Travel – Balmoral

Posted on July 14, 2015 by barbara

The British Royal Family lives by tradition and for centuries now they have been spending the summer months, August to October, at Balmoral in the Highlands of Scotland. Balmoral has been a Royal private residence since the time of Queen Victoria when it was purchased by Prince Albert in 1852. Initially, when the Royal couple visited Edinburgh as newlyweds, the Highlands reminded Prince Albert of his home back in Germany and they decided it would be a perfect place to bring their young family.

Balmoral has been enjoyed by several generations of the Royal family throughout the years and it was happily where Prince Charles and Princess Diana spent part of their honeymoon in 1981. But sadly, after their divorce fifteen years later, it is where Prince Charles and his sons heard the tragic news of Diana’s death in a car crash in Paris in 1997.

The History of Balmoral

Prior to the mid-1600s, the first structure on site was a small hunting lodge used by King Robert II of Scotland and in 1451 a larger house with a tower was built by Alexander Gordon and the estate became known as “Bouchmorale”. In 1662, the estate passed to Charles Farquharson and then in 1798 James Duff the 2^nd Earl Fife purchased the property and several years later it was leased it to Sir Robert Gordon in 1830.

Then in 1842, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited the Highlands of Scotland and stayed in Edinburgh. They loved the area so much that they returned again several times over the following years, Prince Albert in particular loved the region as it reminded him of his beloved German homeland. For this reason the Royal Couple were considering a home in Highlands and decided it would be a perfect for their young family to escape London during part of the hot summer months every year.

Prince Albert purchased Balmoral in 1852 which meant that the property was held privately by the Royal Family and that it was not part of the Crown. In addition to Balmoral, the adjacent property known as Birkhall was purchased at the same time to further afford the Royal Family more privacy. But with their family growing quickly, the Balmoral house proved to be too small and the decision was made to build a larger house. More room was also needed to accommodate visitors of the Royal Family and also Queen Victoria’s official cabinet members. William Smith, an architect from Aberdeen, was commission for the building project and he worked closely with Prince Albert who has some very definite opinions on the new home’s designs. In the summer of 1853, a site not far from the original building was chosen and Queen Victoria laid the corner stone that September. By waiting to demolish the old building, the Royal Family was able to stay there while the new house was being built. (Interesting Note: Located on the expansive front lawn, opposite the tower and about 100 yards from the path, is a stone marker that was placed on the site of the original house at Balmoral that was demolished in 1856)

The architectural design is known as Scottish Baronial style and Balmoral was built with granite found on the property. The home floor plan is symmetrical in design with two blocks of rooms arranged around a central courtyard with a tall 80 foot turret topped clock tower at one end of the block. The interior of the house was decorated in the distinctive Highland style with plenty of tartan featured throughout the many rooms. The construction of the main house was finally completed in 1856.

Upon spending increasing amounts of time at Balmoral, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert immersed themselves in the Highland culture. The interior of the house was uniquely decorated with plenty of distinctive Highland tartan and taxidermy stag heads which were featured throughout the many rooms of Balmoral. Queen Victoria enjoyed long hours spent walking on the moors and Prince Albert spent days hunting deer on the property. The Royal Family also attended the Highland games at nearby Braemar and hosted the annual Ghille Ball held at Balmoral.

In addition to the new home at Balmoral, improvements were made on several cottages and outbuildings as well as the gardens and woodlands on the property. Prince Albert supervised the planting of conifers on the grounds, the building of a new bridge and the establishment of a farm and dairy.

After Prince Albert’s death in 1861, Queen Victoria went into period of deep mourning and spent an increasing amount of time at Balmoral where she spent so many happy times with her beloved husband and far away from her Royal duties in London. Several memorials were erected on the property; the pyramid- shaped cairn at the top of Craig Lurachain erected a year after his death and a statue of Prince Albert which was placed on the event of the twenty-eighth anniversary of the engagement of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Since Queen Victoria was staying at Balmoral for a lengthy amount of time during the year, the perpetually mourning Queen came to depend on a local ghillie (a Highland gamekeeper and servant) named John Brown. Brown was able to meet Queen Victoria’s dark moods and he ultimately encouraged her to move forward with her life. His constant companionship with the Queen greatly comforted her, some say their relationship was intimate, but still their closeness caused hostility among her family members. Much like she did when Prince Albert died, when John Brown in 1883 the Queen commissioned a statue of him which was placed on the estate. After the death of Queen Victoria in 1901 her son, now known as King Edward VII, had many of the Brown memorials destroyed and the Brown statue was moved to a remote place on the property. (Special Note: If you are interested in more information about Queen Victoria and John Brown, I would recommend the 1997 film “Mrs. Brown” starring Judi Dench as the Queen and Billy Connolly as Brown)

Balmoral - Queen Victoria and John Brown 1868

King Edward VII continued the tradition of the Royal Family annual trip to Balmoral during the autumn months. His successor and son, King George V also enjoyed the annual trip to the Highlands. After the death of King George V his son, known as King Edward VIII, acquired the ownership of Balmoral when it was passed to him in 1936. Later that same year when he abdicated the throne to his brother, now known as King George VI, part of the negotiated settlement was the sale of both Balmoral and Sandringham (properties personally owned and not part of the Crown) to King George VI. After the death of King George VI in 1952, his daughter, the current reigning Queen Elizabeth II inherited Balmoral and she continues the Royal Family tradition of annual trips to Balmoral during the months of August to October.

