The Queen’s House in Greenwich is one of my favourite royal history spots in London. I’m sad to say, it took several London trips to actually make it there. The Queen’s House was built in the first quarter of the seventeenth century for Anne of Denmark, and it is now part of the Royal Museums Greenwich. As of August 2020, they are still free to visit but you must pre-book your ticket online and observe social distancing. And if nothing else, remember to look up! Today I’m going to be chatting about the gorgeous ceilings at the Queen’s House in Greenwich.
The Queen’s House
The Queen’s House is a bit of a misleading name- it is really more of a mini-palace or country house. James I commissioned this house from Inigo Jones (architect of the Banqueting House) in 1615 for his wife, Anne of Denmark. She sadly died in 1619 before it could be finished, and the work didn’t resume until 1629, and was finished for Charles I’s wife, Henrietta Maria. It was originally an addition to the Palace of Placentia, a quiet place for the queen to retire from the bustle of court; after the palace fell into disrepair during the Civil War, it was torn down and this is all that remains.
The Armada Portrait
If you visit the Queen’s House, you will want to visit the Queen’s Presence Chamber for a few reasons. And I’m going to guess that at the top of that list is the famed Armada Portrait of Elizabeth I. (Depending on when you visit, there may be more than one version of the portrait on display.) Royal Museums Greenwich purchased the Drake Armada Portrait in 2016; it was painted sometime after the Armada victory in 1588. You can see several different symbols of Elizabeth’s power on display in the portrait- the crown behind her, and her hand on the globe, covering the New World. (A New World that was only new to Europeans…) You may also see a slightly terrifying animatronic mask of Elizabeth, blinking and looking at you. They give you ample warning, but it is quite interesting to get a feeling for her iconic stare.
The Ceiling of the Queen’s Presence Chamber
However, after you have taken in the Armada Portrait(s) and the Mask of Youth that shows you Elizabeth’s face, you need to look up at the ceiling of the Queen’s Presence Chamber. So, the Queen’s Presence Chamber would have actually been Henrietta Maria’s bedroom. You can see “Henrica Maria Regina” above the fireplace, and her and Charles’ initials. And in true royal fashion, the most incredible ceiling that you might imagine.
Henrietta Maria notably commissioned a lot of art for the Queen’s House, and this ceiling is no exception. Much like the Banqueting House, this room has a gorgeous painted ceiling. It is still a bit of a mystery, though- we don’t know that much about it. It was installed sometime in the 1640s, and we do not know which artist created it. The painting shows the allegory of Aurora dispersing the shades of night, replacing an earlier image of Daedalus and Icarus.
The Ceiling of the Great Hall
The Great Hall is an impressive room on its own. According to information on site, “Inigo Jones designed this Hall as a perfect cube. It is the heart of the House, embodying his design approach of artistic and geometric perfection. The eye-catching floor uses white Italian and black Belgian marble. It was laid in 1636 by Charles I’s Master Mason, Nicholas Stone. Classical statues from Charles’ I’s magnificent art collection originally stood here.” The stone floor is truly eye-catching, and you won’t be able to look away. However, when you are on the second storey (aka the first floor for European readers), you need to look up…
There is a modern art installation on the ceiling of the Great Hall that is just gorgeous. In 2016, Turner Prize winner Richard Wright was chosen to paint a design on the ceiling panels. Originally, there were nine panels painted by artist Orazio Gentileschi in 1639. However, they were given to Queen Anne, who gave them to Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough. (They now hang at Marborough House.)
Wright’s design of gold leaf is beautiful, and once you notice it, you can’t help but stare at it. It took Wright and his team over 2 months to create it, with a “ghost” version chalked on the walls and ceiling first, covered in adhesive, and then finally the gold leaf. You can see a time lapse of the process in the video below from Royal Museums Greenwich! The design incorporates seventeenth century styles and techniques, and joins the past and the present so well.
Want to read more on the Queen’s House? Visit my post here for more highlights!
Have you looked up at the ceilings at the Queen’s House in Greenwich?
Cheers,
The Historian
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