Time for part
three of my trip to Windsor Castle…
If you’ve been
following along, it should be abundantly clear that I have a fascination with
the various Queens who have reigned from Windsor over the last 175 years:
Victoria, Alexandra, Mary, Elizabeth (the Queen Mum), and Elizabeth II. Well,
this particular entry is devoted to an object bearing the name of the middle figure, known also as Queen Mary of Teck.
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| Queen Mary [NB: This image is not mine!] |
The object in
question—promoted as one of Windsor’s biggest ‘attractions’—is…
QUEEN MARY'S DOLLS' HOUSE:
This idea for
this magnificent piece of craftsmanship is credited to the queen’s cousin,
Princess Marie Louise. You see, it was well known at the time that Queen Mary was fond of collecting
miniaturized objects (e.g., Fabergé animals). So, following a pleasant visit
with her cousins Mary and George V, during which time they showered her with
hospitality, Princess Marie Louise decided to create the dolls' house as a token
of her gratitude. After gaining The Queen’s permission, the princess began
consulting with the eventual designer of the not-so-tiny dwelling.
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| Queen Mary's Dolls' House |
According to the
Royal Collection website (which is fun and interactive, and allows visitors to explore the dolls' house in great detail),
Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House is the largest [built on a scale
of 1:12], most beautiful, and most famous dolls’ house in the world. Built for
Queen Mary, consort of King George V, by the leading British architect Sir
Edwin Lutyens between 1921 and 1924, it includes contributions from over 1,500
of the finest artists, craftsmen and manufacturers of the early 20th century.
From life below stairs to the high-society setting of the saloon and dining
room, a library bursting with original works by the top literary names of the
day, a fully stocked wine cellar and a garden created by Gertrude Jekyll, no
detail was forgotten—the Queen’s Dolls’ House even includes electricity,
running hot and cold water and working lifts. Each room, is fully furnished in
every way, and waiting to be explored. (Royal Collection Website)
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| The Saloon (top), The Dining Room (bottom), the Storage Room with tiny crowns (middle-left) |
The level of detail, as noted in the detail above, is
incredible!
Designed to show how the Royal Family lived in the 1920s, the
dolls’ house has tiny wine bottles filled with the actual vintages on the
label, replicas of famous books and paintings (some of which have been
skillfully created by the original artists), and even miniature toilet paper
rolls in the bathrooms.
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| The Library |
And, as noted, the plumbing (with hot and cold running
water) and electricity actually work—once every year, the close the exhibit and
flush the system to keep everything going!
Following its completion, Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House was put
on display at the British Empire Exhibition (1924-25) to raise money for the Queen’s myriad charities.
It truly is an
amazing piece of artistry, and worth seeing if you ever make it to Windsor!
Until next time…
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