morning Room, it makes it look very serene and comfortable, not so stuffy and grand as other rooms in stately homes. Thanks for the tour!!!
ReplyDeleteYou're so lucky you get to pop into amazing interiors like that at whim!! Love the pictures and the info. Funny how something can be unfashionable until somebody fashionable starts collecting it!!
ReplyDelete@LPC - they were truly the signs of a home rather than a palace which was nice.
Delete@Louise - the light blue was one of the attempts of color that was to brighten the room but Prince Charles decided to embrace the darkness in the dining room and painting some dark accents in the ceiling but there were not so many lamps either so he must read elsewhere in the house.
@Heidi - well I am trying to make the most of London otherwise I would sulk constantly at the lack of my own pool you see! And yes - Queen Elizabeth has help survive many unfashionable collections and artists in fact along with Queen Vic who also went against populist taste.
Wonderful! But, of course, it's wonderful isn't it?
ReplyDeletexx's
Such a shame they don't allow photos.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the "romantic gloom' is to protect from the bleaching effect of sunlight.
It's always great to see London through fresh eyes.
@Marsha - And he lives next door to his mother which is rare these days! x
Delete@SJV it was but there was so many things to take a pic of I am sure that it would just be flashes over and over. While the lack of sun is to protect half the items were reupholstered but I must say it was a little too dark for myself so lucky I dont live there eh?? ;)
Hello Naomi,
ReplyDeleteIt is good sometimes to be a tourist in one's own city since, as you say, it gives a fresh perspective on what there us to see and do away from the usual routine.
We have never entered the portals of Clarence House and have been fascinated by your visit. A dear friend of ours did visit when the Queen Mother lived there and has intriguing tales of copious quantities of gin and gay butlers! A different insight, indeed!
Although we quite like to roam at will when visiting properties, we do like it when one has well informed guides. They really do add so much more interest to the whole experience. Yours sound to have been perfectly matched to the task with just enough information and yet flexible to individual questions and interests.
I do try and make the most of London and enjoy the history which I enjoy tremendously. I think for security reasons they wouldn't dare divulge some structural matters but it seemed that the palace of St James an Clarence House has connecting annexes which must also be a new thing relatively speaking. Yes I think the Queen Mother had a very gay and happyily influeced life indeed! The guides were excellent. The royal family aren't known to pay well but rely on patriotism and this was reflected in the knowledge of so many subjects and the ability for the guide to be able to answer any question!
DeleteLovely pictures of Clarence House - despite the "romantic gloom" there is a real feel of lightness, charm and serenity. Specially love the pale blues of the morning room and all the pretty collections. Also like the fact that though there is a mix of different patterns and texture, the patterns don't overwhelm the eye as they do in some of Prince Charles' houses decorated by his sister-in-law. The soft coloured pretty gowns the QM usually wore would have worked so well in these lovely rooms.
ReplyDeleteAlso much prefer these rooms to the ones I remember in Windsor Castle. Gothic collections of armour and weapons, no matter how artistically arranged - and large gloomy portraits and lots of horse and dog pictures somehow don't appeal to me as much. In addition to the visitor route, have managed to see some of the private areas there as years ago we used to be taken about by a less well-known member of the Royal family (husband of a former Princess who was a great grand-daughter of Queen Victoria and first cousin of George VI) who would step over the silken ropes and stride off down the corridors saying, "Come on, follow me. There's something I want particularly to show you." The guards knew him of course so we followed as fast as we could, not wanting to get lost in the vast corridors and halls.
Remember hearing about the Queen Mother and her gay staff too. Apparently she would often call for refreshments saying "Which one of you old queens is going to bring this old Queen a drink?" And she didn't mean lemonade.
