Royal Interiors, Part II

[Margot]

To be honest with you....from what I have seen of how CH was when Cookie was in residence and now......it is IMHO, 'little' altered in any major way taste-wise! For all their foibles (acknowledged or not) Cookie and the POW seem to share very similar tastes in palette, style etc. I do not think if Cookie were to pop in today she would find CH significantly altered internally from her own time really!  

[Margot]

oops I duplicated---sorry!

[PAVLOV]

Prince Charles I think is the only member of the Royal Family with any taste. He has beautiful things, and although the Royal Family probably have warehouses of furniture and paintings, he chooses obviously chooses carefully, and tastefully.  I think Clarence House is understated and very elegant. When the Queen Mother lived there it was slightly run down, " shabby chic", I think. Prince Charles has smartened it up.
The cost of doing this is astonomical, however the building belongs to the state, and although Prince Charles has an enormous income, and a very luxurious lifestyle, he does not own the building. All redecoration and renovations are funded from government coffers, and it has always been so. The fact that he made a large contribution to the redecorating is quite something.

Redecorations to the White House are also paid by the American Government. I have not heard of an American president making a large donation to have the private quarters of the White House done up !

Please stop referring to the Queen Mother as " Cookie". Its disrespectful, and was a nickname given to her by Wallis Simpson of all people. Rich coming from her, and a sign of how much respect she had for her husbands family. Its offensive coming from a person who most people regard as having no breeding, or background, and a social climber and money grabber.

I have it on good authority that a member of the family peruses this forum from time to time, and i dont think its respectful referring to his grandmother as "Cookie".

OK ?
 
   

[CHRISinUSA]

Actually, the funding to redecorate the White House is somewhat similar to Clarence House.  Yes, maintenance of the grounds and upkeep of the structure are paid for by the Federal Government at hefty expense!  But the government only contributes $100,000 (US) to each new president for decorating and furnishing the Oval Office and the private quarters. 

The White House Endowment, a financial arm of the White House Historical Association, pays the bulk of the costs of White House redecoration. The group was founded in November 1961 thanks to Jacqueline Kennedy, as part of her efforts to change the mansion from a frighting mess of reproductions and poor quality furnishings into a historically accurate museum quality building.  The Endowment generally supplements the $100k whenever the First Couple need or want to redecorate, buy new White House china, etc.

President and Mrs. Obama made news when they moved in - they broke precedence and refused the $100,000 federal funds.  They will instead redecorate the Oval Office and private quarters "privately".  I don't know if that means only from Endowment funds, or supplemented by themselves personally, or also supplemented by donations from others. 

[PAVLOV]

I agree with you Chris, as far as I know the White House has always been funded not only by endowments, the Federal Government contribution, but also by private donations as well.
Mrs Kennedy's refurbishment was made possible by contributions from the aforementioned three sources. She also published a little book which was very popular at the time, and made quite a bit of money. As a result of her efforts, many items of furniture, paintings and objects, were also donated by private individuals.
She also supplemented the existing furniture with good reproductions. This is particularly evident in the Empire Room. She also raided store rooms for old furniture.
A large part of the White House was decorated not by an American, but by a Frenchman. The famous designer Francois Boudin was responsible for much that is seen today. At the time efforts were made to keep this a secret. I dont think that in the early sixties America was able to produce a designer with the necessary knowledge and exposure to take on the White House commission.
Mrs Kennedy and her team therefore had to look elsewhere.
( I hope I am correct in saying that it was Monsieur Boudin, and not Jansen ) i may be confusing the one with the other !

Both of them worked on the Duke of Windsor's houses in the Bois De Boulogne and Gif-sur-Yvette.

The point I am trying to make is that Prince Charles looked to his own pocket to subsidise part of the renovations of Clarence House. Something not done by other individuals in a similar position.

The chandelier hanging in the new White House bedroom, was made by a disadvantaged community in a dusty little village 80 kilometres from where I am. The name of the village is Barrydale.
( Just a bit of trivia and totally off topic, so I am probably going to be rapped on the knuckles ! )


 

[Eric_Lowe]

Maybe because since he lived there, it would be prudent for him to foot part of the bill ? It certainly defused comments on Prince Charles being wasteful of public money.

As for the Queen Mother being called "Cookie", I don't know ? I think it might be Wallis who coined it, but it was used as a nickname within royal circles in England. I talked with a former royal servant who referred to her as "that old bat" who caused the Queen (whom he was devoted) plenty of trouble with her many demands.

