Horse Guards Parade Buildings, Whitehall

June 1, 2011

Just before the Royal wedding I was shown around the Horse Guards Parade buildings with the Athenaeum Club and learnt much to my amazement that this is the official entrance into the court of St James’ and the Royal Palaces .

It was designed by William Kent but was completed by his assistant John Vardy in 1755 as Kent died before the project started being constructed.

The room located right in the centre of the building and over the middle arch is still exactly as it was when it was first created and is where the Duke of Wellington led the armed forces from as Commander- in -Chief of the British Army, in fact it is still used to this day as the office for the General commanding the household division.

The desk in the room is of particular interest to me as it’s still in use and was Wellington’s very own desk. A beautiful piece made by Hepplewhite and double sided – in fact almost a quarto partners desk as you can also sit at the sides as well and use it as an oval meeting table .
The reason I mentioned the Royal Wedding at the beginning is because it was used as part of the route to and from the Abbey because it is the state entrance to the palaces .

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About timgosling

TIM GOSLING - DIRECTOR Tim graduated from the Central School of Art & Design in 1987 with a BA (Hons.) degree in Theatre Design. His work in theatre included creating set and stage scenes for major West end productions such as Miss Saigon and Starlight Express as well as working as a set designer for Las Vegas shows. In the late 1980s Tim joined David Linley and became a director in 1993. At Linley he was instrumental in developing the company's design style and expanding their bespoke commission over the last 18 years. In 2005 Tim set up his own company, Gosling, giving himself the freedom to design a wider range of furniture and interiors while continuing his working relationships with interior designers world-wide. The company's objective is to create a bespoke service of design and furniture that has style and longevity. His world renowned furniture designs draw inspiration from classical architecture and styles. Each commission begins with the very intimate process of working with the client to ensure the designs reflect their needs and taste. Every piece of furniture is made to the most exacting standards using the finest materials and traditional cabinet-making techniques, and each element of the interiors is addressed with the same care and attention to detail.

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