Royal Interiors, Part II

[PAVLOV]

Does anyone have any photographs of Birkhall ? Have they been posted here before. ? This is a very long thread, so I dont want to wade through pages and pages of stuff. Just wondering. 

[jfkhaos]

Here's a picture of Birkhall:

[PAVLOV]

Thank You very much. Its a beautiful house, more so because it stands out against the green of the trees. I particularly like the pavilion in the garden. I wonder what it is used for ?

Has this house always been part of the estate ?

Do we know who has had the benefit of living here, before the Queen Mother ?

[CHRISinUSA]

Pavlov, the Birkhall Estate was purchased by Prince Albert not long after he and Queen Victoria purchased Balmoral, so it's safe to say it has been combined with Balmoral for almost as long as the latter has been in royal ownership.  But  I too have always wondered who the occupants were prior to George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and haven't been able to find out!

[PAVLOV]

Hi Chris,
Thanks.
It would be interesting to know what it was used for prior to the QM. Perhaps for additional guest accommodation.
Or as an annual  holiday house for all the Royal "granny's" at Kensington Palace !!

Perhaps someone out there knows the answer !

[Margot]

I have found two sources that state that Helen, Duchess of Albany and her children Alice and Charles had use of Birkhill from the 1880s onwards! Whether QV gave Birkhall to Leopold and Helen is not certain or perhaps QV gave the house to the widowed Helen!? Anyway, I do not know if Helen retained use of the house up until her death although it would work neatly on a timescale if she did, as she died in 1922 and the next known occupants Albert Duke of York and his wife Elizabeth married in the following year.

Apparently Birkhall was originally purchased as a home for Albert Edward, Prince of Wales and his family! But for some reason he seems to have preferred Abergeldie Castle which was leased from the Gordon family, and after he and Alexandra moved into Balmoral the castle leasehold passed to George and Mary to provide them with a 'pad' in the Highlands!

[Eddie_uk]

Having flicked through a few books it would appear Sir James Clark was a tennant of Birkhall and in September 1856 Florence Nightingale stayed there as his guest.
Empress Eugenie also stayed there in the 1890s and Lady Biddulph with her children Freda and Victor are also recorded as staying there.

[Nikola]

Sandringham House Drawing Room:

[PAVLOV]

I never realised that it was quite so grand. Edward probably wanted it to be very grand to accomodate and entertain his smart set of friends, and possibly to take revenge because he had to wait so long to become king !!

[Lindelle]

Birkhall is gorgeous.
It was the QM's favourite wasn't it?

[Margot]

Perhaps Birkahll was her favourite but I think Castle of Mey was the home upon which QEQM really was able to impress her personality! She basically took a near derelict carcass of a building and surrounding grounds that had all but reverted to wilderness and created something rather special and wonderful! The castle is really little more than a rather nice house and QEQM made it her own over time, but it is the gardens that really stand out as a testament to what can be done with tatse, a huge overdraft and a desire to create something rather beautiful for oneself when one came up from London or Birkhall to play! Castle of Mey was where QEQM really was Mistress of her own house as she owned it! I believe it was the only property she ever actually owned herself personally, privately and wholly!

[Lindelle]

Thanks Margot, that's what I thought.

[architect]

I recently found floor plans of Nether Lypiatt, the former country home of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent with some great interior photos from the 1930's.  Also found floor plans and again great interior photos of Harewood House, home of the Queen's cousin - same for Alrhorp - detailed floor plan of that house dating to 1822.  If anyone is interested, I'll post.

[RoyalWatcher]

Yes, please, architect ! ! !

[Lindelle]

I recently found floor plans of Nether Lypiatt, the former country home of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent with some great interior photos from the 1930's.  Also found floor plans and again great interior photos of Harewood House, home of the Queen's cousin - same for Alrhorp - detailed floor plan of that house dating to 1822.  If anyone is interested, I'll post.

That would be FANTASTIC if you could?