Tourist Information Regarding Balmoral

Balmoral is open to the public daily from the end of March to the end of July, closed from August to October when the Queen is in residence and then opened again on a limited number of days during the months of November and December. For more information on specific days, times and admission fees, please see the official website at www.balmoralcastle.com

Balmoral offers visitors a variety of activities for visitors and the price of admission includes parking, a one hour guided tour including the Castle’s Ballroom and access to the gardens, the exhibitions and also an audio tour. There is also a small restaurant and gift store for visitors. It is advised that a minimum of at least one and a half hours is reserved when planning a trip.

Points of Interest at Balmoral

The Balmoral Castle Ballroom –

Ballroom is the largest room at Balmoral and it is the only room is open to the public; there is no access to the other rooms of the Castle because they are considered the Queen’s private rooms. Displayed in the Ballroom are several paintings by Edwin Landseer (an English painter who specialized in Highland landscapes and portraits) and Carl Haag (a Bavarian-born painter for the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha who later became a naturalized British citizen). Also displayed in the Ballroom are silver statues by John Boehm and several pieces of Minton China (the famous bone china produced in Staffordshire, England)

The Ballroom is probably most famously known as the setting for the annual Ghillie Ball, Queen Victoria started the tradition in 1852 when she wanted to thank her servants and other members of her staff for their good service. The ball is a much anticipated event for everyone at Balmoral because of opportunity for the servants to socialize and even dance with the Queen and her family. Historical Note: In 2014, the Ghillie Ball was postponed for one day by Queen Elizabeth to allow the vote on Scottish independence referendum. The end result was a decisive 53% vote against independence.

Garden Cottage –

Located not far from Balmoral is the Garden Cottage were visitors will be able to view a short film that shows how the 50,000 acre estate is managed. The original Garden Cottage was built in 1863 but by 1894 it had fallen into disrepair and was demolished. The current structure was built with stone and wood supplied by the materials on the property and it was completed in 1895. In her later years, Queen Victoria often used the cottage in the morning to have breakfast or in the afternoon to work on State papers, correspondence and to write in her journals.

The gardens adjacent to the cottage were originally planted under the guidance direction of Prince Albert. Several years later, during the reign King George VI, Queen Mary re-designed the garden with a fountain surrounded partially by a rock wall, the garden gate still bears the monograms of King George and Queen Mary (GR &MR). More recently, the Duke of Edinburgh planted a large vegetable garden to supply the Royal Family during the summer months.

Birkhall –

The Birkhall property was purchased by Prince Albert in 1849 in addition to the Balmoral estate, it was set aside for the exclusive use of his eldest son, Prince Edward (the Prince of Wales and later King Edward VII). Later, in 1884 Queen Victoria bought the property back from her son and used it to provide housing for her staff.

When King George V inherited Balmoral after the death of his father, he lent Birkhall to his second son, the Duke and Duchess of York (the parents of the current Queen Elizabeth II). The Royal couple enjoyed their time at Birkhall with their two daughters and during the time they occupied the house they redecorated the interior and replanted the gardens. In 1936, when King George VI ascended to the throne, Birkhall was lent to Princess Elizabeth and during the summer months it was occupied by her, Prince Philip and their small children.

After the death of King George, his daughter, Queen Elizabeth moved to the main house at Balmoral during their summer visits and her mother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, returned once more to Birkhall and she continued using it until her death in March 2002.

After the Queen Mother’s death, Prince Charles (the Prince of Wales) inherited Birkhall. When he married Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, in 2005 they spent their honeymoon at the Birkhall.

Craigowan Lodge –

Craigowan Lodge is located on the Balmoral estate about one mile from the main house. The seven bedroom stone house was frequently used by Prince Charles and Princess Diana when they would visit Balmoral during the summer months. Now the lodge is used for the housing of very important guests or sometimes various Royal Family members and when the Queen arrives at the estate in mid-July, she uses the lodge while the main house is being prepared for her extended stay during the summer months.

For more information about another privately owned British Royal residence, please click on the link to Sandringham.

Craft – Framed Button Crafts

Posted on July 7, 2015 by barbara

This post is about craft projects that take lots of buttons, lots and lots of buttons!! Maybe you inherited a box of buttons from your mother or grandmother and are looking for something special to do with them. Or maybe you are inspired by the button aisle in your favorite craft store and are looking for a craft project to use them.

