I was not prepared for what we found at the Queen’s Gallery.
After an ample and leisurely breakfast in the hotel dining
room we set off from Hunter Square down the Royal Mile for the stroll to the
Palace of Holyroodhouse. I cannot resist a brief stop to admire and enquire
after the work of artist Georgina McMaster at the Edinburgh Arts and Picture
Framers store. There’s just one small problem and those who know The Royal Mile
well may have picked it up already. Hubby discovered it as he waited for me
outside. The Edinburgh Arts and Picture Framers are not between Hunter Square
and Holyrood. They are in the other direction heading towards the castle. For
the life of me, even when I feel like I’m compensating for the sun being in the
wrong place or for the fact that I should just do the opposite of what feels
right, I STILL can’t get it right when I’m in the northern hemisphere and this
time we did choose the direction that seemed to be heading downhill. Sigh.
However, as we can see, hemisphere disorientation is not entirely a bad thing. On
this trip and others it has caused me to see many things I’m glad not to have
missed. Today I have found a limited edition print
called Highland Fling featuring thistle flowers and bumble bees. Georgeous.
We correct our error by heading to a bus stop and getting
the number 35 bus to save our feet. The first event of the day is a visit to
the Queen’s Gallery. No queueing because we bought our tickets online some time
ago. The entrance is through some glass doors with original door handles that
are themselves a work of art. They are by Jill Watson and feature figures
looking at art in a gallery, but I didn’t notice this at first as the door was
opened for us and I was focussed on where I needed to go.
The current exhibition is Scottish Artists 1750-1900: From Caledonia to the Continent. The entrance
space is dominated by the famous painting of George III in his coronation
robes by Allan Ramsay, and what a masterpiece it is. I can see from the
glimmer and sheen of the illustration that the King is wearing cloth of gold
and the softness and luxury of his ermine mantle needs no touching to
appreciate. The image is the epitome of regal majesty. On the opposite wall,
Queen Charlotte and some of her 15 children are displayed. The main exhibition
space is up a beautiful staircase which cannot be fully appreciated until we
emerge at the top at which point the magnificent design of the conversion of
the 1840’s building into gallery space really smacks us in the face. It is
gorgeous and I wonder if Prince Phillip had a guiding client’s hand here as he
did in the restoration of Windsor Castle after the fire. The same
exquisite appreciation of high calibre woodworking in a modern but sympathetic
style is very much in evidence. The staircase and railings in particular are a
beautiful work of art. Simply stunning. I’m blown away. Luckily, photographs
without the use of flash are permitted and photographing the gallery
space is now my first priority. The architect used was Benjamin Tindall of
Edinburgh. The Royal Collection website includes information about the gallery
design and the artisans responsible for various items. I wish I had read
that before visiting and taken more time examining the building itself and the
many beautiful features.
As we entered the gallery we were issued with an audio guide
and haven’t audio guides come a long way. Multiple expert voices converse about
the items in the exhibition, the artists and other contextual information
that will help us to appreciate what we are seeing. This is a touch screen device and at
various points the commentary tells you to look at some images they are displaying on the guide for you. Brilliant.
The exhibition is just the right size. Enough to take in
without being overwhelmed. There are 20 listening stations but this is only a
sample of the artwork or objects on display. I start capturing my favourites
but soon I resolve to simply obtain the book about the
exhibition. I particularly liked the works by David Wilkie: The Penny Wedding
and Blind Man’s Buff, but so many of the pieces are wonderful to see and include
an exquisite level of detail. It’s a privilege to be able to get so close to
the exquisite miniature portraits and to hear the story of Agostina
Saragoza, a Spanish resistance fighter. Her story is truly remarkable and the
associated painting beautifully rendered.
Time now to move on. It’s about lunch time, should we eat
now or see the palace next? We have an early dinner reservation so best we eat
sooner rather than later. We pop across the courtyard to the café to see what’s
on offer and it’s an easy choice. We both have the Chicken, Ham and Leek pie
with mashed potato and creamy jus, £8.95. I say yes to some vegetables and
Hubby ends up with salad because the dregs of the vegetables have been taken
away, presumably to be refilled. The weather is cool and pleasant, skies overcast. Rain is forecast. We take a seat outdoors under the ample
umbrellas and tuck in. Our food is delicious and very filling. We’re glad we ate here.
