has the queen visit leeds

A look back at Her Majesty the Queen's incredible visits to Yorkshire

The Queen visited a number of towns and cities across Yorkshire during her remarkable reign

• 05:00, 9 SEP 2022
• Updated 06:32, 8 SEP 2023

During her time on the throne, Her Majesty the Queen attended countless public engagements, visiting towns and cities across the globe.

Her Majesty made many visits to Yorkshire during her 70-year reign. Her first visit to the county was in July of 1949 shortly after her wedding to Prince Philip. She began a three day tour of the West Riding where 50,000 people gathered to welcome Her Majesty at Roundhay Park.

The visits continued over the years and she returned for many openings, centenaries and anniversaries. Here we take a look back at the visits Queen Elizabeth II paid to our region.

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The Queen visited Doncaster in 1953 during her Coronation year. She was accompanied by then Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. During her visit she attended Doncaster Racecourse and was also welcomed at York Racecourse and the Harewood Horse Trials.

The Royal Family were no strangers to the Great Yorkshire Show. On three occasions, The Queen visited the show in Harrogate. The first occasion was during her 1977 Silver Jubilee year.

It was during her visit to the show in 1977 that she went on to make a number of appearances across the county visiting York, Hull, Wakefield and Leeds where she made a special visit to Elland Road Stadium to watch a Youth Festival in her honour with 40,000 people. Most recently, the Queen made a visit 12 years ago on the show's 150th anniversary.

Being the Monarch, Queen Elizabeth was in attendance at a number of major openings often seen up and down the country. In Yorkshire, The Queen officiated the 900th anniversary of Selby Abbey in 1969 and the opening of the Humber Bridge in 1981 - in which she distributed the Royal Maundy money seven times.

Starting in 1949 the Queen made her first visit to Huddersfield, along with her husband Prince Philip they visited Ramsden Street and then in 1990 the Queen visited again to open a rugby club. In 2007 crowds met her again in St George's Square.

In 1950, The Queen, then Princess Elizabeth, visited Beverly Minster. Her Majesty later returned on July 12, 2002 and attended a service at Beverley Minster and visited the racecourse.

On April 4, 1985, The Queen met with the Lord Mayor of Harrogate for a walk along Station Parade. The day after she visited Fountains Abbey, no stranger to Royals as the Queen Mother would often visit these historic, ancient ruins.

In 1993 she visited Hull to board the Royal Yacht Britannia which arrived in King George Dock during her visit. In June of 1999 the Queen made another trip to Hull, arriving at Paragon Station to be greeted by the Lord Lieutenant of the East Riding of Yorkshire, Richard Marriott.

The people of Bradford were witness to Royal visits from the beginning of her reign right until her Diamond Jubilee. Often crowds would gather in the city's Centenary Square, the first occasion was just a year-and-a-half into her reign.

18 months after her coronation on Thursday, October 28, 1954, the Queen visited Bradford as part of a nationwide tour which followed months of state visits to Commonwealth countries. This was Bradford's first Royal visit since 1942 when King George VI Queen Elizabeth toured the city in the wartime.

The Queen also visited the cricket ground at Bradford Park Avenue, and was sang to by 30,000 school children. She and Prince Philip returned on November 12, 1974 to officially open the city's police headquarters.

On March 27 - 1997 - with Prince Philip - the Queen visited for a third time for the centenary of Bradford's royal charter, she distributed Maundy money and visited Centenary Square to unveil a plaque and pay respects at the Bradford City fire memorial.

Their fourth visit came on May 24, 2007 when the Queen and Prince Philip returned again to Centenary Square, arriving at Bradford Interchange where they were introduced to Yorkshire dignitaries with hundreds of cheering people. She was given flowers by the daughter of murdered Bradford policewoman Sharon Beshenivsky.