Best wishes, Pamme xx
It was interesting to see that some of the rooms were left as was in the time of Princess Elizabeth not her majesty. But Prince Charles has done a lot of work and decoration in the house - I think Robert Kime is his go to decorator other than Camilla's sister who has her own style and seems to get all the other big projects. I have never been inside Windsor Castle but will try and get there next year. Yes there are so many stories of the Queen Mother who seemed to love an entourage and had a great rapport with her staff. I love that line of the old queens! But how lucky you got access to some private areas - I enjoyed seeing which pictures were displayed in the rooms and let's say that there was none of Princess Di but a lovely picture of Prince Charles and Prince George that wasn't formally released so was nice to see his choice of family pics. PS there were slightly more of William than Harry too! But that was only the rooms we went on tour...
DeleteWe used to visit Windsor Castle many years ago. Before the terrible fire. So maybe things are rather different now. It's so good that they've left some of the Clarence House rooms as they were during the time of Princess Elizabeth - and her mother. There's a lightness of touch to the rooms you've shown that is really charming. Hard to know who would be responsible for that, possibly the Royals themselves, or Robert Kime tweaking just a little.
DeleteThe taste question is rather worrying when it's generally known that Brenda and Brian (? - is it Brian?) generally have breakfast together each morning served from Tupperware. Certainly can't imagine the old QM eating from Tupperware. When we stayed with our old time Royal friends they always had so many different breakfast - and dinner - sets, many of them given as official gifts when he was once a Governor. It was always intriguing to see which service we'd have next. Some even had kangaroos and koalas painted on them. They were a very down to earth and funny couple too. One time they both forgot their keys when we went out to dinner. The servants had all gone to bed in the attics and our host had to lob pebbles up at the windows to wake them up so they would let us in. As it was cold and they were having trouble waking them, they started getting rather fractious with each other, till they noticed I was sobbing with laughter. Suddenly we all cracked up - and he hit the bulls eye.
Not surprised there are no pictures of Diana. Can't imagine Camilla would allow. Even though it would be nice for the boys.
Pammie xx
Love the stories! But funny enough I think it all fits that they use Tupperware and it fits in an odd way! Xx
DeleteWhat could Prince Charles possibly be growing in that garden that means photography has been prohibited?
ReplyDeleteHa! He has quite a garden and recycling area but then I suppose the tour would be too long!
DeleteSo much nicer to be a tourist when most of the other tourists are somewhere else! It must be difficult to live with so much history at times. I wonder if Prince Charles and the younger royals ever dream of doing the whole place up themselves and putting all of the old stuff in the attic??
ReplyDeleteWell the prince has many other homes and his most recent home done in Wales is quite simple actually you can google and see
DeleteIt makes me breathless thinking of being responsible for so much stuff. I guess if you are born to it it is easier. I say put the "stuff in the attic" tongue in cheek for the royals.
DeleteLoved reading all your interesting acts, beehives you say I would love to see them and that Adam ceiling.
ReplyDeleteIt produced 100 jars last year of honey! And the veggies are used by the household too smt
Deletehttp://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/elizabeth-bay-house
ReplyDeleteceiling at Elizabeth Bay House in Sydney, the finest house in the Colony
I used to think tours of any kind were a simple waste of time. But I have come to realize that I was just unlucky with guides. A good one makes all the difference. I love getting the feel of a place rather than an hours worth of memorized script. Im glad you had an enjoyable time at Clarence House. Thank you for sharing it-I will add it to my list of places to visit. I love the Morning Room....
ReplyDeleteObviously, I need to start hanging out with Pammie. Hey Pammie: ..call me
Funny bc I used to be a tour snob and never went on any but then found a guide once who completely turned me around and now I always do one tour
DeleteI love the Morning Room. My Morning Room is the kitchen :( . Interesting that an unfinished painting has pride of place in the dining room. The Queen Mother must have liked it even if Augustus John didn't.
ReplyDeleteIm such a typical tourist - I love doing all sorts of tours and I agree the tour guide can definitely make the tour. Im always fascinated by dining rooms even though im not keen on hosting dinner parties - I think it's the table I idolise xx
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely trip, I would love to get inside and see Clarence house, I hope that these places never get made over into some Kelly Hoppen style 'greige'!
ReplyDeleteNaomi, Loved this! I do like the light colors in the decor, but I'm with you I couldn't deal with the lack of light! So very neat to get to see where they actually live. Thanks for sharing! xx Kim
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