The bicentenary of George III’s death is a timely opportunity to celebrate the achievements of this remarkable and complex king. Opening this month at Kew Palace, George III: The Mind Behind the Myth also examines common assumptions and misunderstandings about him, presenting a more rounded appreciation and tipping the balance of focus from the one aspect – his mental health - which tends to define him.
“George III was fantastically clever,” says Rachel Mackay, manager of Historic Royal Palaces at Kew. “He had a huge library of books, he was very musical, a great patron of the arts and also very interested in science. He was interested in clocks and would take them apart and put them together again, and he would visit the observatory in Richmond every Saturday to take measurements. There were many aspects to his personality.”
JOINING THE KEW Kew Palace is the building most closely associated with King George. He spent much of his childhood there, tutored by some of the most celebrated theologians, architects and musicians of the day. During adulthood, Kew was a beloved riverside summer home for the king, Queen Charlotte and their fifteen children. George supported the development of the surrounding botanic gardens that we still enjoy today, a fascination with the natural world which is reflected in Kew’s new displays, along with items from his worldfamous library and examples of artworks he acquired for the Royal Collection.
This story is from the April 2020 edition of Surrey Life.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 2020 edition of Surrey Life.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The House That Rocks
Transforming an impressive, seven-bedroom Victorian property in Dorking wasn’t without its challenges, but the result is a stunning family home that has had the interiors world raving
REMEDY FOR SUCCESS
Surrey’s Tracy Borman discusses the return of her heroine healer in the final book of her best-selling fictional trilogy
Love Celia
Actress Celia Imrie has travelled the world for work and leisure but wherever she goes there is a part of her which is forever Surrey
EXHIBITION OF THE MONTH
Art & Action: Making Change in Victorian Britain at Watts Gallery – Artists’ Village in Compton focuses on the Victorian roots of art activism
Electric dreams
The Range Rover plug-in hybrid brings silent electric motoring to this iconic luxury car
THE OPEN ROAD
Chris Pickering rounds up some of the best drives in Surrey
TOWN AND COUNTRY: Oxted & Limpsfield
With the North Downs looming nearby and glorious countryside surrounding it, Oxted is a town with real “escape from London” appeal and character, while nearby Limpsfield has a superb village vibe with its own community-run pub
Artist to the stars
Known as ‘The Face of Modern British Impressionism’, Mickleham-based Sherree Valentine Daines is celebrating four decades at the forefront of her field
A RIGHT ROYAL WELCOME
The Signet Collection’s inaugural hotel project is a reimagining of a former royal guest house, situated directly opposite Hampton Court Palace
TOWN AND COUNTRY: Godalming & Hascombe
On the banks of the River Wey, Godalming is a watercolour pretty town surrounded by pristine countryside and in-demand rural villages, such as Hascombe
