The King’s Apartments were originally on the first floor, but were moved to the ground floor when Nash remodelled the Royal Pavilion. George was now in his 50s, very overweight and suffering from gout and dropsy.
Being his private rooms, they are less lavish than the public rooms, being intended for comfort and convenience rather than public display. The overall colour scheme is green with gilded trimmings. The hand painted dragon wall wallpaper is a copy of the original.
The set of rooms comprised of bedroom, library and ante rooms. George had a private bathroom off the bedroom with the latest luxurious bathing equipment. Unfortunately this was demolished in the C19th.
Visitors would have entered from the anteroom. The tour actually goes the ‘wrong’ way round, beginning with the Bedroom. Only the very select few would have been allowed in here.
The bed is set back in an alcove to minimise draughts. It was specially made for George IV’s bedroom at Windsor and had his Royal Coat of arms on the footboard. Bedsteps helped George climb into bed, although it also had a special mechanism allowing it to be raised or lowered.
The room is furnished with black lacquered furniture with inlays of oriental scenery.
Doorways lead from the bedroom into the library. Bookcases are relegated to alcoves in the walls, possibly reflecting the importance placed by George on reading…
Only his really intimate friends would have got this far. Privy Council meetings were held in here and it may have also have doubled up as a throne room.
At the far end is an anteroom, where visitors would congregate, waiting to be admitted further into the King’s Apartments.