When I decided to do this button craft project I searched on the internet for some ideas that I liked., the internet is a great source for ideas for all kinds of craft projects. I usually find ones that I like and then give it my own personal style with the supplies that I select. Walk the aisles of your favorite craft store to get inspiration for a variety of buttons, scrapbook paper and embellishments. Be creative and use your imagination to design a personalized button craft project.

So, here are three different variations of craft projects using buttons. The first used buttons to form a heart shape, the second is a wreath shape and the third uses buttons to form the initial of our last name. Listed below are the supply list and instructions for all three versions.

Button Craft – supply list

Buttons – you are definitely going to need a lot of buttons!
Frame
Scrapbook paper
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Plastic self-adhesive letters – black – I used letters for version #1
Embellishments – I used a plastic bow for the button wreath for version #3

Button Craft – instructions

Disassemble the frame, remove the backing, picture mat and glass, set them aside
Place the picture mat back into the frame
Place the selected scrapbook paper into the frame
Place the glass and the frame backing into the frame and secure it with the tabs provided. By reassembling the items of the picture frame it will provide a solid surface to work on that will support the weight of the many layers of buttons
Before adding the first layer of buttons I determined the position, this is important to make sure that the buttons are centered properly. Also this first layer of buttons will help to form the desired shape, such as the heart, wreath or letter initial. (Craft Tip: I used the dark colored buttons for the first layer to add depth to the finished project)
Continue placing buttons, add several layers and overlap the buttons (Craft Tip: I started with the larger buttons first and with each layer I added buttons decreasing in size until the last layer used the smallest buttons)
After the last layer of buttons is glued into place, add the embellishments. For version #1 I used the black plastic self-adhesive letters to spell out a clever saying! For version #3 I used a plastic bow that I found in the Christmas aisle but it had gold glitter paint, I removed the glitter and repainted it a deep red color that coordinated with the red floral pattern scrapbook paper I selected.

Travel – Althorp (Part One)

Posted on July 1, 2015 by barbara

In honor of Diana Spencer, the Princess of Wales birthday (born: July 1, 1961 died: August 31, 1997, in Part One of a two part series I will discuss the history Althorp which is the Spencer ancestral home located in Northamptonshire, England which is about 75 miles from London. The Spencer family has lived there for more than 500 years and Diana spent her childhood years there. Althorp is now currently the home of Charles Spencer the 9^th Earl of Spencer; Diana’s brother famously spoke out against the treatment of his sister at her funeral in Westminster Abbey in 1997. Today, Althorp is best known as the final resting place of Diana, the Princess of Wales and has become a tourist destination for many visitors to England. (Please click on the link to Part Two for more information about Althrop including a tour of the various rooms of the house, the grounds and Diana’s gravesite on the island of the the Round Oval)

The History of Althorp And The Spencer Family

Althorp has existed since medieval times as a small hamlet which was originally situated on the southwest side of the property just east of the current West Lodge. By the 15^th century the small population had dwindled and eventually all the residences had moved away.

In 1508, John Spencer purchased the Althorp property from the Catesby family with money earned from his sheep business. The land consisted of 300 acres of grassland and another 100 acres of woodland with 40 acres covered with water. Over the next four years, Spencer worked hard and the property was divided into four large sheep pastures.

When John Spencer died in 1522, the estate passed to his youngest son, William. William was the Sheriff of Northamptonshire and he owned it until his death in 1532. Over the next several years the property remained in the Spencer family with ownership passing from father to son. By 1603, Robert Spencer had been made the 1st Baron of Wormleighton and King Charles I had planned a Royal visit to the estate. Althorp was enlarged to accommodate the King and his court, a new drawing room was built and the main hall was enlarged for a grand banquet.

After Robert Spencer’s death in 1627, Althorp went to his son William. Several more years passed and the estate ownership went from father to son. Henry Spencer, the eldest son of William was rewarded the title of Earl of Sunderland after his honorable military service, unfortunately he was killed in battle at the age of 23. At the time of his father’s death, his eldest son, Robert, was only two years old. Robert soon grew into a temperamental young man and because of his controversial views on the monarchy he was eventually forced to leave the country. Almost ten years had passed when he returned from the Netherlands and at that time there had been a drastic reversal of his political opinions. He had quickly regained favor with the King and subsequently became Lord Chamberlain of the Royal Household in April 1697. During his time as owner and custodian of Althorp, Robert had rebuilt the house and also made many improvements and changes to the grounds.

Robert died in 1702 and his son Charles inherited the estate and held Althorp for twenty years and he greatly expanded the library by adding several hundred volumes of books. In 1700 Charles brought a higher level of notoriety to the family when he married Anne Churchill, the daughter of John Churchill the first Duke of Marlborough; the marriage brought an important connection between the Spencer and the Churchill families.

