Queen Elizabeth: The Queen Mother at Clarence House

About this book

Clarence House is well known as the London home of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother for the last four decades. But few people can know what a remarkable atmosphere she has created there and what an extraordinary wide-ranging and personal collection she has formed. This book which has been written with Her Majestys full approval is the first description of the house and of Queen Elizabeths role as a collector. John Cornforth describes the history of the house and the earlier occupants followed by chapters of great interest on Queen Elizabeths development as a collector and the influences on her collecting with particular reference to the history of her own colourful family the Bowes-Lyons Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne. The book then takes the reader through the principal rooms of Clarence House with a description of the pictures furniture porcelain and spectacular plate highlighting their significance for the Queen Mother and the way in which the collection was formed. Among the collection are a distinguished group of late 19th and 20th century British and French pictures Royal portraits 18th century British furniture Chelsea and Worcester porcelain. The photographs have been taken exclusively for this book.