Marlborough House

Marlborough House

Coordinates: 51°30′18″N 0°8′9″W / 51.505°N 0.13583°W / 51.505; -0.13583

This article is about Marlborough House, Westminster. For the property in Brighton, please see Marlborough House, Brighton
In its original form Marlborough House had just two stories. This illustration of c.1750 shows the garden front.
This view of the entrance front published in the 1850s before Pennethorne's additions shows an additional storey on the wings. The wings later gained a fourth main storey, and the central section gained a third.
Marlborough House – Rotating Summer House

Marlborough House is a mansion in Westminster, London, in Pall Mall just east of St James's Palace. It was built for Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, the favourite and confidante of Queen Anne. The Duchess wanted her new house to be "strong, plain and convenient and good". Christopher Wren, both father and son, designed a brick building with rusticated stone quoins that was completed in 1711. For over a century it served as the London residence of the Dukes of Marlborough.

Marlborough House – South side

The house was taken up by the Crown in 1817.[1] In the 1820s plans were drawn up to demolish Marlborough House and replace it with a terrace of similar dimensions to the two in Carlton House Terrace, and this idea even featured on some contemporary maps, including Christopher and John Greenwood's large-scale London map of 1830,[2] but the proposal was not implemented. The house was used by members of the Royal Family and from 1853 to 1861 Prince Albert arranged for it to be used by the "National Art Training School", later the Royal College of Art.[3] After they vacated it was substantially enlarged for the Prince of Wales to designs by Sir James Pennethorne (1861–63), who added a range of rooms on the north side and a deep porch. From 1863 until he became King Edward VII in 1901, it was the home of the Prince and Princess of Wales. During this period Marlborough House became the social centre of London.[4] In 1936 Marlborough House became the London residence of the queen dowager, Mary of Teck, widow of King George V. Following Queen Mary's death in 1953 Queen Elizabeth II donated it for use by the Commonwealth Secretariat, which continues to use it today.

The nearly cubical Saloon retains wall-paintings by Louis Laguerre of the battle of Blenheim. A cupola inserted in the ceiling is surrounded by paintings by Orazio Gentileschi for the Queen's House, Greenwich, 1636. There are paired staircases flanking the Saloon, with further battle pieces by Laguerre. Most of the interiors have been altered.[1] A late Art Nouveau-Gothic memorial fountain by Alfred Gilbert (1926–32) in the Marlborough Road wall of the house commemorates Alexandra, Edward's queen.

Marlborough House is usually open to the public for Open House Weekend each September. The house is also open for group tours on Tuesdays by prior arrangement.

The house is Grade I listed.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b Nikolaus Pevsner, The Buildings of England: London vol. I, p 470f
  2. ^ Greenwood Map of London 1830
  3. ^ Frayling, Christopher, The Royal College of Art, One Hundred and Fifty Years of Art and Design, p.35 & ff, 1987, Barrie & Jenkins, London, ISBN0712618201
  4. ^ Marlborough House set (act. 1870s–1901). Jane Ridley, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press. (accessed 30 Nov 2010)
  5. ^ Details from listed building database (422684) - Grade I. Images of England. English Heritage.

External links


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  • Marlborough House — [Marlborough House] a large, grand house in ↑Pall Mall, London, England. It was designed by Christopher Wren for the wife of the Duke of Marlborough and built in 1709–11. After her death it was the home of various members of the royal family… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Marlborough House — Ursprünglich hatte Marlborough House zwei Stockwerke. Diese Abbildung von circa 1750 zeigt die Gartenfront …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Marlborough House — Imagen de la entrada en 1850 Marlborough House es una mansión de Westminster, en Londres (Reino Unido). Fue construida para Sarah Churchill, duquesa de Marlborough, una amiga íntima de la reina Ana de Inglaterra. Fue diseñada por Christopher Wren …   Wikipedia Español

  • Marlborough House — 51°30′18″N 0°8′9″O / 51.505, 0.13583 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Marlborough House School — Established 1874 Type Independent day prep school Headteacher David Hopkins Location High Street Hawkhurst,Cranbrook Kent TN18 4PY England …   Wikipedia

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  • Marlborough House, Brighton — This article is about Marlborough House in Brighton. For the property in Westminster, London, please see Marlborough House. Marlborough House The building f …   Wikipedia

  • Marlborough House — a large, grand house in Pall Mall, London, England. It was designed by Christopher Wren for the wife of the Duke of Marlborough and built in 1709–11. After her death it was the home of various members of the royal family until 1962, when it… …   Universalium

  • Marlborough — puede referirse a: Lo vinculado al Ducado de Marlborough John Churchill, I duque de Marlborough (1650 1722), cuyo nombre se deformó en Mambrú (en la canción infantil Mambrú se fue a la guerra) Sarah Churchill, duquesa de Marlborough (1660 – 1744) …   Wikipedia Español

  • Marlborough, Sarah Jennings, duchess of — born May 29, 1660, Sandridge, Hertfordshire, Eng. died Oct. 18, 1744, London Wife of John Churchill, duke of Marlborough. A childhood friend of Princess (later Queen) Anne, she entered the household of Anne s father, the duke of York. She married …   Universalium

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