Virtual Tour: Royal Suite
Originally there was no Royal Suite as it was comparatively rare for the monarch to travel. But junior members of the family did. Prince William Henry, later William IV, spent an enjoyable summer here in 1786 and is said to have left his mark on the land but Government House was not available to accommodate him. It did have its first royal visitor in 1860 in the person of Edward, Prince of Wales, the future Edward VII. The first reigning monarch to visit was King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1939.
The pair of four-poster beds were made specially for this room by the government cabinet maker.
It also has a small mahogany sideboard which serves as a dressing table. On this sits a dressing mirror and both were probably made in the early 19th century. Similar in character and age is the bow front chest of drawers. These pieces are not as elaborate as the pieces in the principal rooms but are quite appropriate to these more private rooms. They would represent the personal property of the governor.