On July 19, 2012 Saltaire was draped with red, white and blue when the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visited the World Heritage Site as part of their Diamond Jubilee tour of the nation. Her Majesty also visited South Yorkshire a number of times. In October of 1954 she and Prince Philip visited Sheffield to attend schools and walk the streets to greet the people, only a couple of years after she was crowned Queen. In 1975 during a Royal tour, The Queen opened Barnsley's new markets and visited Cannon Hall.

In 2010, Her Majesty was back in Sheffield watching a 3D display at the University of Sheffield Research Centre. She and Philip returned again in 2015 to attend an Easter Service, once again handing out Maundy Money.

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Royalty at The Grand

• Heritage 

In September 1858, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert paid a visit to Leeds. One hundred years later, in October 1958, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip also made a trip to the city.

In the wake of the Platinum Jubilee, this article explores both royal visits a century apart, and how the theatre links them both together.

Written by Megan Glanville, Making History: Archive Collaborations student at the University of Leeds who has been working with West Yorkshire Archives to uncover stories from our collection.

Queen Victoria’s first visit to Leeds came in 1858 to officially open the newly-constructed town hall, and it was also the first time that the city had received a royal visit. Leeds had seen major expansion following the industrial revolution, and the city was now booming. Other places visited during the stay included Woodhouse Moor, where 26,000 Sunday School children sung her hymns.

Joining her on the visit were her daughters, Princesses Helena and Alice, and husband Prince Albert, who certainly had something to say on what the city was missing. He remarked that Leeds needed a ‘first-class theatre’ and that ‘nothing was more calculated to promote culture and raise the tone of the people’ than this. However, nothing became of this comment as it came during a time in which there were a number of pious nonconformists who feared the ‘insidious influence of theatrical entertainments’.

Nonetheless, twenty years later, in 1878, Leeds Grand Theatre opened its doors for the first time, and Prince Albert’s offhand comment is often credited for the construction of the venue. 

Queen Victoria's royal visit to Leeds in 1858. Credit Leeds Libraries and Archives Services

By the 1950s, the theatre was thriving and an important part of Leeds culture. However, shows came to an abrupt halt upon the death of King George VI. The Yorkshire Evening News reported on 7th February 1952 that those who had booked seats for pantomimes the previous night would either receive full refunds or would be able to later rebook their seats for later performances. The following year, the Yorkshire Evening Post reported on 30 May 1953 regarding plans for Queen Elizabeth’s coronation the following week and how organisers across the country wished to put on shows that would be memorable to people as part of that week’s events. At the Leeds Grand that week, Betty Ann Davies was to star in The Third Person .

As 1958 rolled around, it was now a hundred years since Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s historic visit, and a new royal trip to Leeds was scheduled. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were to visit the city in October of that year, and whilst it wasn’t their first time since the coronation, a visit to The Grand was in the diary. They were there to help celebrate the Leeds Centenary Music Festival and stayed at Harewood House for the duration of their trip.

Whilst at the theatre the royal couple enjoyed a showing of Handel’s Samson by the Covent Garden Opera Company on 17 October alongside the Princess Royal, her son Lord Harewood, the Prince and Princess of Hesse, the Countess of Harewood, and the Hon. Gerald and Mrs Lascelles. The cast included Jon Vickers as the title character and Joan Sutherland as an Israelite woman.

The programme cover of the 17 October 1958 showing of Samson, highlighting the royal presence of the evening. Credit: Leeds Heritage Theatres, West Yorkshire Archive Service, WYL762/105/51

The atmosphere in the theatre for the royal showing was abuzz, as Marie Hartley and Joan Ingleby wrote in their book The Wonders of Yorkshire : ‘Evening dresses shimmered beneath fur stoles. Diamonds, pearls, and medals glittered. Laughter and talk filled the auditorium. As the hands of the clock moved to 7 p.m, voices took up a whisper: “She’s coming!” The audience rose to its feet. Silence fell. Smiling and resplendent as a fairy princess, Queen Elizabeth II stood in the royal box’. 

While Leeds saw two royal visits a hundred years apart, they were joined together by the notion of theatre. What was once Prince Albert’s wish for the city later came true, and was enjoyed by his descendants a century later.

