Marlborough House 212748 224641817 2008-07-09T19:52:53Z Xp54321 6570313 Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/90.61.159.234|90.61.159.234]] to last version by Sardanaphalus (using [[WP:HG|Huggle]]) {{CoorHeader|51|30|18|N|0|8|9|W|type:landmark|region:GB}} :''This article is about Marlborough House, Westminster. For the property in Brighton, please see [[Marlborough House, Brighton]] [[Image:Marlborough House - superior version.JPG|thumb|250px|In its original form Marlborough House had just two stories. This illustration of c.1750 shows the garden front.]] [[Image:MarlboroughHouseTHShepherdpubl1850s edited.jpg|thumb|250px|This view of the entrance front published in the 1850s before Pennethorne's additions shows an additional storey on the wings. The wings later gained a fourth main storey, and the central section gained a third.]] '''Marlborough House''' is a mansion in [[Westminster]], [[London]], in [[Pall Mall, London|Pall Mall]] just east of [[St James's Palace]]. It was built for [[Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough]], the favourite and confidante of [[Anne of Great Britain|Queen Anne]]. The Duchess wanted her new house to be "strong, plain and convenient". [[Christopher Wren]], both father and son, designed a brick building with rusticated stone quoins that was completed in [[1711]]. For over a century it served as the London residence of the [[Dukes of Marlborough]]. The house was taken up by the Crown in 1817 (Pevsner). In the 1820s plans were drawn up to demolish Marlborough House and replace it with a terrace of similar dimensions to the two in [[Carlton House Terrace]], and this idea even featured on some contemporary maps, including Christopher and John Greenwood's large-scale London map of 1830, [http://www.motco.com/map/81003/] but the proposal was not implemented. The house was used by members of the [[British Royal Family|Royal Family]] and from 1853 to 1861 [[Prince Albert]] arranged for it to be used by the "National Art Training School", later the [[Royal College of Art]].<ref> [[Christopher Frayling|Frayling, Christopher]], ''The Royal College of Art, One Hundred and Fifty Years of Art and Design'', p.35 & ff, 1987, Barrie & Jenkins, London, ISBN0712618201 </ref> After they vacated it was substantially enlarged for the Prince of Wales to designs by Sir [[James Pennethorne]] (1861-63), who added a range of rooms on the north side and a deep porch. From [[1863]] until he became [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|King Edward VII]] in [[1901]], it was the home of the Prince and Princess of Wales. During this period Marlborough House became the social centre of London. The nearly cubical Saloon retains wall-paintings by [[Louis Laguerre]] of the [[battle of Blenheim]]. A cupola inserted in the ceiling is surrounded by paintings by [[Orazio Gentileschi]] for the [[Queen's House, Greenwich]], 1636. There are paired staircases flanking the Saloon, with further battle pieces by Laguerre. Most of the interiors have been altered (Pevsner). A late [[Art Nouveau]]-[[Gothic Revival|Gothic]] memorial fountain by [[Alfred Gilbert]] (1926-32) in the Marlborough Road wall of the house commemorates [[Alexandra of Denmark|Alexandra]], Edward's queen. In [[1936]] Marlborough House became the London residence of the Queen Dowager, [[Mary of Teck|Queen Mary]], widow of King [[George V of the United Kingdom|George V]]. Following Queen Mary's death in [[1953]] Queen [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Elizabeth II]] donated it for use by the [[Commonwealth Secretariat]], which continues to use it today. Marlborough House is usually open to the public for [[Open House Weekend]] each September. ==References== <references /> *[[Nikolaus Pevsner]], ''The Buildings of England: London'' vol. I, p 470f ==External links== {{commonscat}} *[http://www.thecommonwealth.org/mhouse/index.html Virtual tour] *[http://www.thecommonwealth.org The Commonwealth Secretariat] *[http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Marlborough%20House&w=all Flickr images tagged Marlborough House] *{{mmukscaled|529400_180100|10|Map sources}} {{Royal palaces in the United Kingdom}} [[Category:Christopher Wren London buildings]] [[Category:Houses in Westminster]] [[Category:Royal buildings in London]] [[Category:Royal residences in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:1711 architecture]] [[Category:Grade I listed buildings in London]] [[Category:Grade I listed houses]] [[es:Marlborough House]] [[he:בית מארלבורו]] [[no:Marlborough House]] [[pl:Marlborough House]] [[pt:Marlborough House]] [[fi:Marlborough House]]