Royal Pavilion, Brighton, England 14 Dec 2025

Royal Pavilion, Brighton, England

No, we"re not in "Arabian Nights"—but the Royal Pavilion in Brighton makes you wonder whether someone accidentally dropped a palace from a far-off fairy tale onto the Sussex shoreline. The Prince of Wales (later George IV) came to Brighton for sea air, but he didn"t just want a quiet retreat—he wanted a statement. With architect John Nash, he turned a modest villa into a grand palace full of domes and minarets. Step inside, and you"ll find dragons curling across ceilings, chandeliers blooming like lotus flowers and the wallpaper leaning heavily into the decorative style of Chinoiserie. The Banqueting Room feels like it"s always ready for a performance.

© by Andrea Pucci/Moment/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

On the edge
14 Dec 2023Boreal owl
14 Dec 2024Christmas Bird Count turns 125

More Desktop Wallpapers:

10 Jul 2024Collared aracari
International Mountain Day
19 Apr 2026Anne Hathaways cottage, Stratford-upon-Avon, England
26 Sep 2024Blue-throated toucanet, Los Quetzales National Park, Costa Rica
14 Aug 2024World Lizard Day
20 Jun 2026Arched iceberg, western Antarctic Peninsula, Southern Ocean
26 Mar 2026Logan Creek Suspension Bridge, West Coast Trail, Canada
Rocky Mountain run-off
4 Oct 2023World Space Week
A future built on the past
31 May 2026Everglades National Park, Florida, United States
18 Jul 2025Staghorn coral in shallow ocean
31 Jul 2025Kalalau Beach on the Nā Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii, United States
20 Sep 2025Oktoberfest begins!
8 Oct 2025World Octopus Day
Celebrating women
Aug 23, 2023Skógafoss waterfall, Iceland
The glowing winter
9 Feb 2026Amur leopard cat, Russia
23 Mar 2024World Meteorological Day
28 Jul 2026World Nature Conservation Day
6 Oct 2023Taughannock Falls State Park, New York
1 Aug 2025Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Twinkle twinkle, little bugs
20 Nov 2025World in Progress by artist Saype in Geneva, Switzerland
6 Feb 20262026 Winter Olympics
21 Mar 2025Happy International Day of Forests!
A triumphant pose
12 Oct 2025Village of Saranac Lake, New York, United States
Frosty Finland