The Royal Pavilion

Royal Pavilion

Brighton

The Brighton Royal Pavilion Was built in three stages between 1787 and 1882. Starting life as an old farm house when the Prince of Wales rented it as a seaside retreat. The farmhouse over looked the very fashionable promenade. The Prince's physicians advised him that it would be beneficial for he's health. This was because Brighton had a fortunate climate and the sea water treatments which included “dipping” was very good for your health.

The Prince of Wales had a taste for fine architecture, decorative arts and fashion which he liked to show off at Windsor and his residences in London. The Prince had a very strict childhood and in early adulthood he started to rebel against this, by drinking, womanising and gambling. This kind of lifestyle started to take its toll on the Prince's pocket and he soon found that he was accumulating quiet a large debt. The Prince started to pleaded to the house of commons for a rise in he's income. After the Prince had made many promises to parliament, the house decided to settle the prince's debts and increase he's income this was in 1787.

The architect Henry Holland the designer of CarltonHouse was hired to transform the farmhouse into something a bit more glamours and grand. After the building was finished the prince would refer to the new house as the Marine Pavilion. The Prince lavishly furnished and decorated the residence with Chinese exported furniture and objects and the walls were covered in hand painted Chinese wall paper. The Marine Pavilion had three main rooms all coming off the central rotunda. There was a breakfast room, Dinning room and a library. All the rooms had oil paintings by Biagio Rebecca and were decorative in Holland's French neoclassic style. The prince also decided to buy the land that surround the Marine Pavilion to build more buildings. In 1801-02 the Pavilion was enlarged to incorporate a new dining room and conservatory all designed by Peter FrederickRobinson an architect from Holland's offices.

After the Pavilion was enlarged the Prince employed an architect called William Porden to design some stables that were to be a grand riding school. Porden's design dwarfed the Marine Pavilion and was designed with a Indian influence. The stables took around fives years to complete between 1803-08. A few years after the stables were finished a designer called John Nash was hired to redesign the all ready large pavilion and it is he's work that we can see today as you walk around Brighton. The Royal Pavilion is a great example of exoticism and was an alternative to the Regency style that was very popular at the time. George IV was determined for the pavilion to be extremely comfortable. The architect was given instructions that he should pay special attention to heating, lighting and the sanitation as well as using the latest equipment of the day to fit out the kitchen.

The presence of George IV in Brighton gave the town its prosperity and a very fashionable place to live. The population in Brighton grew after the Prince decided to take up residence. The population went from 3,620 in 1786 to 40,634 in 1831. The rebuilding of The Pavilion also provided work for local tradesmen and the arrival of The Princes guest in the town to attend the Royal court provided valuable income for local businesses. The sea fronts promenade with its many elegant terraced houses, crescents and squares that you can still see today were build as a direct result of royalty taking up residence in Brighton. Many of these large houses were designed in the regency style that was very popular and very fashionable at the time. George IV became king in 1820 and shortly after the Royal Pavilion was finally finished 1823. The king could only visit the Royal Pavilion a further two times this was because he had a lot more responsibilities and he's health was failing him. In 1830 the king who had made Brighton a very fashionable place died and was succeeded by his younger brother William IV.

William IV continued to stay at the Royal Pavilion and visit Brighton throughout he's short rein. He's wife Queen Adelaide household was to big for the Pavilion and extra rooms and further buildings were add. Nearly all these buildings were demolished and only a few survive today. William IV died in 1837 and he's young niece Victoria became queen. Queen Victoria visited The Pavilion in the same year for the first time. Queen Victoria found The Pavilion to be to small for her and the elegant styled rooms made her feel uncomfortable and uneasy. The queen decided to sell The Pavilion in1850 to the town of Brighton for £50,000. As she thought that the building would be demolished she order the Pavilion to be strip of all its furnishing, decorations and fittings for use in other Royal households throughout the country.

Brighton and its people were aware of the Pavilion's importance as an tourist attraction for the town especially as the new railway had just reached Brighton. Towards the end of that year the main ground floor rooms had been completely redecorated in a similar style as before but not so lavish and the Pavilion opened to the public. The fee to enter The Pavilion was sixpence and stay that amount until the 1920's. In 1864 Queen Victoria returned some of the fixtures and fittings including chandeliers and wall paintings. Victoria made further gifts to The Pavilion in1889. During the WW1 the Pavilion was used as an hospital for Indian solders which lead to damage and neglect. In 1920 the government funded a settlement for the damage done during the war.

The Royal Pavilion in Brighton is a magnificence building and totally out of style with all the other buildings in Brighton. As you walk around Brighton this building stands out and brings a bit of charm to the town and it is a monument to George IV and he's Regency dream and Brighton would not have the same charm without it.