Queen Elizabeth II arrives to meet cast members of Samson alongside Prince Philip. Credit Leeds Heritage Theatres, West Yorkshire Archive Service

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Queen’s Visit To South Leeds in 1958 – where you there?

Further to the story earlier this month about film footage and recently recovered photos from the Queen’s visit to South Leeds , more particularly the R.W Crabtrees factory, a TV production company is looking for anyone who attended that day or met the Queen, to talk on a documentary to be nationally broadcast on ITV in June in celebration of the Diamond Jubilee, looking at the special relationship between The Queen and the Great British Public.

The documentary will use rarely seen  film footage to provide a unique portrait of our monarch as seen through the eyes of her subjects. So if you know of anyone who featured in the film below, please email [email protected] It would be fantastic to have South Leeds featured on this documentary and be very interesting to hear what those were there have to say. 

 [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4KKYPVMGX8]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FREWMBbDsQw] 

 You can see all of the historic film footage of Hunslet Club activities, as well as the most up to date films of club performances and activities at www.youtube.com/hunsletclub

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Queen Victoria Visits Leeds

Did you know that Queen Victoria made her first and very important visit to Leeds in 1858? This was the first visit to Leeds by any King or Queen. She came to open the new Town Hall in Leeds. Thousands of people from gathered to see her, Prince Albert, and their daughters, Princesses Helena and Alice.

Drawings of the event show the magnificent decorations on houses, shops and factories.

There were triumphal arches, flags, banners, festoons, wreaths, and placards decorating the route that the Queen took on her visit.

 On the day of the opening the Queen visited Woodhouse Moor, where she listened to hymns sung by 26,000 excited Sunday School children. Her carriage then took her along Woodhouse Lane, Upperhead Row, Briggate, Wellington Street, West Street, Queen Street, Park Place, King Street, and East Parade where a huge triumphal arch had been built, to the Town Hall .

A massive crowd had gathered in front of the Town Hall. Everyone wanted to catch a glimpse of the Queen. The crowds had to be held back by the police. At one point the pressure of the crowd was so great that it broke the wooden barrier that had been holding people back!

Building the Town Hall

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Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay to visit Leeds as full England route revealed

11 May 2022

Baton will be in Leeds on Tuesday 12 July 

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED ON BEHALF OF BIRMINGHAM 2022 QUEEN'S BATON RELAY

The Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay is confirmed to visit Leeds during its final journey through England this summer, as the full route is revealed.

Birmingham 2022 is hosting the 16 th official Queen’s Baton Relay – a journey which brings together and celebrates communities across the Commonwealth during the build up to the Games. In England, the Queen’s Baton Relay will provide the opportunity for communities to experience the excitement for Birmingham 2022, as the 11 days of showstopping sport nears ever closer.

The Queen’s Baton Relay is set to travel the length and breadth of England for a total of 29 days, before culminating at the Opening Ceremony for Birmingham 2022 on 28 July 2022. Kicking off on Thursday 2 June , the Baton will spend four days in London, coinciding with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Weekend. The Baton will then resume the international journey and return to England on Monday 4 July to commence a 25-day tour of the regions.

On Tuesday 12 July, Leeds will officially welcome the Baton.

A busy schedule of activities and events are planned for the Queen’s Baton Relay, with opportunities to highlight untold stories from Batonbearers who are striving for change in their community.

During its time in Leeds, the Queen’s Baton Relay will visit Leeds Dock and streets in the city centre before culminating in a celebration on Millennium Square in the early evening.

Members of the public are encouraged to get involved with the celebrations and embrace the arrival of the Baton, taking the opportunity to experience the buzz of Birmingham 2022 in their community. The Birmingham 2022 website will be updated with information over the coming months, with detail on the events and where to line the route.

