Mail's Robert Hardman gives an extensive tour of Queen mother's Walmer Castle. Built by Henry VIII, the castle has seen prominent members living within its quarters including Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
The Queen Mother's private rooms have opened to the public - see the photosBristling with guns , this was built by Henry VIII, besieged by Cromwell, occupied by the Duke of Wellington and Sir Winston Churchill. It was also the scene of a famous 20th-century sex scandal.
This includes several historic rooms on public display for some of the year, plus magnificent gardens, a moat, cafe, gift shop and tearoom, all under the stewardship of English Heritage. However, the castle also has a private apartment within the ramparts. And having become the first female Lord Warden in the 800-year history of this office, the Queen Mother made some very personal touches.
Since then, the place has remained empty, pending the appointment of a new Lord Warden by the King. The Boyces made no changes to the place, so we now have a perfect snapshot of life at Walmer in its royal years. The Queen Mother's bedroom where the floral patterns are at their most flowery, with pink roses cascading down the pelmet, swags, headboard and curtainsThe toilet off the main hall, the colour scheme for which was chosen by The Queen Mother
Even the dressing table was redecorated to her tastes, as was the bathroom next door with its grand marble surrounds. In her later years, she would prefer to use the green-tiled bathroom across the corridor with its walk-in shower. The guest loo next door still has a vivid orange and yellow floral bin with 70s kitsch written all over it. In an alcove, known as the Telephone Annexe, the Queen Mother would make her calls.
Advertisement Although her stays were never more than a few days each year, she adored this place. ‘My bedroom was really lovely, and we even managed to entertain some guests for dinner in the makeshift dining-room. The chef was very happy in his little kitchen, and the castle had a delightful atmosphere,’ she wrote to her interior designer, Oliver Ford, after her first stay.
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