Over the next fifty years, Althorp passed through several more generations from father to son to brothers to son again. The rules of British inheritance were very strict regarding property and aristocratic titles, so for this reason the title of Duke of Marlborough came to the Spencer family through their connection with the Churchill family. Also the monetary value of the estate had increased dramatically throughout this period, when John Spencer died in 1746 his son, also named John, received the largest inheritance in England at the time.

John, the 7^th Earl of Sunderland and 4^th Duke of Marlborough, served as a Member of Parliament representing Warwick from 1756 to 1761. John lived a lavish lifestyle, dressing in expensive clothes and entertaining in a grand manner. When he turned 21 years old, there was a large ball for 5,000 guests held at Althorp in December 1755 and during the party John secretly married Margaret Poyntz and they waited to announce their marriage until a few days after the party. The good fortune of John continued and in 1761 King George III made him a Baron and he became Viscount Spencer, then in 1765 he became Earl Spencer.

In 1783, upon the death of his father, George Spencer (2^nd Earl of Spencer) inherited Althorp and he went onto have a very successful political life. He served as Whig MP for Northampton from 1780 to 1782 and then for Surrey from 1782 to 1783. George was also very interested in Althorp’s library and, through his literary pursuits, turned it into the one of the largest private libraries in Europe. As George became an old man, his book collecting became an obsession as he attempted to collect every volume published in Britain. Unfortunately, after starting out as one of the richest men in England, by the time of his death in 1834 he was deeply in debt.

John, the 3^rd Earl of Spencer, was able to work through his father’s debts without losing Althorp’s large book collection. He was also to maintain the estate as well as the additional Spencer houses and properties which had become quite extensive. There was Spencer House in London, a home in Wimbledon, a farm in Wiseton and a hunting lodge in Norfolk. John drastically reduced his living expenses and reduced the staff of Althorp by living the majority of the year at the small house in Wiseton. The other Spencer lands and properties were leased or sold and gradually by the time of John’s death in 1845, the Spencer estate was profitable once again. By the time of John Spencer, the 5^th Earl of Spencer also known as the Red Earl, inherited the estate in 1857 it was once again in financial debt. To clear the debt and maintain the estate’s many holdings, the majority of the large book collection was sold to be used in the University of Manchester.

The financial problems of the Spencer family continued through the late 19^th century and into the early 20^th century, so many of the estate’s properties and assets were sold. By the time of Albert Spencer, the 7^th Earl of Spencer, inherited in 1922 the fortune of the estate was still financially troubled and despite his heightened interest in art, he needed to sell many of Althorp’s paintings and other pieces of artwork to help decrease the debt owed. Fortunately, during World War II Althrop was not used as a military barracks or converted into a hospital for the wounded soldiers but Albert did grant them permission to use the estate’s stable instead and the main house at Althorp remained used for the duration of the war. With Spencer House being located in London, during the Blitz and the frequent German bombing and the decision was made to move most of the furniture and valuable items to Althorp for safekeeping.

After the war, the Althorp estate was opened to the public for tours in 1953 to raise revenue for taxes. Upon the death of his father in 1975, Edward Spencer, the 8^th Earl of Spencer, inherited the estate. (Edward served as Equerry to King George VI and later for Queen Elizabeth II) It was a this time that Edward and his young family of three girls and one boy came to live at Althorp, the youngest daughter was destined to marry Prince Charles the heir to the British throne in 1981 and she became Diana, the Princess of Wales. Diana and siblings enjoyed their childhood at Althorp despite the fact that their parents had gone through a bitter divorce in 1969 and their mother’s subsequent abandonment when Edward was awarded custody of the children.

By the time of his death in 1992, the Althorp estate was still losing money regardless of the fact that many pieces of antique furnishings were sold. Charles Spencer, the 9^th Earl of Spencer and current owner of Althorp, has been able to slowly pay off some of the debt to keep the estate running. To pay for an extensive restoration project to repair the roof and stonework of Althorp, Charles auctioned hundreds of furnishings and other items which had long been in storage. After the death of his sister, Diana, in tragic car crash in Paris in 1997 and her burial on a small island on Round Oval Lake at Althorp visitors flocked to the estate to pay tribute. Despite the increased funds that this recent tourism has brought to Althorp is unsure as to whether it can be sustained over an extended period of time to provide the massive expenses needed to run the large estate.

Please click on the link to Part Two for more information about Althrop including a tour of the various rooms of the house, the grounds and Diana Princess of Wales final resting place.

Travel – Althorp (Part Two)

Posted on July 1, 2015 by barbara

As previously mentioned in Part One of the two part series on Althorp, I will discuss the history of the Spencer ancestral home located in Northamptonshire, England. Althorp was also the childhood home of Diana Spencer, the Princess of Wales birthday (born: July 1, 1961 died: August 31, 1997). Althorp is now currently the home of Charles Spencer the 9^th Earl of Spencer; Diana’s brother who famously spoke out against the treatment of his sister at her funeral in Westminster Abbey in 1997. Today, Althorp is best known as the final resting place of Diana, the Princess of Wales and has become a tourist destination for many visitors to England.

