Buckingham Palace in the City of Westminster - Essay Example

Buckingham Palace Introduction Buckingham Palace is located in the of Westminster and is the residence and office of the British monarch for over four centuries. The place is owned by the British government and is extended for the public and private use of the ruling monarch which has to be given up when the King or Queen leaves their position. Buckingham Palace, originally known as Buckingham House, has housed generations of British monarch beginning from Queen Victoria and later including prominent rulers such as Edward VII, Queen Elizabeth and George VI. The Palace was mainly designed by John Nash and Edward Blore but later structural and other changes were incorporated in the original design to accommodate the changing needs and tastes of the ruling monarch. This paper will attempt to shed light on the history, structure and use of one of the most important houses in Britain- the Buckingham Palace. History and Construction The site that is considered the Buckingham Palace today was in the beginning three sites: Buckingham Gardens, Goring House and Arlington House. As the need for more space was required according to the lifestyle of the Dukes and rulers, the surrounding sites were added to the original Buckingham Gardens. Buckingham Palace began as Buckingham House when John Sheffield, the first Duke of Buckingham built the house in 1702. The Palace as one sees it today was quite different from the one that was originally created. The original house was constructed from red bricks but later the entire façade was replaced by Portland Stone. In 1762, George III bought the house for his Queen, Queen Charlotte as her private residence. The house became to be known as the Queen’s House at that time and many court functions took place in the house at that time. George III wanted to remodel the house to suit the needs of the expanding family but did not get the time. When George III was succeeded by George IV, the new king decided to make changes in the house. Later, under the sanction of the government, George IV ordered a structural renovation of the house by architect, John Nash. George IV wanted to make the place into a palace to suit his own lifestyle. He wanted to make Buckingham House into a Palace and change his primary residence from Carlton House to the Buckingham Palace. The idea of the renovation was to make the place a theatrical showplace for the victories and accomplishments of the English rulers. This included a marble arch to commemorate the victories of Waterloo and Trafalgar. George IV made extensive investment in the palace when he bought furniture from France during the French Revolution. George IV was inspired by the French neo-classical design and thus tried to incorporate it in the designs of the palace (Haris, 29). However, the changes in the design were not completed when George III passed away. The costs of the project had soon exceeded the budget and for this, the successor, William IV dismissed Nash and hired another architect, Edward Blore. The work done by Nash was a failure in many terms since he did nothing to change the structural look of the place. The palace still looked like a large country house when Queen Victoria took over. In 1837, while the renovation was still taking place Queen Victoria moved her residence to Buckingham Palace and thus the Palace from thereon served the function of the royal residence and office. She later realized that the place was not at par with the royal living standards as the plumbing system in the house was quite poor. The family and guests faced many hardships and thus Blore was commissioned to add another fourth wing to the eastern side of the residence facing the Mall and to make improvements to the original Palace (Rappaport, 83). A Ballroom was also added to the Palace since the Palace, now a royal residence, was the central hub of entertainment and frequently was visited by the best musicians of that era. Lavish balls were held in the Ball Room including royal ceremonies and other events. Even now parties are held in the Ball Room where men are required to wear white dress and tie and the women often have to don tiaras. The Throne Room was also an important part of the residence as it was the place where initially debutantes’ entrée into society began. The debutantes began their official entrée in the Throne Room by wearing an official dress that contained three tall ostrich feathers in the hair. Later in 1958, these parties were replaced by Garden parties and the Throne Room was used for the purpose of holding formal addresses of the Queen. The Throne Room was also the setting where official portraits of the Royal family were taken (Healey, 147). However, the death of Prince Albert in the palace broke the charm of the royal residence and Queen Victoria retired to Windsor Castle, leaving the Palace empty and devoid of its splendor. In 1901, Queen Victoria’s son, Edward VII made further revision in the design when he hired Sir Aston Webb to change the entire interior of the house and to redo the house facade in Portland stone (Wayne, 183). The interior of the Palace is a combination of both old and modern design elements. Certain parts of the original interior have survived in the Palace even today. These include the vivid scagilola that have been extensively used in the Palace such as in the Music Room which is made from blue lapis. Similarly the furniture within the Palace is furnished with pieces from the Carlton House and the Royal Pavilion in Brighton. Chinese style furniture has also been used in the Palace. The Buckingham Palace Gardens also form a big attraction of the royal residence. They are one of the biggest gardens in London. Originally they contained a walled garden by the name of Mulberry Garden. The Mulberry Garden housed mulberry trees planted to promote silk manufacturing in Britain. Later when the House was made into a Palace, the gardens were redone to be developed for more decorative purposes rather than functional use. The Buckingham Palace is a place that has acquired changes over the course of time. The original structure is still maintained to a certain extent but the large sprawling building that is now the royal residence is quite different from what it looked originally. It has graced over time and has been adopted to suit the times and needs of the people living within. Structure Today The structure of the Buckingham Palace is Victorian. Such structures usually have pointed cathedral and numerous windows. The feel of the Buckingham Palace is very classical and it is obvious from the high ceilings and the marble arch that the building belongs in the 19th century. If the building had been built today, it would have been quite different. Modern buildings depend on heavy usage of glass and steel. High rise buildings are dominating the modern landscape. If the Buckingham Palace had been created today, it would have a lot of glass windows. While there are many windows in the original design, modern windows are different in the sense that they are made entirely of glass without the frames that are part of old buildings. If a modern architect had been hired to create the structure, he would have introduced a post-modernist element in the structure. By this, I mean that the form of the building would have been organic instead of geometric. Right now, the building gives a balanced look but if it had been made today, there would have chances that the building had been made in the shape of a tiara. Also modern buildings are simplistic in design. The decorative elements used in old buildings are missing in many modern buildings. For instance, in the case of the Buckingham Palace, it is quite possible that the architect would have forgone the use of vivid scagilola. If the Buckingham Palace had been created today, it would have been obvious that the building would have been housed with the latest technology. The plumbing and electric system in the Palace would have state-of-the art. The building would have smart electronics embedded in the structure where the rooms would automatically light up with someone entered. Some doors would not open unless a special person spoke to the door. Conclusion Buckingham Palace is a royal residence and therefore is representative of the culture of the Royal Family. The Palace, with its biggest garden and expansive building, should house someone as important as the royal family. Since the building has been passed on from the Royal Generation, therefore it has elements of design from different eras. It was a country house in the beginning and elements of this can be seen if the structure is carefully analyzed. Each owner added his own touch in the building from George IV’s love for the French neo-classical design to Queen Victoria’s need for large ballrooms. The building today is mix of cultures and past architectural movements. However, if the building had been created today, all of this would have been missing. It would have been a modern building with state-of-the-art technology embedded within the rooms. Work Cited Healey, Edma, The Queens House: A Social History of Buckingham Palace. London: Penguin Group, 1997 Rappaport, Helen, Queen Victoria: A Biographical Companion, New York: ABC-CLIO, 2003 Wayne, Robert, Royal London in Context: The Independent Travelers Guide to Royal London, Georgia: Independent Intl Travel Harris, John, De Bellaigue, Geoffrey, and Miller, Oliver, Buckingham Palace. London: Nelson, 1968 Read More