Charles I (1600-1649) and Henrietta Maria of France (1609-1669)

[wyevale]

Off 'to town' to see -

https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhi...SAAEgKPnvD_BwE

Then, after Lunch at Fortnum & Mason, on to Buckingham Palace to see-

https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/c...kingham-palace.

Will post a full report for those interested, but not able to be in London to see these exhibitions in person.

[wyevale]

Yesterday's trip to the Royal Academy of Art [Piccadilly, London] to see 'Charles 1st, King and Collector', an exhibition which [for the first and only time since 1649], assembles much of the spectacular art collected by the King, and flogged off to various European collectors [by Oliver Cromwell] after his execution in 1649.

We were STUNNED, by the breadth, quality and number of the works on display. Regrettably photography was discouraged, but we managed a few sneaky ones..
The Pictures are mine own and therefore NOT subject to Copyright...

1] King Charles Ist , by Sir Anthony Van Dyke. Triple portrait dispatched to Rome so Gian Lorenzo Bernini could sculpt a bust [later lost] in the Whitehall Palace Fire[[1698]. Painted circa 1636.

2] Lady in Green by Agnolo Bronzino (1503 - 1572)

3] Charles Ist at his Trial by Edward Bower [1648/9]

4] Marcus Aurelius, Roman 2nd Century A.D.

There were countless large scale Tapestries, Frescoes, Portraits, Allegorical and Religious works [too large to photograph], by some of the greatest artists ever to practice, including Rembrandt, Da Vinci, Caravaggio,Velasquez, Holbein,Bruegel, Rubens and Van Dyke.

[wyevale]

After a 'slap up' Lunch at Fortnums we went to the second [and allied] exhibition at the Queens Gallery, [Buckingham Palace], 'Charles ll, Politics and Power' which charts the re-assembly of the Royal Collections after the 11 year interregnum, with Charles ll seeking to refurnish his empty Palaces. Many things were given/returned by Foreign powers seeking to befriend the newly powerful restored Monarch, and by Subjects hoping to do the same.

Photography was permitted, so here are many more Pictures...

1] Charles ll own Garter collar by Sir John Vyner [c 1661], made for the Coronation.

2] Charles ll -fragment of the mural decoration from St George's Hall, Windsor

3] River procession, Coronation Day 1661

4] King Charles II, by John Wright, 'in State' late 1670s.

[wyevale]

1] The Comtesse de Grammont, by Lely, one of the earliest and best of the 'Hampton Court Beauties', a series of portraits of the Female Courtiers at the Court of Charles ll, commissioned by the Kings sister-in Law [the Duchess of York].

2] King Charles II, by John Verelst (1648–1734.
For me the painting which best characterises the King of whom John Wilmot [2nd Earl of Rochester] memorably quipped
'We have a pretty, witty king, whose word no man relies on; He never said a foolish thing,nor ever did a wise one'....

3] Miniatures of King Charles lst and Queen Henrietta Maria.

4] Miniatures of [top] Catherine of Braganza,[bottom left] General Monck] and [bottom right] the Duke of Monmouth.

[wyevale]

Leonardo da Vinci Drawings...

[wyevale]

Hans Holbein drawings -

[wyevale]

And finally, an example of the furniture -

A Cabinet on Stand, in Crocus wood, with Silver mounts, circa 1660.

[CyrilVladisla]

Henrietta Maria preferred to maintain her own French tastes. She brought her massive French retinue to England to accompany her. She continued to spend as lavishly as she had at the French court.

King Charles I stormed the Commons.
The King that stormed the Commons – Royal Central

Queen Henrietta and her children viewed the swans.
https://www.alamy.com/goodall-freder...219184942.html

[Iluvbertie]

And the consequence to this day is that the monarch is not allowed to enter the Commons - or its equivalent in any Westminster Parliament (other then QLD because there is no upper house there - there maybe other Westminster parliaments with only one house but I only know of Qld).

[de Werberg]

Beautiful miniature of King Charles1 alongside Queen Henrietta. Do other examples of plaques or Portrait reliefs still exist other than that of my own collection of course?

[CyrilVladisla]

King Charles I wrote a book called Eikon Basilika. It was published on February 9, 1649, ten days after the King was beheaded.