Peter visited England for a few months in 1698 at the invitation of William III. Since he was officially incognito, he did not stay at any of the royal palaces, but rented rooms in London. Peter paid a call on William and also had a meeting with Princess Anne. Anne made an excellent impression on him. Although she was a firm Anglican, Peter wrote home that she was a “true daughter of our church.” He spent his time sightseeing, visiting the Mint, the Royal Society, and the Observatory before moving to Deptford to study shipbuilding. William arranged for Peter and his staff to live in the home of John Evelyn while they were there.
Peter spent his time working in the shipyards as well as recruiting shipbuilders to come to work for him in Russia. Peter and his staff drank and partied when he wasn't working. They discovered a wheelbarrow in Evelyn’s garden; it was a fascinating new toy in their eyes. They played a game where one person rode in the wheelbarrow while it was pushed at high speed, ideally crashing into or through one of Evelyn’s beautifully kept hedges.
After Peter returned to London, Evelyn inspected his house. He discovered that most of the furniture, doors, and picture frames were missing, evidently having been smashed up and used for firewood. The tapestries and carpets were fouled due to the blissful ignorance of Peter and his attendants about remedial potty-training. Last but not least, Evelyn’s beloved garden was a wreck. William reimbursed Evelyn for the costs of having his home cleaned and repaired.
When it came time for him to leave, legend says that Peter presented William with a large uncut diamond wrapped in a piece of dirty paper.