THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST

February 2012 Press Release

Annual openings of Frogmore House and Garden

Frogmore House and Garden will open to the public on 15, 16 and 17 May for the annual Charity Garden Open Days and on 18, 19 and 20 August 2012, offering visitors the chance to discover a favourite royal retreat set in the magnificent grounds of the private Home Park of Windsor Castle.

Built in the 17th century, Frogmore was purchased for George III’s consort, Queen Charlotte, and has since been a tranquil, country residence of successive monarchs. It is no longer an occupied royal residence, but is frequently used by the Royal Family for private entertaining.

The interests and talents of several generations of the royal family have influenced Frogmore’s interior. In particular, Queen Charlotte’s passion for botany is reflected in the decoration of the house. She commissioned Mary Moser, the renowned 18th-century flower painter, to decorate one of Frogmore’s principal rooms to resemble an arbour open to the skies. The Cross Gallery, which spans the entire breadth of the building, was painted with garlands by Princess Elizabeth, the daughter of George III and Queen Charlotte.

Frogmore was lived in by Victoria, Duchess of Kent for almost 20 years, and works by her and by her daughter Queen Victoria are on display in the house. Queen Victoria often visited Frogmore during her long widowhood and would work on her papers there. Watercolours by her daughters, the Princesses Victoria and Louise, The Colonnade can also be seen in the house.

One of Frogmore’s enduring attractions is its tranquil garden. Based on a model ‘picturesque’ landscape, it was first laid out in the 1790s for Queen Charlotte with 4,000 new shrubs and trees. Garden features, including a Gothic Ruin, were added shortly afterwards. The design and planting schemes seen today incorporate additions made during Queen Victoria’s reign, and, in the 20th century, by Queen Mary and Her Majesty The Queen. Visitors can enjoy gentle garden walks and views of Queen Victoria’s Tea House, the white marble Indian Kiosk and the 18th-century lake. The Indian Kiosk

Frogmore House and Garden are open on 15, 16 and 17 May in aid of The National Gardens Scheme, Sports Able, and The Army Benevolent Fund respectively, and on 18, 19 and 20 August.

Opening hours 10:00-17:30 (last admission 16:00).

For admission details, please visit www.royalcollection.org.uk or telephone 020 7766 7300.

For information about group visits, please telephone 020 7766 7321 or e-mail [email protected]

Further information and photographs are available from Public Relations and Marketing, the Royal Collection, 020 7839 1377, [email protected].