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Royal Pavilion - Taj Mahal of Britain



When I first visited Brighton as a tourist from London, it dawned on me how striking Royal Pavilion looked. Although it was scaffolded at the time, I could still imagine its beauty.


When I visited the Pavilion as recently as  Sept 2022, I saw the full view of the Pavilion with my naked eye, in broad daylight under the late summer sun, I realised the true beauty of the building like never before.  


Right in front of the Pavilion was also  a small pond. I could see the shimmering reflection of the building as you can see from the YouTube video above.


Without thinking too deep into its history, it reminded me of images my mother showed me when I was a young boy of the Taj Mahal.  Although,  I had the fortune of visiting Delhi in 2004 yet couldn’t travel to Agra to see it with my own eye. Don't ask me why not. To me, this place is nearest to the Taj Mahal in Britain.


Historical Owner


The history of the Pavilion is linked to the British Royal family. It was a royal residence. It was built as a seaside retreat for George, Prince of Wales, who became King George IV in 1820. His successor, Queen Victoria, decided that it was not of her taste to retreat. Instead, she chose the Isle of White. The Pavilion was sold to the city of Brighton in 1850. 


First World War - Indian Army


Sadly during the First World War, millions lost their lives.  In Brighton, the Pavilion played a part by supporting wounded soldiers by transforming it into a military hospital and accommodating soldiers from the Indian Army.  


The hospital was later closed in 1916 once most of the army was withdrawn from the Western Front and redeployed to the Middle East. 


I hope to share more of Brighton's history in another context shortly.


Enjoy the beauty of the building!

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