Althorp is located in Northamptonshire, England about 75 miles from London. The Spencer family has lived there for more than 500 years and has paid host to various Kings and Queens throughout its long history. In 1603, Robert Spencer held a grand banquet for King Charles I. In 1761, King George III made John Spencer a Viscount and later the first Earl of Spencer. In 1913, King George V and Queen Mary visited the estate and stayed in the room at Althorp that is now known as the Queen Mary bedroom. Edward Spencer, the 8^th Earl of Spencer served as Equerry to King George VI and later for Queen Elizabeth II. The current 9^th Earl of Spencer is the brother of the late Princess Diana and is the uncle of her children, Prince William and Prince Harry.

The original home built at Althorp in 1677 was a classic Tudor style red brick building. The current building dates back to 1688 with alterations made in 1788 with Yorkshire stone and four Corinthian pilasters or columns and large sash windows surrounded in stone which were added to the front exterior. Historical Note: It has been said that the stone used for the pilasters was originally intended by Sir Christopher Wren to be used for the construction of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.

The interior of Althorp features well-appointed rooms with a central grand staircase leading to the upper floor. The rooms are beautifully decorated with furniture, paintings and objects of art including numerous pieces of priceless porcelain. In World War II during the Blitz antique furniture, marble fireplaces and other valuable items from the Spencer House in London were moved to Althorp for safekeeping. Some interesting and unique items included doors from the Spencer House dating back to the 18^th century which featured curled “S” (for Spencer) doorknobs. Sadly, throughout the years as the Spencer family estate became severely in debt and large portions of furnishings and part of Althorp’s large book collection were sold.

The Althorp estate included not only the elegant house and adjacent beautiful garden but all the surrounding 13,000 acres property. There are 28 other buildings or structures on the estate grounds including the large building known as the Stable Block. The Althorp Park area of estate is wonderfully landscaped with rows of trees and a large pong with a small island positioned in the middle. On this remote island, not accessible to the general public, is the final resting place of Diana, the Princess of Wales who died in a tragic car accident in Paris in 1997. Located nearby the lake is the Diana Memorial and, when the estate is opened annually to visitors during the months of July and August, the Stable Block has been converted into an exhibition center (unfortunately the Diana: A Celebration exhibit permanently closed in 2013)

Interesting Fact: Charles Spencer, the 9^th Earl of Spencer and the current owner of the Althorp estate was a tour guide at the house was he was a boy. This when Charles gained his extensive knowledge about the Spencer ancestral history and most importantly how he developed his steadfast desire to maintain Althorp for future generations.

A Tour of Althorp

Wootton Hall –

The grand entrance area located on the ground floor of Althorp is known as Wootton Hall, the name honors the English equestrian painter John Wootton. The Spencer family commissioned Wootton in 1733 to create several fox hunting paintings that still hang in the entrance hall. The space is beautifully proportioned with ceilings that rise two-stories high. The 18^th century plaster floral ceiling by Colen Campbell and the floor is made of black and white Italian marble time laid out in a checkerboard style during the 1910. It has been said that the entrance hall of Althorp was one of the most grand of the Georgian style country homes in England.

Special Note: Before leaving Wootton Hall, please notice the dozen elegant hall porter chairs lining the perimeter of the space. One of the original chairs was found discarded in the Stable Block in 1911; the chair was brought from Spencer House in London for safekeeping during the Blitz.

Interesting Fact: The acoustics in the Wootton Hall are excellent and for this reason a teenage Diana Spencer (the future Princess of Wales) liked to practice tap dancing in this area of Althorp.

The Saloon –

The Saloon is located adjacent to Wootton Hall and was originally the open inner courtyard of Althorp where carriages would arrive and guests would disembark into the house. In the 1660s, a roof was put over the area and as a result of the courtyard enclosure a beautiful walnut staircase was installed. In the late 1800s, the chandeliers were wired for light and the Saloon became the first room in Althorp to have electricity.

The South Drawing Room –

The South Drawing Room is located in the west wing of Althorp. The room retains an elegant Georgian style; the walls are a beautiful shade of blue, there are dark green window curtains, a large gilded framed mirror is positioned between the windows and the room is furnished with peach floral patterned sofas. The stone fireplace was built in 1802 and the plaster ceiling was done in 1865. This room is also known as the Rubens Room because there are four paintings by Peter Paul Rubens hanging on the walls, there are also fifteen Joshua Reynolds portraits.

Althorp - South Drawing Room - miniature collection

Special Note: Located in one of the room’s alcoves is a collection of miniature portraits displayed in a cabinet, take a close look to find one of Admiral Lord Nelson.

The Sutherland Room –

The Sutherland Room is located in the east wing of Althorp. When the house was first built centuries ago, it was once customary for the owners to occupy the ground floor to use as bedrooms and the guest bedrooms would be on the upper floor. The room has the original moulding and the fireplace in the room was originally from the Spencer House in London. The current paintings in the room were chosen to honor John “Jack” Spencer, the 3^rd Earl of Spencer, and reflect his passion for foxhunting. After the room ceased being used as a bedroom was used as just another reception room in the house.

