Introducing the Royal Pavilion Saloon

We're in the saloon at the Royal Pavilion. This is where George, who became king in 1820, would receive guests of high rank. Under Queen Victoria, who came to the throne in 1837, she liked the style of the pavilion. She quite liked the interiors. What she didn't like was the lack of privacy, and it was a bit too small. So she decided not to live here, and her last visit was in 1845. And then between 1845 and 1850, the future of the building was in doubt, and many thought it was going to be demolished. Virtually everything was taken. More than 45 places were removed, the carpets pulled up, and they were all refitted, mostly at Buckingham Palace. You're seeing for the first time since 1847 the magnificence of this room. The renovation has taken about eight years in all. The whole project kicked off in 2002. The element that has taken the greatest amount of time is probably that which most people won't notice, and that's the wall decoration. And it's not wallpaper, it's a stencils decoration. Each of those leaves and flowers has been applied by hand. There are 12,000 of them. The surface itself took nearly a year to prepare. Stencil design was then applied through laser-cut stencils, and then platinum leaf, not silver leaf, but platinum. And those hangers, each hand turned on a lathe made of wood, with the silk wound round it. So very, very labour-intensive, but in my view, if you're going to restore a room like this, you either do it properly or you don't do it at all. The snake eating its tail there is an ancient symbol of immortality. The Fenghuang bird in Chinese mythology only appeared in places of peace and prosperity. It's a room of truly imperial magnificence. It reflects George's new status as king. The pavilion became richer and more elaborate, and this room reflects that to a very great extent. It's also a room that kind of ticks you by the throat and shakes you, doesn't it? Above all, it has a slightly psychedelic effect, and it's wonderful now that we'll be able to restore this room to its absolutely sumptuous period of magnificence.