Magnificence

The Royal Collection is one of the most wide-ranging collections of art and artefacts in the world and provides an intriguing insight into the minds of the monarchs who assembled it. In this series, BBC Arts Editor Will Gompertz encounters dozens of these unique objects - some priceless, others no more than souvenirs - each shedding light on our relationship with the monarchy and giving a glimpse into the essential ingredients of a successful sovereign. In this programme, Will uses five objects to investigate a pivotal aspect of the art of monarchy - the projection of magnificence. An idea as old as monarchy itself, magnificence is the expression of power through the display of wealth and status. Will's first object unites our current Queen with George III; the Gold State Coach, which has been used for coronations since 1821. Built for George III in 1762, it reflects Britain's new found glory in its richly gilded carvings and painted panels...but the glory was to be short lived. Will goes on to explore Henry VIII's taste for interior design at Hampton Court Palace, with the enormous Abraham Tapestries - a symbol of Henry's personal self-belief but also a post-Reformation statement to his rival the Pope. Charles II's preoccupations are given unlikely form in a silver table now held at Windsor Castle, whilst Sir Christopher Wren's designs for Hampton Court have an unusually egalitarian purpose. The idea of magnificence might seem one-dimensional - but encoded into the jewels, the gilding, the silver and the marble are stories of political intrigue and personal paranoia. Prod: Neil George.

You can listen to Magnificence online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Magnificence is an episode from The Art of Monarchy by BBC.

This episode is 28:03 long.

This episode was published on Mar 3, 2012.

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