Interesting Fact: Traditionally, the Sutherland room has been decorated specifically for the children of Althorp on Christmas Day. There would be a fully decorated Christmas tree and mechanical Santas, snowmen and angels would be placed around the room as festive holiday decorations. As a special treat for the children, individual cakes were set out in the room with the names of the children written in icing.

The Marlborough Room –

The Marlborough Room is located next to the Sunderland Room and adjacent to the Library. The room is named to honor Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough. Since the 1900s, the room has been used for large formal dinners, the Victorian rosewood dining table can accommodate up to 42 guests. Previously, the space had been divided into two different rooms, one was used as a reception room and the other was the old billiard room. In the 1950s as part of a restoration project at Althrop, two chimney pieces from Spencer House were installed in the room.

Special Note: The portraits of various Spencer ancestors painted by famed artist such as Thomas Gainsborough, Joshua Reynolds and George Romney are hung in the Marlborough Room.

The Great Dining Room –

The Great Dining Room was part of the east wing extension which was built back in 1877. The relatively small room is said to have gotten inspiration for the red damask silk wall coverings from the much larger and grander ballroom of Buckingham Palace. The two large tapestries cover the oak paneling that was originally from another property of the Spencers owned and it was brought to Althorp specifically for installation in this room.

The Library –

The Library is located on the first floor in the west wing of Althorp, it is sometimes referred to as the “Long Library”. When George Spencer (2^nd Earl of Spencer) inherited the estate, he was very interested in his literary pursuits and his book collection turned the Althorp library into the one of the largest private libraries in Europe. As George became an old man, his book collecting became an obsession as he attempted to collect every volume published in Britain. Five rooms at Althorp were needed to store the large collection and eventually the rooms were combined into one long 200 feet by 20 feet room, hence the name of “Long Library”. The ceiling of the original library collapsed in 1773, it was replaced and a new floor was also installed.

Unfortunately, by the time of George’s death in 1834 he was deeply in debt and a major portion of the collection was sold to the University of Manchester. The books seen in the library today on a tour of Althorp were fairly recent acquisitions and the dark and rich colored spines of the books are beautifully displayed against the off-white painted shelving.

The Picture Gallery –

The Picture Gallery is located on the first floor of the west wing at Althorp. The Picture Gallery is most famous for the collection of 60 portraits, 10 of those portraits are Sir Peter Lely paintings of King Charles II ten mistresses that have become known as “The Windsor Beauties”. The 115 feet by 21 feet room is decorated with lovely oak paneling and oak flooring which at one time was painted white, fortunately the paint was removed during a restoration project in 1904.

Special Note: The Picture Gallery has a wonderful collection of paintings, including Van Dyck painting “War and Peace”, John de Critz portrait of King James I and Mary Beale portrait of Charles II (where he is forever joined with “The Windsor Beauties”)

Interesting Fact: In Tudor times, the room’s dimensions were put good use when during inclement weather the ladies would use the Gallery to promenade (walking as a form of exercise and socialization) indoors to avoid soiling their dresses in the rain and mud.

The Oak Bedroom –

The Oak Bedroom is located on the first floor to the rear of the west wing at Althorp. The room is beautifully decorated with crimson wallpaper, a polished oak floor and repeated in the room several times is the Spencer “S” most notably on the blue velvet bed cover, above the large bed and near the fireplace.

Interesting Fact: The room was the site of an important event in the history of the Spencer family. On the night of December 20, 1755, during a ball being held in celebration of John Spencer’s 21^st birthday, the first Earl of Spencer secretly married Margaret Georgiana in the Oak Bedroom.

The Princess of Wales Bedroom –

The Princess of Wales Bedroom, as most people would assume, was not named for Diana but another beloved Princess of Wales. It was Princess Alexandra, the wife of the future King Edward VII who came to visit the 5^th Earl of Spencer (the Red Earl) at Althorp in 1863. The room was renovated in 1911 ad retains a distinct Georgian style of decoration. The large and luxurious bed is draped in fabric originally designed during the renovation. Two portraits of note in the room are the painting by Spanish artist Murillo of a young princess and the other is a painting by the School of Leonardo da Vinci of a young lady that bears a striking resemblance to the Mona Lisa.

(For more information on Alexandra, the Princess of Wales, please click on the link)

The Queen Mary Bedroom –

The Queen Mary Bedroom is named for Queen Mary, the wife of King George V who visited Althorp in 1913. The centerpiece of the room is the tall bed which is draped in green taffeta and designed in an 18^th century style. An item of note in the room are two antique chairs with needlework design and personally created by Albert Spencer, the 7^th Earl of Spencer who was the Chairman of the Royal School of Needlework.

