While Tim headed out on an optional excursion, “Imperial War Museum & Churchill's War Rooms,” I returned to Greenwich to take care of a few errands and explore more of the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site.
I ventured farther into Greenwich, where I discovered that the modern history of Royal Greenwich dates to 1012, when the Archbishop of Canterbury was martyred on the spot where St Alfege Church, built in 1718, stands today. I passed by the church and the adjacent row of elegant Georgian terraced houses and then into the peaceful St Alfege Park, a lovely neighborhood oasis.
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| St Alfege Church and Park |
My destination, however, was not Greenwich, but the Queen’s House, an architectural masterpiece designed by Inigo Jones. The House was commissioned by Anne of Denmark, wife of King James I, in 1616 and was completed in 1635 for her successor Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I.
The Queen’s House was the first Palladian style building in England and the forerunner of the Georgian style that dominated building design for the next two centuries. The House was built on the grounds of the Palace of Greenwich, and its simple white architecture was a striking contrast to the much older, red-brick Tudor buildings around it. The house is one of the most important buildings in English architecture.
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| The Queen's House Today |
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| The Queen's House (center), circa 1680 |
Tours of the house are self-guided, and admission is free. Today, the house contains a magnificent art collection, from old master paintings to contemporary installations, but my focus was on the architecture.
The Great Hall, the centerpiece of the Queen’s House, was conceived as a 40-foot cube, and its dramatic black and white marble floor mirrors the design of the ceiling compartments above.
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| The Great Hall, from Various Perspectives |
The Queen’s Presence Chamber was the location where courtiers could meet with the Queen. The opulent ceiling dates from the earlier years of the House when the room was Henrietta Maria’s bedchamber. The most famous painting in the room is Elizabeth I, the Armada Portrait, which was painted after England defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588.
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| The Queen's Presence Chamber |
The Orangery was designed as a transitional space and gave the House’s royal owners and their courtiers direct access to Greenwich Park, where they would hunt deer. There are beautiful views of the Park and Royal Observatory from here.
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| The Orangery |
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| View of the Royal Observatory from the Orangery |
The Queen’s Withdrawing Room was repurposed as the King’s Presence Chamber in 1662, when the east side of the House became the “King’s Side.” A giant tapestry, The Burning of the Royal James at the Battle of Solebay, 28 May 1672, dominates one wall. Following extensive conservation work, the tapestry is now on display in the building in which it was designed.
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| The King's Presence Chamber |
I ended my tour by descending the iconic Tulip Stairs, the first spiral staircase in England to be built without a central supporting column, and it was magnificent to behold. Luckily, I had the stairs to myself.
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| The Tulip Stairs |
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| View Towards the Thames River from the Queen's House |
After returning to the ship, I struck up a conversation with a few visitors and learned they worked for Viking’s London office. They and several journalists were on board preparing for Viking Ocean’s upcoming tenth anniversary celebration. May 17 is a significant date in Viking’s history as it marks the day the company named its first ocean ship during a special Norwegian Constitution Day event in Bergen in 2015.
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| Preparing for Viking Ocean's 10th Anniversary |
Earlier in the day, I was tapped for a “starring role” in a Viking training program. When the appointed time came, I made my way to the Wintergarden where I was to be the guest, with the crew serving me tea. The program, which was recorded by Associate General Manager Shauvik, will be used to train new crew members in the proper way to serve Viking’s traditional afternoon tea. It was lots of fun.
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| Afternoon Tea Training Program (photos courtesy of Viking Sky) |
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| Sarah, Minor, and John Paul, After She and I Performed for the Camera |
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