Now. On to the palace. Again we just head in with our
pre-purchased tickets and pick up an audio guide. This time the more old
fashioned sort that is smaller and more work to hold up to our ears.
I have to confess to being somewhat at a loss what to think
or say about the Palace of Holyroodhouse and I was actively wondering what
Scots think of it, for itself and also in the context of royal buildings more
broadly and Scottish history. I can’t help but feel a bit peeved on behalf of
Scotland and I seriously wonder what “they” that is the people responsible for
managing or more importantly, funding these estates, are thinking. What is behind the way the palace presents? This
is the elephant in the room as I listen to the audio commentary. Case in point the entrance way. It has the
ambience of a back entrance come store cupboard. What the? It’s a small space
and I made a note of what they have um, put here – the result really is not
worthy of being described as a display. On the wall are two shields with swords
arranged in a circle, of themselves quite attractive. Then there are 3 large, randomly placed
Asian pots, not arranged mind you, it just gives you the
impression of someone needing to put them somewhere; a couple of beautiful high
backed chairs over against the wall; a couple of tables, an old sedan chair and
over against the wall glass display cabinets containing a gift to Edward VII
from the Royal Company of Archers. On the wall there is a painting of the Queen
and Prince Phillip at St Giles Cathedral on 24 June 1953. Am I missing
something? Is there another State entranceway? This can’t be the impression the
monarch of Scotland wants to give. But then thinking about it, I wonder, is
there a monarch of Scotland or is there only a monarch of Britain, based in
England? Serious question. I’ve always thought of it more like the Queen is the
monarch of Australia. Australia is a separate country. It’s a separate title. Is
the penny dropping? That's what Scotland lost with the union of the crowns / Act
of Union? If so I have to say that SUCKS!! Seriously. Not good. I’m understanding
the emotion behind the Yes campaign rather more, though I guess my reasoning in
getting there, such as it is, may be wide of the mark.
Going up the staircase the carpet and walls seem old. Yeah,
I know the palace is old but so is Windsor Castle and Blenheim Palace and they
are absolutely schmick. The ceilings are extremely ornate and obviously they
can’t be interfered with too much though they look like they have a bit of over
painting going on and need to be stripped back. If so it would be one heck of a
job. I’m no expert but perhaps there’s not much they can do with them. Perhaps
I’m mistaken about their condition compared to when they were new, and have
been overly impacted by the dreadful first impression as you walk in. The whole
place seems to have a slightly mouldering air about it. Creaking floorboards,
faded furnishings. I get the whole conserve versus restore philosophy and I can
appreciate that many of the items are valuable antiques so perhaps the faded
upholstery is what it is and should be appreciated as original. I appreciate
the efforts of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and Charles II to bring
the palace up to scratch. It seems
like a mark of respect.
There’s only two spaces that actually make a good
impression, the dining room and the long gallery that is used for investitures.
But again, the dining room is curious too. There’s a great portrait of George
IV in a kilt (another brilliant effort by David Wilkie) and we hear that George
IV’s 1822 visit to Scotland was the first of a reigning monarch since 1650 and
thereafter Scots were allowed wear tartan again. Over on the opposite wall is a
famous portrait of Bonnie Prince Charlie, the uprising he led was the cause of
the ban on tartan in the first place. Hmm. Yes, Bonnie Prince Charlie’s
portrait is an interesting item and no doubt a conversation piece, but I am
disturbed by seeing it here. I wonder how long it has hung there and why. In
the context its presence in this room feels rather like gloating. I feel like I
am gaining an understanding of why the craving for independence from Britain is
still so strong in Scotland. This is
tempered by my being all too aware that I surely know diddly squat about it, and
it is no doubt very complex. My opinion doesn’t matter but gosh, if it affects
me in this way I truly wonder what Scots think about this place. Compare the
condition of this palace with Edinburgh Castle. The Castle is schmick. In the
context of history, it’s hard not to conclude that the money is still
prioritised towards control and defence in Scotland. Not that any violent
uprising is on the cards of course, perhaps just the legacy of history.