Interesting Fact: As a side note regarding Queen Mary, she was a horrible houseguest in regards to the fact that when she would visit the stately homes around England she was always on the search for interesting and sometimes valuable items. She would strongly hint at her desire for a particular item belonging to her hosts, ultimately they would feel obligated to give her the item as a gift. In this way Queen Mary acquired many excellent pieces of furnishing and art objects at no cost which she used to decorate her own home.

The Grounds –

The Althorp estate covers over 13,000 acres of land in Northampshire. Besides the main house there are 28 other buildings and structures located on the property. The estate is beautifully landscaped first by Henry Holland in the 1780s and then by William Teulon in the late 1800s. After Diana’s death in 1997, when the Memorial was moved to its current site, Dan Pearson was commissioned to upgrade the park and gardens to accommodate the increased number of visitors that would be coming to Althorp. Pearson planted 36 oak trees along the access road to commemorate Diana’s age at the time of her death. Over one hundred white water lilies were added to waters of the Round and one hundred white roses were planted on the island which is Diana’s final resting place.

Special Note: After Diana’s separation and subsequent divorce from Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, was finalized in 1996 she had considered moving to a small cottage known as the Gardener’s House, on the Althorp estate. It seems that the request was denied by her brother, Charles Spencer, who is the current owner of Althorp. He claimed that the Diana’s move to Althorp would cause innumerable security problems. This decision had created a friction between Diana and her brother and their relationship was strained and intermittent at the time of Diana’s death.

Interesting Fact: The story of the famed Spencer Sweet Pea began back in 1901 when the 5^th Earl of Spencer’s chief gardener, Silas Cole, cultivated a variety of sweet pea that produced large pink flowers with wavy edged petals which he named the “Countess Spencer”. This variety of sweet pea has been growing on the Althrop estate now for almost 115 years.

The Round Oval and Diana Memorial –

The lake located on the Althorp estate, known as the Round Oval, was constructed in 1868. The Doric-style Temple located south of the Round Oval was original located in the gardens of Admiralty House in London. It was commissioned by George Spencer, the 2^nd Earl of Spencer, to celebrate the British naval victory led by Rear-Admiral Horatio Nelson over General Napoleon Bonaparte French forces in the Battle of the Nile in 1798.

The Temple was moved to Althorp in 1926 and after the death of Princess Diana it was rededicated to her memory. The Temple now bears the name of Diana which is inscribed at the top and it contains a large black marble silhouette of the Princess set on white marble and placed in the middle of the Temple. The large medallion is flanked by two large stone tablets, one inscribed with a quote from Diana regarding her charity work and the other is inscribed with Charles Spencer’s speech given at his sister’s funeral in 1997.

The small island located in the middle of the Round Oval is the final resting place of Diana, the Princess of Wales. After the overwhelming grief of the public over her tragic death and taking into account the endless media pursuit in her public life and lack of privacy regarding her personal life, Charles Spencer decided that the best place for her gravesite. The choice of her burial on the island not only provided privacy that had been denied to Diana during her lifetime from the intrusive media coverage but it also gave dignity to her final resting place with some distance from well-meaning but sometimes obsessive public and the island is deemed off limits to anyone without the permission of Charles Spencer. Her burial place is marked by a simple white memorial column with a stone urn on top; there is no headstone at the gravesite.

The Stable Block –

The Stable Block was originally designed by architect Roger Morris in the early 1730s commissioned by Charles, the 5^th Earl of Sutherland. The building’s Palladian style of architecture was said to have been inspired by Morris’ own horse stable in Convent Garden. The decorative fountain in the courtyard was installed to provide water for the horse troughs. The interior included several stalls for the estates’ numerous horses, a bath area for the riders to use after hunting, a veterinarian’s room and storage area.

After the death of Diana, the Stable Block was converted into an exhibition hall dedicated to the memory of the Princess of Wales. Six separate exhibit areas were created within the old stable complex. The first exhibit was the “Spencer Women” which highlighted the ancestral heritage of the women of Althorp with several displays showcasing jewelry, personal items and two large portraits, one painting of Sarah, Duchess of Marlbourough, and the other of Georgiana Spencer.

The second exhibit area plays a video of Diana ad a child, including rare footage of her christening and first birthday as well as additional footage showing her swimming, dancing and playing with her animals. Displayed around the room are her old toys, ballet shoes and other childhood items.

The next exhibit focuses on the July 29, 1981 at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Displayed in this room is Diana’s voluminous wedding dress designed by Emanuel and other items of her wedding ensemble. There is also a special display that showcases the Spencer Tiara which Diana wore on her wedding day. (For more information about the wedding of Diana and Charles or Diana’s wedding dress, please click on the links)

The fourth exhibit documents Diana’s extensive charity and humanitarian work. The next exhibit, which is known as the “Tribute Room”, documents the days between Diana’s death, funeral and burial at Althorp.

