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Saumarez House

Saumarez House is the official home and principal workplace of the King of New England and his family. When the Monarchy was established, the old homestead was chosen as it was the most stately of the many beautiful houses in Armidale. Today, it has become rallying point for the New England people at times of national rejoicing, crisis or grief. "Saumarez House" is also used as a metonym for press statements issued by the offices of the royal family.

Today, it is the residence of the King and Princess Consort, who spend about half of the year in residence and are present during the working week to be close to the Government of the Kingdom.

• History
• The Estate
  • Orchard House
  • Dumaresq House
  • White Cottage
  • Saumarez Chapel
• House and Gardens
  • Garden
  • House
• Tenants

History

The house once served as the principal homestead of the grazing property Saumarez and was built by FJ White between 1888 and 1906. The White family occupied the house until 1981, when the last surviving daughter of FJ White, Elise, passed away at the age of 97. The descendents of the White family eventually decided to donate the house to the National Trust. The trust ran the house until June 2012, when the Legislative Council passed the Saumarez Homestead Act, which made the house a crown asset. The house was renovated and rewired to make it fit for use again, and hosted it's first reception, for the Prime Minister of New Zealand, in June 2013.

When the King took up residence in July 2013, he ordered that the house be extended, including the construction of new wing in the south-eastern corner, which was completed in 2016. The palace now has grand wrought iron verandas around three sides of the building that was built at this time. The King also oversaw the constriction of the White Museum, which contains a replica of the interior of Saumarez House from time it was owned by the National Trust. Much of historical kitchen and laundry facilities were dismantled and rebuilt on the site of the museum. The trust continues to offer tours of the museum and the many possessions of the White family that it contains.

The new extensions of the house contain the private apartments of the King and Princess Consort on the top floor, while the bottom floor contains the State Banquet Hall and the State Reception Room.

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The Estate

In 2017, the Royal Assets Act was passed which created the Crown Estates Commission. Saumarez is a major asset of Commission. Additional homes were built on the extended estate.

Orchard House - Located on the corner of Kings Mall and Constitution Drive

Saumarez Chapel -

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House and Gardens

Saumarez House has one of the finest private collections of art and sculptures in New England. In addition, the gardens are renowned as the finest of their kind in the nation. Both the house and gardens are open to the public during the summer months when the royal family is not residence.

Gardens - Almost all of the White era gardens were lost by the time the house passed to the National Trust in 1984. When the royal household took over, the gardens were revived and expanded to be almost three-times the size of the White era gardens. Immediately around the house are manicured lawns, with small garden beds adjacent to the verandas. These contain shrubs such as Rhododendrons and hydrangeas. Further out stands a fine collection of fully grown trees on the lawns. The northern end of the garden is predominately lawn, with the Main Gates at the end of Kings Mall leading to a sundial in the centre of the drive where official guests are brought to the front of the house.

To the east, a small section of Mary White's cottage garden survived, and this was extended upon to occupy almost all of the eastern side of the estate's gardens from Constitution Drive to the hedge at the back of Dumaresq House to include the former picking and vegetable gardens, which were lost. At the far eastern end of the cottage garden sits Saumarez Chapel.

On the eastern lawn, between the house and the cottage gardens, sit the tennis court and croquet greens of the estate. Both facilities were resurrected from the White family gardens, and today play a major part in the social structure of the household.

To the south, it what used to be the White family poultry shed and other various outhouses, stands a French formal garden running from Dumaresq House to White Cottage. The garden contains box hedges, with pathways, statuary, and fountains. It was built by King Michael in 2018 and covers close to an acre of the estate. To west stands the great lawn, with it's great trees providing shade for the house and gardens. The western lawn also contains the conservatory, with it's large collection of native ferns and palms.

House - The original house was built in two stages between 1888 and 1906. The original building was a single story and contained most of the important rooms in the house. In 1906, FJ White extended the house to include a second story, with it's grand staircase and stately bedrooms. Today, the house is formally divided into two sections, with the state floor on the ground for official business, and the first floor serving as the private apartments of the royal family.

The ground floor serves as the State Floor, with the State Banquet Hall, State Reception Room and various other small drawing rooms and sitting rooms located on this level. The offices of the Lord Chamberlain and his senior staff are also located here, with the kitchen and laundry facilities built into a newly excavated basement level. All visitors to Saumarez are received on the ground floor, either by way of the Front Entrance at northern end of the building, or by way of the Equerries Entrance located at the south-west corner. The ground floor also features a smaller dining room, known as the State Dining Room.

The front of house contains three small reception rooms, known as the Victorian Wallpaper Room, the Red Reception Room and the Green Reception Room. During the White era, these rooms were much smaller and served as either bedrooms or sitting rooms. In 2013, the King ordered the floor be refurbished to create a series of larger spaces in which to entertain. At the back of the house, a large formal courtyard was installed by King James I in 2038. The space was previously a gravel courtyard that saw little use. Since it's installation, the courtyard has been used as a space for the King to sit and have lunch or a casual meeting with staff, members of parliament, or visiting dignitaries.

The first floor is the private domain of the King and his family. It is here that the bedrooms, private drawing rooms and the King's Study are located. The front bedrooms have been merged to form the Yellow Sitting Room, which is often used by the Princess Consort for hosting. Beside this sits two guest bedrooms, separated by the Upper Hall. The western bedroom is larger, and is often used by dignitaries staying at the house. The Royal Bedroom is located in the south-western corner of the floor, having been extended in 2013.

To the east of the Royal Bedroom sits the King's Study, which sits above the State Dining Room. This room looks out of the cottage gardens and croquet lawns and has been extended to provide more space for the King to work. The King's Private Secretary and the King's Press Secretary have their offices in rooms next door to the main study.

The first floor also includes a small family kitchen and dining room, the Private Dining Room, for the use of the King and Princess Consort, which are located above the State Reception Room. No entertaining usually occurs in these rooms, although it common for the First Minister to be invited for a family supper once a month after his audience with the King. The southern wing, which sits above the State Banquet Hall, sit the smaller private apartments for other members of the royal family. The King's children lived in these rooms before they left home.

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Tenants

Since it was built, Saumarez House has been home to following people:

• 1906 - 1981: White Family
• 1981 - 2013: Vacant (National Trust period)
• 2013 - 2036: King Michael and Princess Christine
• 2036 - 2045: King James I
• Since 2045: King James II and Princess Amber

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