Film: Architecture & Spectacle

Of all George IV's legacies, perhaps the most visible today are the palaces he created, decorated and renovated. Buckingham Palace is largely the result of George's conversion of a queen's lodging in the 1820s. The splendid and familiar profile of Windsor Castle, a medieval stronghold above the Thames, is due to his architectural intervention. His seaside pleasure palace at Brighton continues to charm visitors with its inventive, fantastical design. His great London residence, Carlton House, was demolished during his lifetime, but its ever-changing interiors can still be evoked through architectural plans and designs, the numerous bills for decoration and furnishing, and a series of interior watercolours.

Watch this film to learn more about George's innovative architectural schemes.