Leader of Leeds City Council Councillor James Lewis said:

“We are delighted to be welcoming the Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay to Leeds later this summer. Not only will it be fitting as part of honouring Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, it will bring people together as a celebration of our communities so we look forward to a memorable exciting event and a fantastic Leeds atmosphere for everyone to enjoy.”

Thousands of Batonbearers, each with inspiring backgrounds and stories, will have the honour of carrying the Baton during the journey through England, including those nominated in recognition of their contributions to their local community, whether that be in sport, education, the arts, culture or charity. Between 40 and 130 Batonbearers will carry the Baton each day, and the Relay will reach hundreds of villages, towns and cities during its tour of the country.  

Travelling via land, air and sea, more than 180 communities in England will experience the Queen’s Baton on a route spanning 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometres). From energetic cities and historic market towns, to rolling countryside and rugged coastline, the Baton will head as far south as Cornwall and as far north as Northumberland.

Since its inaugural appearance at the Cardiff 1958 Commonwealth Games, the Queen’s Baton Relay has been a tradition for the Commonwealth Games.

The Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay began at Buckingham Palace on 7 October 2021, when The Queen placed Her Message to the Commonwealth into the Baton and passed it to four-time Paralympic gold medallist Kadeena Cox OBE, who had the honour of being the first of thousands of Batonbearers to carry the Baton.

Since then, the Baton has visited Commonwealth nations and territories in Europe, Africa, Oceania. It still has further destinations in the Caribbean, the Americas, and more countries in Europe, including the Home Nations consisting of five days in Scotland , four in Northern Ireland and five in Wales , where it will finish on Sunday 3 July, before returning to England in summer for the final countdown to the Commonwealth Games.

The dates of when the Baton visits each region are:

• 4 July – 5 July: South West
• 6 July – 7 July: South East
• 8 July – 9 July: East of England
• 10 July – 11 July: East Midlands
• 12 July – 13 July: Yorkshire and the Humber
• 14 July – 15 July: North East
• 16 July – 17 July: North West
• 18 July – 28 July: West Midlands

Phil Batty, Director of Ceremonies, Culture & Queen's Baton Relay, said:

“Whilst the Baton has been travelling across the Commonwealth, we have worked closely with Local Authorities in England to devise a route that engages with hundreds of communities, passing sport venues, historic sites, local schools and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Yet the Queen’s Baton Relay is far more than just a journey. It symbolises connecting people from every corner of the Commonwealth, celebrates Batonbearers who take on challenges, and marks the countdown the biggest sporting event in West Midlands history. And by the time the Baton returns to England for the final leg, 71 nations and territories will have already experienced the magic that comes with it.

 “We hope that communities across the country join the excitement, attend events near them, line the streets to cheer on our incredible Batonbearers and celebrate the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.”

Commonwealth Games Federation President Dame Louise Martin DBE said:

“The Queen’s Baton Relay symbolises hope, solidarity and collaboration across the Commonwealth at a time when it is needed most. It continues to inspire people wherever it goes and creates huge excitement for Birmingham 2022 as it journeys towards the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony on July 28.”  

Throughout May, the Queen’s Baton Relay continues its journey through the Caribbean and the Americas, with visits to St Kitts & Nevis, Antigua & Barbuda, Bermuda and Canada, amongst others.

The Queen’s Baton

The Queen’s Baton for Birmingham 2022 was created in a West Midlands collaboration that fused art, technology and science. Made from copper, aluminium and steel, the Baton also features a platinum strand in homage to The Queen in her Platinum Jubilee year. It is also equipped with cutting-edge technology; 360-degree camera, heart rate monitor, atmospheric sensors and LED lighting.

For more information on the Queen’s Baton Relay, visit www.birmingham2022.com/qbr .

The information provided on the route through England is subject to local authority approval and therefore could be subject to change.

For more information on Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, please contact Rose Jackson, Communications Manager via [email protected]

NOTES TO EDITORS

  Imagery and footage from the international Queen’s Baton Relay can be downloaded here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/c2djp3ht3w6p0cd/AADLANtNcPkQ5_nQRoSAugG8a?dl=0

About the Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay

Birmingham 2022 is hosting the 16th official Queen’s Baton Relay – a journey which brings together and celebrates communities in every corner of the Commonwealth ahead of Birmingham 2022.