None-the-less, collectively I find it really rather disturbing.
We continue our exploration through the throne room and move
on to a room with a truly lovely portrait of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
wearing the insignia of the order of the Thistle.
Eventually we reach the rooms of Mary Queen of Scots and the
scene of the murder of Rizzio. It’s pretty busy with people looking around so
the atmosphere doesn’t lend itself to contemplation. Nearing the end of our
tour we enter a room where collections of curiosities are displayed. If memory
serves they are items collected by monarchs and their family members over the centuries. The walls
display portraits, a large one of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots and across on the
far wall there is the portrait of handsome Lord Darnley aged 17, standing with
his young brother. I turn around and find with a start that I am confronted by
a famous portrait of Mary I. Mary I? Do I have that right? I’m sure this is
Mary 1 of England... A Tudor Queen. In the same alcove there is a portrait of
Henry IV holding, I presume, the red rose of Lancaster. Why are they hung here?
They were never monarch of Scotland.
In display cases around the room the curiosities are
displayed. Some are quite remarkable and it’s worth looking carefully. I
particularly enjoyed seeing the needlework portrait of Charles II and an
engraved portrait of William III in a surround worked by Mary II in her own
hair. The most incredible I think is a locket containing hair from the beard
of Charles I taken from his coffin by one Sir Henry Halford in 1813. 1813? What
the? What the heck was Sir Henry Halford doing rummaging about in the deposed
monarch’s coffin 150 odd years after his execution? I ask, but the young lass
staffing this room doesn’t know this. Does anyone? Immediately adjacent is a
locket containing linen stained with Charles I’s blood. Nice. There’s even some
hair of Mary Queen of Scots that has made its way into the collection.
Then there’s the Jacobite items. Bonnie Prince Charlie’s
pistols and his garter; a box given by him to Patrick Grant for sheltering the
Young Pretender after the Battle of Culloden; and a tiny silver case owned by
Flora McDonald. There’s other items too of course, but I didn’t make an
exhaustive list. I can’t say these items collected and displayed here lessened
the impression of gloating described above!
We move out into the Abbey and take a turn around the garden,
then I duck back in to watch the video presentations in the Royal Childhood
exhibition which are only short and it’s time to head back home for a nap
before dinner.
We race out at the last minute with lots of warm clothes and
such in our bag just in case. We’re off to the Tower Restaurant. The ambience
is a little frenetic and we are mildly chastised for being a little late, they
still need their table back at 7. Sure. We still need to leave to get to the
Tattoo and the limiting factor here is the efficiency of the restaurant rather
than our lingering. Our table has a
brilliant view of the castle. It’s a set menu for us tonight £18.95 for two
courses. Our meals are tasty and hearty
and tonight we each prefer our own starter selections. Hubby has Cauliflower
soup with toasted almonds. For me Pork Rillette, celeriac and apple salad and
toasted brioche. I win the main round. My slow cooked beef short rib, grilled
summer squash (butternut pumpkin in Australian parlance) and chunky tomato
salsa was very tasty and satisfying. Hubby enjoys his pan fried Hake, truffled
new potato and spring onion salad but he wishes he’d got the beef too. Beer was
St Giles Dark Ale. Nice and cold and Hubby says “It was very good. I liked that
one.” He likes pretty much all beer, so this means he REALLY liked the St Giles
Dark Ale.
I duck out onto the balcony and snap another photo of the
view of the castle a last opportunity for a comfort stop and we are off to join
the throng of people heading up to the castle.
This is brilliant. There’s not
too much congestion for this early performance. We stop to claim the programs
that come in our ticket package and turn around into Johnston Terrace and find,
rather conveniently, that one of the security guards has opened the barrier a
bit closer to where we are as the long queueing set ups isn’t needed at the
moment. Through the bag search and on to the souvenir hut. They’re sold out of knee
rugs but Hubby gets a couple of T shirts. They’ll be handy as we travel. The
sizing is very big and we have to reduce the size down from our first
assumption.
