As
you stand on the pavement at Hyde Park Corner and watch the traffic hurtle
around the square it is difficult to imagine that this was once the edge of London Town. Go and look at the address of the large house
on the corner of Park Lane. No. 1 London. That is the address of Apsley House, the London home of the Dukes
of Wellington. The first incumbent of
that title being, of course, the great Commander who defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo.
Apsley,
with its Regency interior, is probably the only town house still existing
intact in London. Built in the late 18th century for
the second Earl of Bathurst it was later purchased by the Marquess Wellesley. Brother of the Duke of Wellington.
The Duke bought the house from his brother in 1817 and proceeded to have
work carried out on the Robert Adam building by Benjamin Dean Wyatt.
Wyatt
added two large bays on the western side – including the picture gallery – and added
a Corinthian portico to the front. The
whole structure was then encased in Bath
stone.
The
staircase from the inner hall winds around the wall, above which is a glass
dome. The balustrade is a pretty white
and gold iron confection while at the bottom of the staircase is an 11ft.
statue by Canova. It is of Napoleon, who ordered it to be made
but once it was finished he rejected it.
Maybe he didn’t like the fact that the small statue of Victory in his
right hand has her back to him.
Prophecy?
The
prettiest room is the Piccadilly Drawing Room, with its yellow walls, white and
gold ceiling and friezes by Robert Adam and a magnificent crystal
chandelier. At one end is an apse, in
which there is a large mirror which reflects and doubles the beauty of the
room.
The
Waterloo Gallery is breathtaking. There
is a huge crystal chandelier depending from the central dome and the white and
gold ceiling incorporates the badge and collar of the Order of the Garter. With the gilt cornices above the doors and
windows and the gold of the ceiling this room must look splendid at night. Especially as the windows are fitted with
sliding mirrors making the room resemble the Galerie de Glaces at Versailles.
The
room is now a picture gallery with many paintings by artists such as Rubens,
Van Dyck, Goya and Valezquez on display.
The first Duke once had as many as 130 in here, but that was overdoing
it somewhat. The excess paintings are
divided between the other rooms, making it much easier to appreciate them.
I
always think that the Plate and China Room should be left to last as it is stuffed
full of fantastic items. Sevres
porcelain, silver and gold, statues, plaques, snuff boxes and the magnificent
Egyptian Service by Sevres. The
centerpiece of this is the entrance to the Temple of Karnak. Above the fireplace are ten of the Duke of
Wellington’s batons – some British and others presented to him by other
European countries. The whole lot is mind-blowing.
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| The Wellington Arch, Hyde Park Corner |
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