The Royal Pavillion

We visited the Royal Pavillion in Brighton a few weeks ago, a lavish leisure palace built by King George IV. The king, with the help of John Nash, transformed a small farmhouse into a decadent oriental palace (though it is hardly authentic).

The Royal Pavillion is filled with a myriad of pseudo-asian decor including Chinese statues that line the grand hallway, nodding respectfully to guests of the palace, and the Indian-esque domes and towers that dazzle passers by.






The Pavillion has some of the most amazing chandeliers I've ever seen, in person or otherwise. These that you see here are giant lotus blossoms suspended from the mouths of gilded dragons. And many of the rooms have special domes and recesses in them. The kitchen, for example includes a soaring ceiling with a recessed skylight that allowed light in and smoke out.

And speaking of the kitchen, it was revolutionary for it's time because of it's proximity to the dining room. In the Regency era, kitchens were far from the dining room because of the smoke, the smells, and the general raucous.

Another innovation the king had installed we service hallways all along the middle of the palace so that the servants could clean and do their work as was needed without being seen by the many guests that came to visit.

With every room you enter, it is plain to see that George IV liked to party. I mean, he loved to party. As a result, Queen Victoria was not a fan of the Royal Pavillion.

I on the other hand, enjoyed it very much.

---Victoria Hargrove