[CHRISinUSA]

I think it perfectly appropriate that Charles paid to decorate his private rooms at Clarence House.  No doubt the fact that the rather unpopular Mrs. C-B was also moving in made that decision clearer for Charles - he needed the papers to state that no taxpayer funding was going to prepare her rooms (which they duly reported).

The only real difference between Charles and the Kennedys (for example), was that Jackie got her wealthy friends to fund her redecoration, while Charles paid for his from the Duchy of Cornwall.

[Douglas]

I have it on good authority that a member of the family peruses this forum from time to time, and i dont think its respectful referring to his grandmother as "Cookie".

OK ?
    

Really Pavlov?  That's cool. I'm not surprised. I assume you refer to one of the Queen's sons.

[Margot]

The issue of the use of the name Cookie was brought up ages ago and I thought that it had been generally accepted that it was used in a sort of affectionate tongue in cheek way rather than nastily! I use the name because I think it suited the homely and cuddly QM and I understand she liked good food to go with her drinkie-poos! With regards to lacking respect for  QETQM and it being deemed offensive, I feel far more offensive nouns have been applied to QETQM in other quarters than the pet name of Cookie!

This is all getting horribly off-topic...sorry. I do think CH was really rather beautifully and tastefully furnished during Coo....I mean QETQM's time (Oh lord now I am using an acronym which is also a pet hate of some on this forum I see!). From what I have seen of the Prince of Wales' redecoration, he seems to have retained a distinct and palpable aspect of how his grandmother had the place! Almost a bit of an homage but without the set in aspic-like formula that permeates at Balmoral and Sandringham!

Returning briefly to the issue of 'Cookie'. I really do not see why we have to be so precious about her! If a grandchild were to really object here, than I would certainly think twice! But we mere minions are just that! It is not as though I am calling her 'the old witch' or something worse! 

[PAVLOV]

No I am not.
He is a fairly regular viewer I am told, as is his wife.
P   

[Eric_Lowe]

Yes. I think of "Cookie" as an affectionate way as the "Chocolate box" image of the Queen Mum. I think Wallis referred to her in this way to stress her matronly appeal. In a way she was right. People think of her as "their grandmother" who would pop in for tea (which is seldom going to happen), but their kind of appeal was there. Living & growing up in a Crown Colony, I tend to think the same too.

[RoyalWatcher]

Actually, the funding to redecorate the White House is somewhat similar to Clarence House.  Yes, maintenance of the grounds and upkeep of the structure are paid for by the Federal Government at hefty expense!  But the government only contributes $100,000 (US) to each new president for decorating and furnishing the Oval Office and the private quarters. 

The White House Endowment, a financial arm of the White House Historical Association, pays the bulk of the costs of White House redecoration. The group was founded in November 1961 thanks to Jacqueline Kennedy, as part of her efforts to change the mansion from a frighting mess of reproductions and poor quality furnishings into a historically accurate museum quality building.  The Endowment generally supplements the $100k whenever the First Couple need or want to redecorate, buy new White House china, etc.

President and Mrs. Obama made news when they moved in - they broke precedence and refused the $100,000 federal funds.  They will instead redecorate the Oval Office and private quarters "privately".  I don't know if that means only from Endowment funds, or supplemented by themselves personally, or also supplemented by donations from others. 

Chris, I curtsy to your knowledge. Being a US citizen, I was unaware of this and I am thankful you brought this up. 

[Eric_Lowe]

Yes. I don't think they publish this really. I guess Sarah Palin won't know it either. 

[Nikola]

I have some questions about state rooms of Buckingham palace:

1.

I know that chimney-piece in The Grand Hall made by Joseph Theakston, in The Green Drawing Room by Joseph Browne, in The Picture Gallery and The East Gallery by Joseph Browne, in The State Dining Room by Matthew Cotes Wyatt, in The Blue Drawing Room by Richard Westmacott Junior, in the White Drawing Room by John Flaxman.
But, does any of you have informations who made chimney-pieces in the Throne Room and Music Room?

2.


Does any of you have informations who design and made the same carpets in The Blue Drawing Room and The White Drawing Room?

[CHRISinUSA]

Nikola,

One correction - the two white marble chimney-pieces in the White Drawing Room were not actually made by John Flaxman, but rather by someone else "after a design by Flaxman", at least according to my BP guidebook.

The book sadly doesn't identify the mantle makers for the rooms you are seeking, but does say that Joseph Browne carved a series of mantles for throughout the palace.  Also sadly, no information on the carpets.