Historical Image
Entrance hall of the Royal Pavilion, 1826. Taken from The Royal Pavilion at Brighton by John Nash.
Transcript
Hello, and welcome to the Royal Pavilion, one of the most magnificent and fascinating buildings in the United Kingdom. This audio guide will help you explore the Pavilion and uncover the stories about the man who built it, and the objects and decoration that have delighted visitors for almost two centuries.
As you can imagine, the Royal Pavilion receives thousands of visitors each month, and many of the objects are very delicate, so please don’t touch any of the walls or objects on display.
During your visit, please feel free to ask members of staff about the building and its contents. They can tell you more about specific items. More detailed information about the numbered objects on display can be found in the guidebook, available at the ticket desk and in the shop.
The Pavilion was built over a period of 40 years by George IV, first as Prince of Wales, then as Regent and finally as King. You’re standing in the Entrance Hall, where visitors to the Pavilion were received after stepping out of their carriages. As you can see, the Entrance Hall is calm and understated, with cool walls painted to look like Chinese jade. George loved illusion, and wanted to surprise his guests with increasingly magnificent rooms as they advanced through the building. So the Entrance Hall is deliberately restrained, in preparation for the more sumptuous rooms to follow.
Now turn round and walk into the Long Gallery.