The Baton has already begun its epic journey across the Commonwealth, where it will have visited Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, the Caribbean, and the Americas, it will return to England in July 2022 for the final countdown to the Commonwealth Games.

The Queen’s Baton will travel around England for 25 days, before the Relay officially ends at the Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games on 28 July 2022. The Queen’s Baton Relay is a Games tradition that celebrates, connects and excites communities from across Commonwealth during the build up to the Games.

This collective journey will ignite hope, solidarity and collaboration for the next generation, with these stories leaving us all inspired to take on the challenges that matter most to us. 

For more information, visit birmingham2022.com/qbr

About the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games    

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, which will be held from 28 July until 8 August 2022, will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to put the city, the region, and its people on the global stage.      

The Games is already proving to be a catalyst for transformation across the West Midlands, attracting new investment and funding, creating jobs and apprenticeships for local people and new opportunities for local businesses, as well as accelerating projects that will ensure the region is ready to host a fantastic sports and cultural celebration.      

Birmingham 2022 will be the Games for everyone, bringing people together from across Birmingham and the region, to provide a warm welcome to millions of visitors during the summer of 2022. 

Find out more at www.birmingham2022.com      

For media enquiries contact:

Leeds City Council Communications team [email protected]

Yorkshire's hearts are with our Queen today as Royal Family by her bedside

Thousands of people have shared their best wishes to Her Majesty

• 15:05, 8 SEP 2022
• Updated 21:04, 8 SEP 2022

Concern grows for the Queen after Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday afternoon that doctors are concerned for her health.

A spokesperson for the palace confirmed after an evaluation this morning, her health has deteriorated and doctors "are concerned". The 96-year-old is currently resting at Balmoral with members of the Royal Family.

It was confirmed that the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge travelled to Balmoral to be by the Queen's side while she rests on Thursday afternoon. The Duchess of Cornwall was also on her way to be by Her Majesty's side in case anything happens

Read more: Royal family rush to Balmoral to be by Queen's side as 'doctors concerned for her health' - updates

The Duke and Duchess of Wessex, Princess Anne, and the Duke of York are also present. Prince Harry and Meghan are also on the way to Balmoral.

Thousands of people from MPs, local councillors, celebrities, and our Yorkshire Live readers have been sending well wishes to her Majesty. One reader Deborah Sienkiewicz said: "I'm sure she will get the very best of care, unlike millions of other pensioners who will likely freeze to death this winter."

And Gary Speight added: "Hope for a speedy recovery." Elizabeth Medley said: "My thoughts are with her majesty and her family God bless you all."

Anne Japhet added: "God bless her. Our family's thoughts and prayers are with her and her family at this time. Bless you all." And Mel Rooke said: "Sending lots of love for a speedy recovery for our lovely loyal queen xxx."

Pauline Staton said: "Praying for her return to good health." Gillian Hudson added: "God bless you Your Magesty. Hope you have a speedy recovery my heart is breaking.

"You have done so much for our country from being so young and dedicated your life for us all prayers sent." Jennifer May added: "God Bless our beautiful Queen, please look after her for us, she is much loved by all."

Local democracy reporter David Spereall confirmed councillors in Leeds have decided to carry on with this afternoon's planning meeting. They briefly considered whether or not to call off proceedings in light of current events. "Given the Queen's commitment to service...I think it's important we carry on," one said.

The Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, said: "Our thoughts and prayers are with Her Majesty the Queen, sending our love and prayers from all of us in West Yorkshire."

After the new PM announced energy bill cap was to be scrapped, both she and Labour leader Keir Starmer briefly left the House of Commons following notes being passed. Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle told MPs: "I know I speak on behalf of the entire House when I say that we send our best wishes to Her Majesty the Queen and that she and the Royal Family are in our thoughts and prayers at this moment."