We make our way in and take our seats. I’m beside myself
with excitement. The bloke on the commentary duties entertains us all as we
wait to start by getting people from different countries to sing out. We start
with the “big island” ie Australia – and that’s a kiwi term for Australia I
note, hmmm. Not entirely PC in this context, but no worries. Yaaaaay sings the
crowd. And New Zealand? Yaaay. Various
others then how about the United States? YAAAAAAAAAY. Lots of yanks here!
England? Yaaaaaay. Lots of them too. Clearly a challenge. French? Deathly
silence. Germany? Yaaaaay. Scots – clearly challenged by previous efforts we
have a resounding YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY. Scots win. It’s a very international crowd,
and from the responses I couldn’t help but think of the scale of the Scottish
diaspora. Scotland in 2011 had a population of a bit less than five and half
million. There’d be many many times that number who identify with Scottish
ancestry in North America, Australia or New Zealand alone, let alone other
parts of the world.
We get down to the business of the night and first cab off
the rank are the massed pipes and drums. I’m a mess. Seriously it’s ridiculous.
I’m balling my eyes out. What an impact. I love pipe bands, perhaps in part
because they are deeply associated with Australia’s most sacred national day.
ANZAC day. I was thrilled to be coming to the Tattoo but completely unprepared
for the emotional impact of being here in this magnificent setting with the
pipes and drums, especially on such a scale. Lord, I’m balling typing this up!
I am so going to do the Tattoo again before I die.
The massed pipes and drums are made up of individual pipe
bands from all over the world. Including, we find later, the Manly Warringah
Pipe Band from Sydney. I grew up in Warringah, so what an incredible
coincidence that we should come when they are part of the show.
I won’t list every item or I’ll be here all day, so I’ll
just pick a few highlights, difficult though that is. First emotionally stirring number was the
Shetland Fiddlers who perform beautifully, are dressed beautifully too and who
make me think of a friend whose forebears were from Shetland.
The theme tonight is East meets West and we are treated to the
best the world has to offer in military music and performance. The Military
Band of the People’s Republic of China was magnificent. I was in tears before
and relieved to be able to wipe my eyes when the pipes and drums left the
parade ground. I feel like an idiot. Then the Chinese break into Abide with Me,
so beautifully rendered. So respectful a selection. I’m balling again. But
they’re not done with us yet. They lower their instruments and sing in
beautiful harmony. Fantastic! The crowds erupts in appreciation as they
conclude their number and march away.
I’m an absolute sucker for precision marching and have been
since I watched the Tattoo as a little kid, so I really enjoyed, well
everything, but especially the Queen’s Colour Squadron. Bollywood items and Changxing Lotus Dragon
Dance add colour and spectacle. Just Brilliant, but I nearly jump out of my chair
when the Swiss flags emerge. We know who this is and I cannot believe my luck
to be here to see them live – it’s the Top Secret Drum Corps and they are
fantastic!
The United States Air Force Honour Guard was amazing and
definitely one of Hubby’s favourites of the night. Or what could top the lone
piper up on the battlements of the castle with the National memorial at his
back? Everything was superb from go to whoah.
The forecast rain held off and the night was mild so we
didn’t need any of our warm gear. Some people were in their shirt sleeves the
whole time. As the announcer was giving instructions for exiting as the show
concluded, light rain starts but just enough to give us all the hurry up. We are swept down Castlehill to the
Lawnmarket among the crowd. The atmosphere is electric. What a high. The crowd
for the later performance is penned in Johnston Terrace and the security people
are shouting directions to the crowd exiting the Tattoo to keep everything
flowing smoothly. It doesn’t get better than this night. It just doesn’t get
better.
It’s a short walk back down the Royal Mile to home. The rain
putting paid to any thoughts of lingering outdoors. Back in our room we hear
the heavens open and it’s obviously bucketing down out there. I’m glad we were
at the early show!
We have a look at our programs and head pretty much to bed.
We’re both tired and we are driving tomorrow. We always rise early, so we need
to rest. It’s been a fantastic day. FANTASTIC day. J
No comments:
Post a Comment