Royal Pavilion
The Royal Pavilion is a palace built in Brighton, East Sussex, in the 19th Century as a seaside retreat for the then Prince Regent. It is often referred to as the Brighton Pavilion.
The Prince Regent, who later became King George IV, first visited Brighton in the year of 1783, due to his physician advising him that the seawater would be beneficial to his gout. In 1786 he rented a farmhouse in the Old Steine area of Brighton. Being remote from the Royal Court in London, the Pavilion was also a discreet location for the Prince to enjoy liaisons with his first wife, Mrs Fitzherbert, his marriage to whom was illegal due to her Catholic religion. The Prince's interest is widely held to have fuelled the transformation of Brighton from the small fishing village of Brighthelmstone into the fashionable resort it remains today.
Henry Holland was soon employed to enlarge the building. The Prince also purchased land surrounding the property, on which was built in 1803 a grand riding school and stables in an Indian style, to designs by William Porden.
The richly-decorated Banqueting Room at the Royal Pavilion, from John Nash's Views of the Royal Pavilion (1826).
Between 1815 and 1822 the designer John Nash redesigned the palace, and it is the work of Nash which can be seen today. The palace looks rather striking in the middle of Brighton, having a very Indian appearance on the outside. However, the fanciful interior design, primarily by Frederick Crace and Robert Jones firm, is heavily influenced by both Chinese and Indian fashion (with Moghul and Islamic architectural elements). It is a prime example of the exoticism that was an alternative to more classicizing mainstream taste in the Regency style.
After the death of George IV, and brief use by his successor King William IV, Queen Victoria sold the Royal Pavilion to the town council.
During the First World War the Pavilion was used as a hospital for wounded Indian servicemen. The Pavilion is open to visitors and is also made available for education purposes, banqueting, and weddings.
| Royal Palaces and residencies in the United Kingdom |  |
|---|---|
| Occupied: Bagshot Park | Balmoral Castle | Buckingham Palace | Clarence House | Gatcombe Park | Highgrove | Hillsborough Castle | Holyrood Palace | St. James's Palace | Kensington Palace | Sandringham House | Thatched House Lodge | Windsor Castle | |
| Historical: Palace of Beaulieu | Beaumont Palace | Bridewell Palace | Brantridge Park | Cadzow Castle | Cumberland Lodge | Dunfermline Palace | Eltham Palace | Falkland Palace | Fort Belvedere | Hampton Court Palace | Kew Palace | Linlithgow Palace | Marlborough House | Castle of Mey | Nonsuch Palace | Osborne House | Palace of Placentia | Queen's House | Richmond Palace | Royal Pavilion | Savoy Palace | Tower of London | Palace of Westminster | Palace of Whitehall | |