Prime Minister Liz Truss said: "The whole country will be deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace this lunchtime."

She added: "My thoughts – and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom – are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time."

Leader of the Labour Party Keir Starmer has sent his well wishes to Her Majesty. He said: "Along with the rest of the country, I am deeply worried by the news from Buckingham Palace this afternoon.

"My thoughts are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time, and I join everyone across the United Kingdom in hoping for her recovery."

Read more: The Queen latest news as Buckingham Palace says 'doctors concerned for her health' - updates

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Leeds, the castle of queens

Seen from across the moat, Leeds Castle looks more suited to impressing visitors with its idyllic charm than to repelling invaders intent on destruction.

When Lady Baillie visited Leeds Castle she could see what Hearst could not it was one of the most beautiful places on earth.

W hen Leeds Castle came on the market in 1924, William Randolph Hearst was ready to buy it — that is. until he saw it. On paper, it seemed to be the perfect opulent party pad. Located just east of London’s Medway Valley, it was a real royal castle, eight centuries old, yet fully habitable and ready for renovation. We can only imagine Hearst’s disappointment when he saw it (and promptly nixed the deal). Where are the looming walls? The soaring battlements? The holes for pouring boiling oil on attacking soldiers? The dramatic keep, with a dungeon full of torture instruments? Sure, it had a moat (and a very good one), but…what happened to the rest of the castle?

Fortunately for the rest of us, Hearst gave it a pass, leaving it to a much more appreciative and tasteful buyer: wealthy socialite Olive Wilson Filmer, later known as Lady Baillie. The daughter of an English lord and an American oil heiress, Lady Baillie moved gracefully through the social elite that only old money and aristocratic ties could reach. When she visited Leeds Castle in 1926 she could see what Hearst could not—that Leeds Castle, with its 500 acres of parkland and 5,000 acres of surrounding farms, was one of the most beautiful places on earth.

A view, from just inside the Gatehouse, of the front facade of the main castle hall. Iim Hargan

Leeds enters history as a royal estate of the Saxon kings at least as early as AD 850. The Saxon monarchy didn’t go much for castles, but they did fortify their large stone mill on the River Len. In all likelihood, this mill sat on a sharp meander curve of the little river, with its outflow forming a cutoff on the narrow meander neck; this formed a backwater lake with two islands in the middle. And this is what you see today. The two islands are now wholly taken up by the castle, while the meandering lake forms the wide, lovely moat that surrounds it. As for that Saxon mill, its ruins still guard the stone bridge crossing over to the castle.

One of the great Norman noble families gained the estate from the king in 1119 and began constructing the modern castle. They used the fortified mill as an entrance defense. From there a drawbridge and gatehouse led to the large island, surrounded by curtain walls and functioning as the castle’s bailey, a large open area dedicated to domestic and garrison functions.

The small island, protected by wide stretches of water I reachable only by a bridge from the bailey, they converted into their keep—a tower where the noble family kept its private quarters and entertained its noble retainers. Much of Leeds’sophisticated beauty stems from this very practical arrangement, perfected by 1290.

In particular, the three-storey keep, now known as the "Gloriette,” adds much to the structure’s charm and grace. Most medieval keeps are tall, narrow, massive towers that stand isolated in the middle of the bailey as a final line of defence. In contrast, Leeds’keep is low, wide, and beautifully proportioned. It looks like a single structure, built of golden limestone in a D-shape, taking up the entire small island, linked to the main island by an enclosed bridge sitting on narrow arches. In fact it is a range, of structures surrounding a small inner courtyard, the fountain court. In medieval times this was the keep’s water supply, and is now an enchanting little space.

