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The Palace of Holyroodhouse: Official Souvenir
-The official Royal Collection guidebook to Holyroodhouse, once home to Mary, Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie, and The Queen's formal Scottish residence -Recounts the fascinating, and sometimes turbulent, story of Holyroodhouse -Accompanied by new photography that offers a closer look at the interiors and artworks on display A royal palace for over 500 years, Holyroodhouse is The Queen's official Scottish residence. It has been home to Mary, Queen of Scots, and Bonnie Prince Charlie, as well as the setting for rebellion, murder and marriages that have changed the course of British history. This new guide tells the sometimes-turbulent story of Holyroodhouse, while new photography offers a closer look at its interiors and some of the artworks on display.
- GenresNonfictionHistory
56 pages, Paperback
Published March 2, 2020
About the author
Pamela Hartshorne
18 books185 followersAfter a haphazard early career spent working and travelling around the world, I started writing romance in order to fund a PhD in Medieval Studies. Naturally, that didn't turn out to be quite the easy option I thought it would be, but I did in the end complete a thesis on the street and the perception of public space in later medieval and early modern York in 2004. My research formed the basis of TIME'S ECHO, and many of the individuals I encountered in the records of Elizabethan York appear in the novel.
I'm fascinated by the relationship between the past and the present and have always enjoyed 'time slip' novels and how they explore the possibility that it might be possible to go back in time and see what it was "really like". As a trained historian, I know that could never be possible, but as a storyteller, I find the premise irresistible ...
I still live in York and continue to write romances as Jessica Hart in tandem with time slip novels for Pan Macmillan - and yes I *do* often get confused by my split identities!
If you'd like to sign up for an occasional newsletter for news, offers, books for review and so on, please do email me at pamela@pamelahartshorne.com
I'm fascinated by the relationship between the past and the present and have always enjoyed 'time slip' novels and how they explore the possibility that it might be possible to go back in time and see what it was "really like". As a trained historian, I know that could never be possible, but as a storyteller, I find the premise irresistible ...
I still live in York and continue to write romances as Jessica Hart in tandem with time slip novels for Pan Macmillan - and yes I *do* often get confused by my split identities!
If you'd like to sign up for an occasional newsletter for news, offers, books for review and so on, please do email me at pamela@pamelahartshorne.com
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 4, 2023
This is a great souvenir book of the palace loaned to me by the friends I travelled with on my first visit to Scotland, Jack and Kasey Kennedy. Unfortunately near the end of our visit, I took ill and missed getting to visit this palace with them. Here I am almost a year later, visiting with them at their vacation spot on Lake Erie. Jack brought this souvenir book to the farmhouse so that I could read it and see what I missed. The account brought back the complexity of the royal lineage and the Scottish history relayed to us by our tour guide last September. It also makes me want to plan another trip to Scotland at some point in the future!
July 28, 2022
On July 10, 2022 I took a long walk through Edinburgh to Holyroodhouse, the queen's residence in Edinburgh. She spends Royal Week at Holyroodhouse where she does a lot of work. Holyroodhouse has been around for over 500 years. "Robert Louis Stevenson wrote that Holyrood is a house of many memories."
Members of the Royal Family have ceremonial and state occasions. The queen invites and welcomes thousands of guests to Holyroodhouse at the annual Garden Party.
Many royal members have added their ideas to Hollyroodhouse. Queen Victoria had a beautiful fountain erected and presented in the forecourt.
A portrait of the queen was painted in 2018 to hang at Holyroodhouse.
"Visitors take the processional route through the King's Apartments looking from the Privy Chamber to the Great Gallery."
"In 1566 Lord Darnley, with a group of conspirators, forced his way into the pregnant queen's supper room, dragged her Italian secretary, David Rizzio, to her outer chambers and stabbed him to death."
Mary's son, who was to be James VI, left Scotland and became James I of England after the death of Queen Elizabeth.
The Great Gallery is filled with portraits of the Royalty who lived there, including those of legendary Scottish kings and real Scottish Kings. Holyroodhouse has so much history.
The souvenir book is filled with pictures of old treasures, paintings, furniture and tapestry, a beautiful place of beautiful old rooms and treasures.