The final area was the “Diana: A Celebration” exhibit with large glass display cases showing many of Diana’s most notable dresses and gowns with information cards indicating the when and where she wore the clothing items. One unique display is filled with the condolence books that were signed by hundreds of thousands of people who express their feelings about Diana and offer their sympathy to the Spencer family.

The Althorp house and estate is opened to the public annually during the months of July and August but in 2013 the Stable Block and exhibitions closed permanently. The Princess of Wales Memorial Fund which received the profits from the exhibition had previously closed in 2012. At that time, Althorp needed to address the concern about the exploitation of Diana and more importantly there was a need to suppress the public’s obsession with Diana. It is said that the personal belongings that were part of the exhibition would be packed and eventually returned to her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.

Travel – Family Road Trip Tips

Posted on June 26, 2015 by barbara

As most readers of this blog know – our family loves to take road trips! When I was a young girl I remember taking two different road trips with my parents and sisters. One trip was driving from our home in California across the country to Chicago, Illinois. We made stops in Salt Lake City, Utah to see the Mormon Temple and Yellowstone National Park where we saw numerous black bears walking down the road and stopping traffic. The second road trip that we took was a few years later when we drove from California up the West Coast stopping in Oregon and Washington before reaching our destination in British Columbia and taking the ferry to Victoria Island. Both those trips created such vivid memories for me and I still remember being together as a family traveling across the country staying in small hotel rooms or camping, singing songs in the car and playing games, stopping to eat meals in small restaurants in cities along the way. But what I remember most was seeing the wonderful sites in the various states, such as historic places or National Parks.

Many years later, I wanted to build those kinds of memories for my children and I started planning regular road trips every summer. I would plan our annual trip several months in advance selecting our destination and then researching what interesting sites there would be to see along the way. I would book a variety of accommodations for these various trips which ranged from tent camping in National Parks to more luxurious hotels depending on our destination. Our family has seen the country from coast to coast visiting historical sites, natural history museums, a number of presidential libraries, various aquariums and zoos but I think the places we like to visit most are the National Parks. (For more information about National Park Travel Tips, please click on the link)

Our family enjoyed these trips very much and in this post I would like to share some of the travel tips I learned throughout the years and offer suggestions for planning a Family Road Trip!!

Tips And Suggestions For A Family Road Trip

Planning Ahead

The first rule of planning a family road trip is to get start as soon as possible prior to the anticipated departure date. The longer time you have in planning the more options can be explored whether it is hotel or activity reservations which can be booked several months in advance. It would be in your best interest to get started as soon as possible since popular destination reservations can fill up quickly and unavailable especially during the summer months.
Important Travel Advisory: With the internet, visitor information can be easily found, but my recommendation is to always check your sources to confirm that the information is correct. Also when making reservations, especially when using a credit card, always use a secured and verified website.
Take advantage of current maps, these can be obtained from the internet or the local bookstore or local travel agency (such as AAA). Viewing maps that show the route to and from your anticipated destination can be an excellent way to find sites, attractions or other points of interest for possible stops along the journey.
Take advantage of guidebooks, these can be obtained through a local travel agency, purchased at a local bookstore or online (such as Amazon.com), or on loan from a local library (this last idea can save money – guidebooks can be expensive for an item that is possibly used only once or twice)

Before leaving

Have vehicle thoroughly checked prior to leaving on a road trip; be sure that the vehicle is properly maintained and operating correctly. Check fluid levels such as oil and windshield wiper liquid. Check tires for proper inflation and replace if necessary due to tire wear, carry a tire gauge for checking air pressure while on the road. Be sure that spare tire and jack are present in the car and in good operating condition. Check that headlights, rear lights, turn signal lights are operating properly.
Be sure to have a flashlight (check batteries before leaving and replace if necessary) and pack a few basic car tools (include road flares, reflective light for emergency stops, booster cables) and make sure these are easily accessible if needed.
Take the time to wash the exterior of the car and clean out the interior; nobody wants to travel in a dirty car. Be sure to clean windows inside and out, vacuum the car floor and between the seats, dust interior dashboard and empty trash containers.
Prepare and pack special travel items for use during the trip. Items to include: paper towels for spills, moist towelettes for quick wipes, small package of facial tissues, small bottle of hand sanitizer, paper or plastic bags for trash, a basic first-aid kit and blankets or pillows.
Prepare and pack some food and drinks for use during travel. Items to include: small cooler for water and other beverages (make sure it fits conveniently in the interior of the car and is easily accessible without obstructing driver or passengers), pack snacks (try to select items that are non-messy and relatively healthy) and extra plastic forks, spoons, straws and napkins just in case.

(Please look for a future post with tips and suggestions on handling children on a long road trip and what to pack to keep them entertained in the car and hotel rooms)

The point of a family road trip is to have fun and seeing the wonderful, exciting and educational places that the United States has to offer. Advance planning and preparation will take some of the worry out of the trip. The point of a road trip is to spend time with family, so relax and enjoy!!

The Enchanted Manor

a lifestyle blog by Barbara Jones

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