Leeds was always more of a fortified manor than a military structure, with its keep built for comfort and beauty rather than for withstanding sieges. And this is what made it so attractive to the kings of England—and, most especially, their queens. In 1278 King Edward I gained control of Leeds Castle and estate and promptly made it a country retreat for himself and his beloved queen, Eleanor of Castile. While Edward improved the moat and strengthened the defences (the 30-foot walls that rise from the water are his), Eleanor converted the castle keep into the luxurious Gloriette—a Moorish term she introduced from her native Spain. Edward survived Eleanor and remarried ; Leeds then became the principal residence of his new queen, Margaret, remaining so throughout her widowhood. This became the traditional pattern for the English royal family for the next three centuries; the castle became the home of the queen, remaining so into her widowhood.

Leeds’only serious military action resulted from this precedent. Edward II’s queen, Isabella, tried to enter Leeds Castle only to find it in possession of one Lord Badlesmere, to whom the King had given it without bothering to inform Isabella. Words were exchanged and tempers rose; Badlesmere’s archers fired on the Queen’s party, killing several of its members. Legal grant or no, the enraged King besieged the castle, quickly took it over, and beheaded Badlesmere. Queen Isabella regained the castle and held it till her death.

Leeds Castle continued as the home of the queens of England until the reign of Henry VIII. Henry lavishly rebuilt Leeds as a grand palace for his first queen, Catherine of Aragon. However, when that marriage turned ill, Henry retained possession of Leeds and used it as a stopover point on his many trips between London and the Continent. When Henry’s young son Edward VI ascended the throne, Edward’s Protectors gave it away to one of Henry’s ministers. Leeds left the possession of the queens of England forever.

Of all the medieval queens to call Leeds home, the castle’s modern curators have singled out one special woman to profile—Queen Catherine de Valois, who took possession of the castle in 1422. There are good and practical reasons for this; the curators possess original records detailing the uses of the Gloriette’s rooms and their contents from 1414 and 1422, and this certainly makes a reconstruction easier. However, Catherine is interesting and important enough in her own right. At the time of her husband’s death she was just 21, a beautiful French princess in a strange land. She had a scandalous affair with an obscure young Welshman named Henry Tudor, landing them both in gaol for a time. Later they married and their grandson, Henry VII founded the Tudor dynasty.

JOURNEY NOTES

Getting there: Leeds Castle is about an hour east of London, just off the M20 (the main London-Dover freeway), Exit 8. It’s 8 miles east of the busy market town of Maidstone and about half an hour west of the Chunnel. If you are staying in London, you can get a bus (called a coach in England) from National Express Coach (tel: 08705 808080; web: www.nationalexpress.co.uk ) at Victoria Coach Station; the fare includes admission to the castle. National Express runs a similar service from Kent’s coastal towns of Dover, Hythe, and Folkestone. Train service also operates from London’s Victoria Station, with transportation to the castle, and castle admission included in the price; you can ticket the train service from just about any city or town in the south of England.

Admission and Open Days: £ 12.50 for adults, £11 for seniors and students, £9 for children ages 4-15, and free for younger children. Off-season rates (roughly November through February) are lower. It closes only on the days of the June, July, and November events below and on Christmas Day.

Events and Activities: Leeds Castle offers two open-air concerts in late June/early July, the internationally famous Great Balloon and Vintage Car Weekend in early September and a grand fireworks festival in the first week of November. Hot air balloon rides are available daily at sunrise and sunset, and there is a public golf course on the castle grounds.

Contact: Leeds Castle, Maidstone, Kent ME 17 I PL, UK; tel: 01622 765400; fax: 01622 735616; email: [email protected] ; web: www.leeds-castle.com .

Queen Catherine’s rooms in the Gloriette are now carefully reconstructed to their 1422 appearance. The Queen’s sumptuous bedchamber has walls covered in damask embroidered with the monogram HC tied in a lover’s knot, symbolizing the hoped-for union of England and France in the marriage of Henry and Catherine. The monograms continue on the rich red bedcovers and draperies, and on a day-bed raised on a dais and topped by draperies shaped into a crown—an impressive place from which to receive visitors. Next door is luxury of a more practical kind—an accurate reconstruction of Queen Catherine’s bath, hung with white linen; it emptied through a valve in the floor.

