B

Unit 16- B

Welcome to the Queen’s House in Greenwich, south of the River Thames in London. This was the first neo-classical building in Britain, and was designed by the architect Inigo Jones, who was greatly influenced by Italian architecture.

The house was built for Queen Anne of Denmark, wife of King James I, and building went on between 1616 and 1635, when it was finally completed. You are in the Great Hall. Note the black and white marble floor and the splendid oak Gallery. Go up the round staircase, walk along the Gallery and turn right into the King’s Stateroom.

This is the most richly furnished room in the house, with a large number of royal portraits. Continue into the King’s Waiting Room, where visitors had to wait before seeing the king, and then into the Library, where he used to read.

From there, the next room is the King’s Bedroom, a large corner room overlooking the park, with his Bathroom next door, and after that, his Study, quite a small room near the staircase. Walk through the large central room, the Dining Room, to reach the Gallery again, overlooking the Great Hall.

Now you arc going into the Queen’s part of the house.

Turn left into the Queen’s Stateroom, a room almost as large as the King’s Stateroom. Note the luxurious coverings on the walls, the chairs and the bed. This room was used by Queen Anne, and later by King Charles the first Queen, Henrietta Maria.

Continue into the narrow Queen’s Waiting Room, and then into the Music Room, and finally into the Queen’s Bedroom, just like the King’s, with a Bathroom next door, and then a Maid’s Room next to that. From the Maid’s Room you can go out onto the balcony for a view of Greenwich Park, or go downstairs again.