"Mary, Queen of Scots was a skilled needlewoman. When held captive in England, she spent much time embroidering." A lovely necklace, brooch and earrings was given by Mary to a friend, Mary Seton. When Mary Seton died, her descendants sold the jewelry. It was presented to Queen Mary on King George's Silver Jubilee on May 1935.
On Queen Elizabeth's 90th birthday, an Enchanted Pool Bowl was presented to her by Edinburgh jewelers Hamilton and Inches in 2016.
Members of the Royal Family have ceremonial and state occasions. The queen invites and welcomes thousands of guests to Holyroodhouse at the annual Garden Party.
Many royal members have added their ideas to Hollyroodhouse. Queen Victoria had a beautiful fountain erected and presented in the forecourt.
A portrait of the queen was painted in 2018 to hang at Holyroodhouse.
"Visitors take the processional route through the King's Apartments looking from the Privy Chamber to the Great Gallery."
"In 1566 Lord Darnley, with a group of conspirators, forced his way into the pregnant queen's supper room, dragged her Italian secretary, David Rizzio, to her outer chambers and stabbed him to death."
Mary's son, who was to be James VI, left Scotland and became James I of England after the death of Queen Elizabeth.
The Great Gallery is filled with portraits of the Royalty who lived there, including those of legendary Scottish kings and real Scottish Kings. Holyroodhouse has so much history.
The souvenir book is filled with pictures of old treasures, paintings, furniture and tapestry, a beautiful place of beautiful old rooms and treasures.
"Mary, Queen of Scots was a skilled needlewoman. When held captive in England, she spent much time embroidering." A lovely necklace, brooch and earrings was given by Mary to a friend, Mary Seton. When Mary Seton died, her descendants sold the jewelry. It was presented to Queen Mary on King George's Silver Jubilee on May 1935.
On Queen Elizabeth's 90th birthday, an Enchanted Pool Bowl was presented to her by Edinburgh jewelers Hamilton and Inches in 2016.
August 19, 2025
Palace of Holyroodhouse: The Official Souvenir Guide, the title says it all, is the must-have guide if you're visiting Holyroodhouse. I received this guide from a family member who was invited to King Charles's Garden Party at Holyroodhouse. It's especially sweet that someone thought of you, and the palace's guide was purchased to expand the collection.
Back to the guide itself. It's a full-colour booklet with beautiful glossy paper. It has 56 pages. The copy I have is the revised version. By that I mean it was updated after Queen Elizabeth's death. King Charles is now mentioned. Incidentally, the guide was first published in 2020.
Let's talk about the content: it begins with a kind of flowery description of the palace's history, including its previous residents and the palace's origins.
Then we're given a lovely tour of Holyroodhouse. Various rooms are described in words and pictures. Rooms like a dining room, various bedrooms, restrooms, a lobby, and much more. I found it particularly interesting to read about Mary, Queen of Scots' apartments and the gardens.
At the end of the booklet, we find the highlights of the Holyroodhouse collection. Think jewellery, books, tableware, and cutlery. Of course, there's much more to mention; there's so much more to see in a palace like this.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse: Official Souvenir is interesting and, above all, very inviting to visit the palace. After all, you'll want to see what's been described with your own eyes.
Back to the guide itself. It's a full-colour booklet with beautiful glossy paper. It has 56 pages. The copy I have is the revised version. By that I mean it was updated after Queen Elizabeth's death. King Charles is now mentioned. Incidentally, the guide was first published in 2020.
Let's talk about the content: it begins with a kind of flowery description of the palace's history, including its previous residents and the palace's origins.
Then we're given a lovely tour of Holyroodhouse. Various rooms are described in words and pictures. Rooms like a dining room, various bedrooms, restrooms, a lobby, and much more. I found it particularly interesting to read about Mary, Queen of Scots' apartments and the gardens.
At the end of the booklet, we find the highlights of the Holyroodhouse collection. Think jewellery, books, tableware, and cutlery. Of course, there's much more to mention; there's so much more to see in a palace like this.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse: Official Souvenir is interesting and, above all, very inviting to visit the palace. After all, you'll want to see what's been described with your own eyes.
July 5, 2024
Too bad we can't take pictures inside.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews