Personal tour of Kew Palace - TopLots
Description
More like a home than a palace, the privacy and intimacy of Kew Palace, the smallest of English royal palaces, made it the favourite country retreat for the royal family in the late 18th century. It was at Kew that King George III and his family lived as the ‘simplest country folk’ and began the collection of plants that formed the nucleus of the Royal Botanic Gardens. Kew was also a retreat for the King during his periods of illness, misunderstood by his contemporaries as ‘madness’.
You will be guided through this intimate family home, exploring the private, domestic side of one of Britain’s most famous monarchs. The story of George’s life is told through a fascinating range of objects, from the flute, concert programmes and architectural drawings of this cultured and enlightened King to the waistcoat specially adapted for the ailing monarch in his last days.
The house itself has an intriguing story to explore. Built on Tudor foundations, Kew was originally a 17th-century merchant’s house. You will see some of the fascinating discoveries made during the recent conservation and re-presentation of the house which was short listed for the Gulbenkian Prize 2007.
The tour will also include the remarkably preserved attics where the mysterious signs and symbols carved into the roof timbers by superstitious servants in the 17th century to ward of evil spirits can be seen. This will be the most personal way to explore these evocative spaces, which are not open to the public as part of a standard entry ticket.
Terms & Conditions
The participant(s) must be aged over 16.
The winner is responsible for the arrangement and cost of travel.
The Palace is fully accessible. The attics, however, are accessed by a flight of narrow stairs and the floors may be uneven.
Entrance to Kew Gardens will be as a visitor to the Palace only. Purchasing the lot does not entitle the bidder any access to the Royal Botanic Gardens, which is by separate entrance ticket.
The lot must be redeemed during normal palace opening hours (Monday: 11.00-17.00; Tuesday – Sunday: 10.00-17.00
Participation in publicity photographs and interviews may be required.
Historic Royal Palaces reserves the right to cancel the tour at anytime out of a concern for the health and safety of staff and/or visitors.
The lot will be taken by 28 September 2008 on a day and at a time to be arranged between the winner and Historic Royal Palaces.
This lot cannot be publicly resold without the permission of TopLots but can be offered as a gift.
The TopLots Heritage Auction is a fundraising event organised by the Association of Independent Museums (Registered Charity: 1082215) acting as the agent for arts and heritage organisations across the UK. Delivery of this lot, as described, to the winner is the responsibility of Historic Royal Palaces which will receive (after direct transaction and listing costs) 80% of the winning bid. The remaining 20% is retained by the Association of Independent Museums (AIM) to cover the administrative costs of running the TopLots auction.
Additional Information
Historic Royal Palaces is the independent charity that looks after the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, the Banqueting House and Kew Palace. We are an independent charity, and receive no funding from the Government or the Crown. By purchasing this lot, you will be helping us to give these wonderful palaces the care they deserve.