Leeds remained a private residence from the time of the Tudors to the time of the Windsors. Some owners kept it up better than others. By the 1920s it was not in the best of shape. One of William Randolph Hearst’s agents put it eloquently, if not grammatically, “Needs expenditure large sum to make it habitable not a bath in place only lighting oil lamps servant quarters down dungeons.” One presumes that the $875,000 that Lady Baillie paid for it went as much for the 5,000 surrounding acres as this run-down old pile.

Lady Baillie spent the next 50 years whipping Leeds Castle into shape. She retained Paris’finest decorators of that era, Armand Albert Rateau and Stephanie Boudin, to reconstruct the interiors in a stunning 17th-century French style. On the larger island, the main castle structure had been reconstructed by Henry VIII, then re-reconstructed in the high Jacobean style, then (in 1822) re-re-reconstructed back to Henry VIII’s style—thus earning the title the “New Castle.” This became an area for guests and entertaining. The Gloriette, attached to the New Castle by an enclosed bridge, became a private sanctuary for Lady Baillie and her family. Her bedroom, carefully preserved and open to public view, retains its 1936 Regence decor by Boudin; its gilt-edged blue panelling was wire brushed, limed, glazed, and then finished with beeswax to give it that ancient look.

Not all of Lady Baillie’s decorating was French in style, and some of the Gloriette’s most impressively ancient-looking features date from the 1920s instead of the 1220s. In the Fountain Court, a lovely half-timbered wall looks so old you wonder why Henry VIII hadn’t replaced it—yet it was built new as part of Lady Baillie’s improvements, softening the tall stone walls that loom over the court. Just as old-looking is a circular staircase, lined with roughly carved oak panels, anchored by a single massive oak trunk topped by an enigmatic laughing crusader—another addition by Lady Baillie, designed by Rateau.

More than any of the queens of Leeds’ history, Lady Baillie’s influence suffuses the castle. One example: Lady Baillie adored birds. Porcelain birds, carved birds, bird prints, and bird paintings are found in nearly every room. In the 1950s she took a further step; she developed an aviary that today holds more than 100 species. Redesigned and expanded in 1988, Lady Baillie’s aviary now hosts a successful breeding programme aimed at reintroducing threatened species to their native environments.

Lady Baillie was more than a decorator or improver. She was an artist, and Leeds was her canvas. Surrounded by water and framed by lakes, the golden stone of Leeds Castle is merely the centrepiece of a gently gardened landscape. Glades of trees grow in harmonious combinations; flowers brighten edges, seemingly at random, throughout the season; ducks congregate in ponds, search the lawns for snails, and happily bother strolling visitors. But the single most impressive elements may well be the black swans. Imported by Lady Baillie from Australia, they thrive and prosper in the moat, lakes, and ponds; they glare grumpily at gawkers, then casually strut and pose as if to say, “I was going to do this anyway—I am definitely not showing off for you.”

LADY BAILLIE HAS LEFT LEEDS CASTLE FOR ALL OF US. Upon her death in 1974 she bequeathed her beloved castle to the Leeds Foundation to keep it preserved and accessible for all times. The Leeds Foundation has researched and restored the Catherine de Valois rooms, expanded the size and mission of the aviary, and continued the growth and maturity of the castle gardens. The Foundation has also made the castle a venue for the performing arts as well as a site for such festivals as an annual hot air balloon gathering and the largest fireworks display in south-east England. And it is the Leeds Foundation that has established a small, world-class conference centre (with 21 rooms) in the New Castle, that (among other accomplishments) has hosted the preliminary talks for the Camp David Accords. They have preserved intact the room where Cyrus Vance, Moshe Dayan, and Mohammed Ibrahim Kamel sat down together—the United States, Israel, and Egypt at the same table for the first time. Then and now, Lady Baillie and her daughters look down approvingly from their portrait on the wall.

* Originally published in 2016, updated in 2023.

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