The Rocco Forte Grand Royal Experience

Your Personal Invitation to The Brown’s and Balmoral Grand Royal Tour

A welcome message from host Simon Rhodes, second cousin to The Queen

I feel hugely privileged to have been welcomed at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the private estates of The Royal Family on several occasions over the years, as a family guest.

As a former Page of Honour to The Queen and member of The Royal Company of Archers, The Queen’s Bodyguard in Scotland, I have also been fortunate enough to attend several formal State occasions.

As my personal guests, you will be guided by a unique and fascinating combination of specialist curators, experts and hosts as you enter the extraordinary world of The Royal Collection, the working palaces, and various Stately houses.

The Royal Palaces and Castles in the United Kingdom house much of The Royal Collection. You will be immersed into the world of The Monarchy - a constant thread that has weaved its way through the history of these British Isles.

You will also visit the private estate of Sandringham. Although not part of The Royal Collection, it offers a fascinating glimpse into an alternative and less formal way of life. It is essentially an agricultural and sporting estate and is also home to the Queen’s racehorse stud.

Above all, your tour and experience will be created for you. This is not a brochure itinerary; it is, rather, one that caters to you and it is possible to structure the experience with a theme or narrative that matches your own interest.

This may be a specific period of the Royal Collection, or an aspect such as Paintings, Furniture, Porcelain, Arms and Armour.

Always the most appropriate curator from the Royal Collection will be selected to host you.

ARRIVAL: The Brown’s and Balmoral Grand Royal Tour Thursday 31st May: Welcome Dinner Arrival at Brown’s Hotel On your first evening Simon Rhodes and Alastair Bruce will host a welcome reception and dinner. They will share a fascinating insight into the history and traditions of the Royal Family in a relaxed informal setting.

Alastair Bruce: A Biog raphy In 1984, Alastair Bruce was recognised in the name of Bruce of Crionaich by Lord Lyon King of Arms. The Queen appointed him as one of her heralds on 7 October 1998 as Fitzalan Pursuivant, and he has been a member of the Royal Company of Archers, the Queen's ceremonial bodyguard in Scotland, since 1990. In 1991, he was made an officer of the Order of St John then in 1997, he was promoted to commander.

Alastair has worked as an historical adviser to Oscar-winning films such as The King's Speech (2010) and The Young Victoria (2009), and of the BAFTA-winning television series Downton Abbey (2010–2015), in which he was careful to provide historical accuracy as far as possible. He pointed out that he was always aware of the need not to slow down the story unduly and that, as an historical adviser, he was always mindful of the second word of his title, meaning that he could suggest, but not demand, the correct changes to be made.

Day One: The Brown's and Balmoral Grand Royal Tour Friday 1st June: St James’ Palace, luncheon and Buckingham Palace You will start your royal experience at St James’, the most senior palace. Within the grounds of this palace lies the London residences of The Prince of Wales, The Princess Royal and Princess Alexandra. Not open to the public, St James’s is the most private of the palaces. Here you will see the State Rooms, Chapel Royal and the Queen’s Chapel by famed architect Inigo Jones. Jones worked primarily during the reigns of James I and Charles I, and was England’s first classical architect.

Luncheon will be served at Berry Bros & Rudd, vintners to Her Majesty The Queen. Situated in St James’s, near to the palace, you will dine in their famous cellars and be introduced to aspects of their wine selections. (The luncheon venue is subject to the party size, it will be at Berry Bros or a venue of equal relevance.)

We are delighted to be able to grant you the type of access to Buckingham Palace usually afforded only to a visiting Head of State or a personal guest of The Queen. With the palace gates closed to the public, you will be guided through the Ambassadors’ Entrance, and met by a senior curator from the Royal Collection Trust, such as the Surveyor of the Queen’s Paintings. This senior curator will guide you around the splendour of the nineteen State Rooms and show you the Royal Collection’s many masterpieces – Van Dyck and Canaletto paintings, Canova sculpture, exquisite pieces of Sèvres porcelain and some of the finest English and French furniture in the world.

You will be privileged to tour the Throne Room, where The Queen receives loyal addresses; the Music Room where guests are presented to the Queen; and perhaps the grandest of all the State Rooms, the White Drawing Room, which serves as a reception room for The Queen and members of the Royal Family to gather before official occasions. Drinks and champagne will be served in the Marble Hall, before you gather on the West Terrace for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have your photograph taken with Buckingham Palace as the backdrop.

Day Two: The Brown's and Balmoral Grand Royal Tour Saturday 2nd June: Sandringham Estate Leaving the heliport at Battersea, London, you will be flown to Norfolk by private helicopter for a spectacular day.

Sandringham is The Queen’s beloved country retreat, and has been the private home for four generations of British monarchs since 1862. You will swoop over the estate’s mudflats, woodland, wetlands and farms. After a tour of the house and champagne in the Ballroom, you will stroll through the gardens to St Magdalene Chapel.

This is the quintessential Royal chapel; the place the family worships at Christmas. The sumptuously decorated chancel was a gift to Queen Alexandra by Rodman Wanamaker, an American department store magnate.

Luncheon will be served in the York Cottage Dining Room. A very private place, used only by the Royal Family for shoot lunches and evening barbecues. The public can never gain access – however, by special permission of Her Majesty, access to this little cottage has been granted to you for lunch. An ex-workman’s cottage, this rustic idyll sits right in the heart of the estate. It’s where Her Majesty hosts family lunches and barbecues (usually cooked

by Prince Philip). A truly private royal space. Lunch is from Sandringham House and is prepared by a Royal Warrant chef.

In the afternoon, you will visit The Royal Stud at Sandringham and be shown around by the Stud Manager. The Stud is not open to the public, and this behind- the-scenes access to Her Majesty’s breeding programmes will be an inestimable treat for all racing lovers and racehorse owners.

