As we were visiting our son and daughter-in-law for lunch, and because they needed some help from Paul, there wasn't much time for the second day of Open House. I wasn't required for help in the morning, so I made a quick trip up to London to the Banqueting House in Whitehall, another on my 'must see' list. It's another building I could have seen anyway but didn't realise was open to the public, and it's well worth a visit.
The Banqueting House is the only surviving part of the great Palace of Whitehall, which was destroyed by fire, partly in 1691 and the remaining part in 1698. It burned for 17 hours in 1698, fire-engines pumping water from the Thames being unable to check the flames.
The Palace of Whitehall was the main residence of the English monarchs in London from 1530, when it was taken from Cardinal Wolsey by Henry 8th. Henry rebuilt and expanded it, and it eventually extended to about 23 acres. During Henry's life and later, there was no banqueting house in the Palace. The first Banqueting House was built for James 1st, and burned down in 1619, so James immediately commissioned another from Inigo Jones, and this is the one that still exists, built in 1622.
The Banqueting House has a Palladian design, being a single two-storey double-cube room - the length of the room is twice its equal width and height.
My photo is not very good, but I think it shows the proportions.
Banqueting House is probably a misnomer, because it was mostly used for ceremonies and receptions and for masques, a popular court entertainment which included elaborate costumes, music and dance. Some of the masques were also designed by Inigo Jones, and at least one by Ben Jonson. I have a feeling that some of Shakespeare's plays were also performed here, but I seem to have lost the reference.
The decoration of the room was finished in 1634 with the completion of a ceiling by Sir Peter Paul Rubens, commissioned by Charles 1st, son of James 1st.
I'm afraid it isn't a good photo of the Reubens ceiling. But then, I haven't seen any good photos of it, in spite of the fact you are allowed to lie on the floor to take photos and there are horizontal mirrors you can use to see its reflection.
Not long after the painting was complete, it was decided to stop using the room at night as the smoke from the candles was damaging the paintings. After all, it was painted by the most famous painter of the day, and it cost the equivalent of £250,000 today.
Given the attention and money which were lavished by Charles I on the Banqueting House, his death was somewhat ironic. It was probably from the Banqueting House's central window that he stepped out on 30 January 1649 onto the scaffold which had been erected outside for the purpose of his execution.
Under the Banqueting House is the undercroft, which was apparently a favourite haunt of James 1st.
Today it's the haunt of hungry and thirst tourists, because it houses the café. However, I had to rush away for my Sunday lunch with family. I seem to recall we ended up looking at furniture in Ikea - from the sublime to the gor'blimey, perhaps? Or whatever is the Swedish equivalent of gor'blimey.
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