Kensington Palace : art, architecture and society /
Kensington Palace is renowned for its architecture, splendid interiors, internationally important collections and, of course, its royal residents. This lavish book thoroughly explores Kensington's physical beauty and its history, presenting new material drawn from archives, newspapers, personal...
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| Other Authors: | , |
| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
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New Haven, Connecticut :
Published for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art by Yale University Press, in association with Historic Royal Palaces,
[2018]
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| Summary: | Kensington Palace is renowned for its architecture, splendid interiors, internationally important collections and, of course, its royal residents. This lavish book thoroughly explores Kensington's physical beauty and its history, presenting new material drawn from archives, newspapers, personal letters, images and careful analysis of the building itself. Originally a fashionable Jacobean villa, Kensington was dramatically rebuilt in 1689 by Christopher Wren for the newly crowned monarchs, William III and Mary II. The palace became the favored London home of five sovereigns, surviving fires, partial collapse, bombings and periods of neglect. Queen Victoria recognized its national significance and set about restyling the massive structure with some of England's greatest architects and artists. With over 450 illustrations, including specially commissioned reconstructions and historic plans, this volume explores the personal tastes and fashions of the British monarchy over the course of 300 years and provides insight into the 20th- and 21st-century royal family's domestic life. |
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| Item Description: | Illustrations on endpapers. |
| Physical Description: | xiv, 392 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 30 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: | 9780300236538 0300236530 |