PRESS RELEASE
9 March 2015
Annual openings of Frogmore House and Garden
This year, Frogmore House and Garden – the charming royal retreat set within Windsor Castle's magnificent private Home Park – will open to the public on 2, 3 and 4 June, as part of the annual Charity Garden Open Days, and on 25, 26 and 27 August 2015.
Built in the 17th century, Frogmore became a royal residence in 1792 when George III purchased it for his wife, Queen Charlotte. Since then successive Frogmore House monarchs have enjoyed the tranquil surroundings and delightful interiors. Although it is no longer an occupied royal residence, it is frequently used today by the Royal Family for private entertaining.
The interior of Frogmore House bears testimony to the interests and talents of the generations of the royal family who have resided there. Queen Charlotte's passion for botany is particularly evident. 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 result was said to be the Queen's favourite room in the house. George III and Queen Charlotte's third daughter, Princess Elizabeth, continued the floral theme and decorated The Cross Gallery, which spans the entire breadth of the building, with painted flower garlands.
Victoria, Duchess of Kent, lived at Frogmore for almost 20 years and works by the Duchess and her daughter, Queen Victoria, can be seen on display within the house. Queen Victoria was a frequent visitor during her long widowhood. Watercolours painted by her daughters, the Princesses Victoria and Louise, can also be seen at Frogmore.
The gardens at Frogmore House are one of its most enduring attractions. In 1867, Queen Victoria wrote 'this dear lovely garden. . . all is peace and quiet and you only hear the hum of the bees, the singing of the birds.' First laid out for Queen Charlotte in the 1790s with 4,000 new shrubs and trees, it is based on a model 'picturesque' landscape. Garden features such as a Gothic Ruin, designed with the assistance of her daughter, Princess Elizabeth, were added shortly afterwards.
The design and planting scheme seen today incorporates additions made during Queen Victoria's reign, and that of Queen Mary's, who redesigned the gardens and introduced numerous flowering trees, shrubs and grasses, and some 200,000 bulbs. Numerous trees and shrubs, presented on the occasion of Her Majesty The Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977, were subsequently added. Today, visitors can enjoy gentle garden walks and
Press Office, Royal Collection Trust, York House, St James’s Palace, London SW1A 1BQ T. +44 (0)20 7839 1377, [email protected], www.royalcollection.org.uk
views of Queen Victoria's Tea House, the white-marble Indian Kiosk, and the 18th-century lake.
Frogmore House and Garden are open on 2, 3 and 4 June in aid of the National Gardens Scheme, NSPCC and The Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance Trust respectively, and on 25, 26 and 27 August.
Tickets for the Charity Garden Open Days in July can be obtained directly from the charities involved. For tickets to visit Frogmore House and Garden in August, contact www.royalcollection.org.uk, T. +44 (0)20 7766 7305. For information about group visits, please telephone 020 7766 7321.
For further information and photographs, please contact the Royal Collection Trust Press Office, +44 (0)20 7839 1377, [email protected].
Notes to Editors
Royal Collection Trust, a department of the Royal Household, is responsible for the care of the Royal Collection and manages the public opening of the official residences of The Queen. Income generated from admissions and from associated commercial activities contributes directly to The Royal Collection Trust, a registered charity. The aims of The Trust are the care and conservation of the Royal Collection, and the promotion of access and enjoyment through exhibitions, publications, loans and educational programmes. Royal Collection Trust’s work is undertaken without public funding of any kind. www.royalcollection.org.uk
Press Office, Royal Collection Trust, York House, St James’s Palace, London SW1A 1BQ T. +44 (0)20 7839 1377, [email protected], www.royalcollection.org.uk