Brighton Royal Pavilion

1128 Reviews

Star Travel Rating

5/5

Review type

Things to do

Location

Date of travel

October, 2021

Product name

Product country

Product city

Travelled with

On your own

Reasons for trip

The Yellow Bow Rooms, named after the shape of their windows, look out over the front of the Royal Pavilion. These were originally the bedrooms of George IV’s brothers, the Duke of York and the Duke of Clarence, who later became William IV.

The walls are covered in a lurid chrome yellow paint, a chemical pigment which had only just become commercially available, and George was one of first to use it.

The first room was used by the Duke of York. The massive pair of lacquered hat boxes were made in China for the Prince of Wales. The far room belonged to the Duke of Clarence and has two black and gold lacquer secretaires.

Between the two rooms is a smaller room, described as the servant’s room which contains a mahogany wash stand.

Queen Victoria’s Bedroom is on the opposite side of the galleries to the Yellow Bow Rooms.

Queen Victoria first visited the Royal Pavilion in 1837 and was not impressed, describing it as a ‘strange, odd, Chinese looking place, both outside and inside’. She returned for a longer stay with her husband Albert and two children in 1842 and the upstairs chamber floor was adapted to accommodate the Queen and her family. The family used the south galleries as breakfast and lunch rooms.

Victoria never liked the Royal Pavilion. Not only did it not provide the space and privacy she wanted, she also wanted to distance herself and the monarchy from the extravagance and indulgence of the Regency era. She sold the Royal Pavilion to the town of Brighton who converted most of the top floor to an exhibition area and civic space.

Three rooms have been restored to what they might have been like when used by Victoria, including a water closet.

Queen Victoria’s Bedroom is furnished with a reproduction of an 1830 four poster bed, which would have had six mattresses of straw, hair and feathers.

The walls are covered with early C19th hand painted Chinese Export Wallpaper. These were the height of fashion. The paper was produced in sets hung to form a continuous but unrepeating scenes of flowers, trees, birds and stylised gardens.

Next door is the small room belonging to the maid which had a small fireplace. The bed is hung with white dimity cloth. The wallpaper is a reconstruction of the original.

This is the end of the tour, which returns to the ground floor and out through the shop.

ESW

Join the club

Become a member to receive exclusive benefits

Our community is the heart of Silver Travel Advisor, we love nothing more than sharing ideas, inspiration, hints and tips between us.

Come feel the love on a Princess cruise. You’ll enjoy the MedallionClass experience others simply can’t, and it’s exclusively for everyone. Visit incredible destinations and be involved in the best experiences around each one of them.

Experience more with Princess and connect effortlessly with the world around you, spend time away with loved ones, take a moment for yourself, and fall in love with your holiday of a lifetime, every time.

With over 20 years of experience, Wendy Wu Tours has mastered the art of creating exceptional, fully inclusive tours which showcase the very best of each destination.

Each tour is led by a world-class guide, who will highlight the very best of their homeland, and includes authentic cultural experiences so you are not just seeing the sights, but truly immersing yourself in local life.

Say hello to ease at sea. Ambassador’s purpose is simple: they want to inspire every guest to experience authentic cruising, effortlessly and sustainably. Passionate about protecting our oceans and destinations, their ships comply with the highest industry emission standards and there is no single-use plastic on board.

On your voyage, you will receive the warmest of welcomes from the Ambassador community as you sail upon the friendliest ships afloat.

This is a global co-operative co-owned by local partners using real local experts and guides, which supports local communities, environments and wildlife. It offers travellers quirky places to stay, activity holidays and learning experiences. Not In The Guidebooks gets travellers off the beaten track into local culture with day experiences and longer, immersive adventures.

From wild wellness breaks in Wales to painting in Portugal, sustainable adventures in Mauritius to food safaris in Brazil, this is immersive, exciting travel.

Seabourn’s five intimate ships carry guests to the heart of great cities, exclusive yacht harbours and secluded coves around the world, while two new purpose-built expedition ships will combine exhilarating adventures in remote destinations with the sophisticated amenities of the world’s finest resorts at sea.

From the luxury of all suite accommodations to complimentary fine wines and spirits, and a no tipping policy, Seabourn exemplifies the definition of travelling well.