You will return to London by helicopter at 5 – 5.30pm

Day Three: The Brown's and Balmoral Grand Royal Tour Sunday 3rd June: Randolph Churchill hosts your personal tour of Chartwell You will be greeted and hosted by Randolph, great grandson of Winston Churchill. Randolph Churchill will guide you on a personal and historical tour of Chartwell House and will include a study of the paintings of Winston Churchill. The title Honorary Academician Extraordinary was conferred on him by The Royal Academy of Arts.

For over forty years Chartwell was the home of Winston Churchill. He bought the property in September 1922 and lived there until shortly before his death in January 1965. In the 1930s, when Churchill was excluded from political office, Chartwell became the centre of his world.

At his dining table, he gathered those who could assist his campaign against German re-armament and the British government's response of appeasement; in his study, he composed speeches and wrote books; in his garden, he built walls, constructed lakes and painted. During the Second World War Chartwell was largely unused, the Churchills returning after he lost the 1945 election.

In 1953, when again Prime Minister, the house became Churchill's refuge when he suffered a devastating stroke. In October 1964, he left for the last time, dying at his London home, 28, Hyde Park Gate, on 24 January 1965.

Randolph Churchill and his wife will host a private lunch for you in their adjacent home on the estate.

Day Four: The Brown's and Balmoral Grand Royal Tour Monday 4th June: The Print Room and the Staterooms of Windsor Castle You are invited to a private lunch at Windsor Castle, where your hosts will share a fascinating insight into life at the castle through the generations. You will be met in The Print Room at Windsor Castle and hosted by Mr Martin Clayton, Head of Prints & Drawings at The Royal Collection.

The greater part of the drawings, watercolours and prints of the Royal Collection are housed in the Print Room at Windsor Castle, which was designed by Prince Albert in the 1850s. Assembled over the last five centuries, the collection was principally shaped by just three monarchs. Charles II laid the foundation of the Old Master drawings, acquiring mainly Renaissance works (including the Holbeins and Leonardos).

George III made substantial additions, mainly through his purchases of two major drawings collections, those of Consul Joseph Smith in Venice and of Cardinal Alessandro Albani in Rome. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert commissioned many works from contemporary artists as mementos of their lives together. Prince Albert also initiated the Raphael Collection, which sought to assemble reproductions (prints and photographs) of every known work by, or deriving from, Raphael, and consists of some 5,500 individual items. An online catalogue of this material is currently in preparation.

Since the nineteenth century, additions have continued to be made, through gift (particularly on State Visits and at Coronations and Jubilees), purchase and commission. The collection is neither consistent nor comprehensive, but reflects (and often records) the interests and lives of British sovereigns through the last 400 years.

Once public access is closed, you will be invited to the Windsor Castle State Rooms and semi-State Rooms in the company of a senior curator from The Royal Collection, who will lead you on a unique private tour.

Day Five: The Brown's and Balmoral Grand Royal Tour Tuesday 5th June: Arrival in Edinburgh and Private Tour of Holyroodhouse The East Coast Train Service from London to Edinburgh takes you through some stunning English and Scottish countryside, and offers a wonderfully relaxing way to travel. During the journey you will be served a delicious lunch and arrive in Edinburgh ready for your Scottish adventure.

Once you are feeling refreshed and have settled in your room at the Balmoral Hotel, you will be chauffeured to a private tour of Holyroodhouse. The Palace of Holyroodhouse, commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland, Queen Elizabeth II. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace has served as the principal residence of the Kings and Queens of Scots since the 16th century, and is a setting for state occasions and official entertaining.

Queen Elizabeth spends one week in residence at Holyrood Palace at the beginning of each summer, where she carries out a range of official engagements and ceremonies. The 16th century Historic Apartments of Mary, Queen of Scots and the State Apartments, used for official and state entertaining, are open to the public throughout the year, except when members of the Royal Family are in residence.

In the evening, you will be treated to a Michelin starred dining experience from Number One Restaurant, in the splendour of the Balmoral Hotel.

Day Six: The Brown's and Balmoral Grand Royal Tour Wednesday 6th June: Glamis Castle and Dinner at The Royal Company of Archers Your chauffeur will drive you through the majestic countryside en route to Glamis Castle, which is home to the 19th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and the childhood home of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Princess Margaret was born at Glamis and the ties to the current generation of the royal family are bound by the family history.

You will be guided around this magnificent castle, which was also the inspiration for Shakespeare’s Macbeth, in a manner befitting guests of the Earl, who will then host a delicious private lunch. You will be entertained and informed by his anecdotes and stories of growing up as the heir to one of Great Britain’s oldest aristocratic families.

Gala Dinner at the Headquarters of The Royal Company of Archers You are invited to a private ceremonial dinner at The Royal Company of Archers, the Sovereign's Body Guard in Scotland. It performs duties at the request of The Queen at any State and ceremonial occasion taking place in Scotland. The Royal Company also provided the guard during Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's lying-in-state.

The Royal Company's most regular duty is to be in attendance at Her Majesty's annual garden party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. About 120 members of the Royal Company form avenues down which The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh proceed while guests chosen at random are presented to them by the Company's Captain-General and President of the Council.

Apart from its role as the Sovereign's bodyguard, the Royal Company of Archers still functions as an archery club, the purpose for which it was originally formed in 1676.

In return for being endowed with "perpetual access to all public butts, plains and pasturages legally allotted for shooting arrows", including the grounds at the Palace at Holyroodhouse, the Royal Company is required to present to the Sovereign three barbed arrows on request.

Your Frontiers Contact Mollie Fitzgerald Co-Owner Email Mollie P: 1-800-245-1950