0:00:02 > 0:00:06Just what do you have to do when a queen decides she's going to pop in to see you?
0:00:06 > 0:00:08And not just any old queen -
0:00:08 > 0:00:10Victoria.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Like a pair of obsessed Victoria groupies,
0:00:12 > 0:00:15we're pursuing her around the country
0:00:15 > 0:00:17to the posh pads she visited.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20We'll be delving into her personal diaries to reveal
0:00:20 > 0:00:22what happened behind closed doors.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25Today, Holcombe Hall.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28Even from here, you can see that this place
0:00:28 > 0:00:30was built to impress, eh?
0:00:30 > 0:00:36Well, with a drive two miles long, you have plenty of time to admire it.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38And as someone who's spent a lifetime
0:00:38 > 0:00:40getting excited by antiques,
0:00:40 > 0:00:44I'll be exploring upstairs including an amazing architectural trick
0:00:44 > 0:00:46that would have tickled Victoria.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49This is an enfilade.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52And as a chef who's passionate about all sorts of food,
0:00:52 > 0:00:55I'll be getting a flavour of the work below stairs
0:00:55 > 0:01:00and creating a wonderful 19th century recipe that was served to Victoria.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02It's perfect. I'm so pleased.
0:01:02 > 0:01:07- And I'll offer Tim an eyeful of tasty treats.- What a vision.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15Princess Victoria came to glorious Holcombe Hall
0:01:15 > 0:01:19on the north Norfolk coast, in 1835 for a two-day visit.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21She was just 16 years old
0:01:21 > 0:01:24and was brought here by her mother, the Duchess of Kent,
0:01:24 > 0:01:28keen to show her off to her future subjects.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31They'd been on the road for about eight hours and had got through
0:01:31 > 0:01:35four sets of horses by the time they got to nearby King's Lynn,
0:01:35 > 0:01:38where she was greeted in a most unusual way.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42A group of very enthusiastic agricultural labourers
0:01:42 > 0:01:46decided to detach the horses from her carriage
0:01:46 > 0:01:50and then pull her all around the town for a couple of hours
0:01:50 > 0:01:53as an expression of their extreme loyalty.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56But when she did eventually get here,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59I'm sure she thought it was worth the wait.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03In her diary she wrote, "It is a fine large house."
0:02:03 > 0:02:06Well, I suppose if you're inviting royalty to stay,
0:02:06 > 0:02:10at the very least, you want her to think your house is big enough.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14Well, Rosemary, I think it's time to find out what was going on
0:02:14 > 0:02:16at the house when they eventually got here.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19They must have been incredibly late for dinner.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Well, I'm going to go and find out what they did in the kitchen.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26A whole crowd of people were lined up to greet Victoria
0:02:26 > 0:02:28that late afternoon
0:02:28 > 0:02:31and they became increasingly concerned
0:02:31 > 0:02:33at her non-appearance.
0:02:33 > 0:02:40Later on, a carriage was spied and Thomas William Cooke, the host,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43stepped out and gave an immense bow,
0:02:43 > 0:02:48only to discover that it wasn't Victoria's coach.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52It was some servants that had come in an advance party
0:02:52 > 0:02:53and they scurried away.
0:02:53 > 0:03:01Victoria eventually arrived, in the dark, at 8pm, when it was raining.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07And just look at the magnificence that was here to greet them.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11This is the renowned marble hall at Holcombe,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14except it's not marble at all.
0:03:14 > 0:03:19The brown vein stone is actually Derbyshire alabaster
0:03:19 > 0:03:22which was mined in the 1720s and shipped here
0:03:22 > 0:03:25and then it took 20 years
0:03:25 > 0:03:30to craft into the beautiful edifice that we see today.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36The most striking feature for me has to be this ceiling.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42All this beauty seems to have escaped Victoria
0:03:42 > 0:03:46because she records in her diary that she's well nigh dead
0:03:46 > 0:03:51by the heartened fatigue of this long and tiresome day
0:03:51 > 0:03:57and so she goes straight upstairs to be ready for dinner at nine o'clock.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01Victoria might have been tired but there was no rest
0:04:01 > 0:04:04for the teams of servants working frantically
0:04:04 > 0:04:07in the vast downstairs of the house.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12Oh, well, I've found my way into the house.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15Now this is where the servants would have come in
0:04:15 > 0:04:19and I have been told that the kitchen wing is in that direction.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25The kitchen was a sacred place and only those actually involved
0:04:25 > 0:04:27in the cooking would have crossed the threshold.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31But the different downstairs teams still had to talk to each other.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35So they installed the latest technology.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39This is a tube where they used to communicate to the kitchen.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43The footman would come here and sort of say, "Hello!"
0:04:43 > 0:04:44And look at this little window.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47You can see right into the kitchen.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50You can see everything.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52Now let's see if this works.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54Ivan, are you there?
0:04:54 > 0:04:58- 'I'm here.'- It works!
0:04:58 > 0:05:00Come in.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Our food historian Ivan Day has made it to the other side of the door,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06luckily for me, because together we're going to be cooking
0:05:06 > 0:05:09in this amazing kitchen
0:05:09 > 0:05:11which still has its original pots and pans
0:05:11 > 0:05:14from the time of Victoria's visit.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16It would be wonderful to make something with these.
0:05:16 > 0:05:17What are they?
0:05:17 > 0:05:21Ivan has discovered some moulds in the kitchen called ballettes.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24They date from the time of Victoria's visit
0:05:24 > 0:05:28and they have inspired us to recreate a very special recipe
0:05:28 > 0:05:31that would have impressed the young princess.
0:05:31 > 0:05:32Oh, they're sweet, aren't they?
0:05:32 > 0:05:38We're going to make a dish which is called foie gras a la imperial.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41But we're not going to use real foie gras.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44We're going to use some duck liver instead,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47from birds that have been raised very happily.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50- Oh, good, good. I'm pleased. - But it'll taste just as good.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54This cold entree, as it was known,
0:05:54 > 0:05:56was supposed to refresh the appetite,
0:05:56 > 0:06:00which they probably needed, because amazingly,
0:06:00 > 0:06:04the diners would already have scoffed their way through
0:06:04 > 0:06:08four other courses before they got to this foie gras dish.
0:06:08 > 0:06:13While preparations for dinner were underway downstairs,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16Victoria was still being shown to her room by her host,
0:06:16 > 0:06:17Thomas William Cooke.
0:06:17 > 0:06:22Cooke was 81 at the time of Princess Victoria's visit.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24He certainly liked the young ladies,
0:06:24 > 0:06:28as is clear by his choice of second wife, Lady Anne.
0:06:28 > 0:06:33Victoria picked up on the astonishing age gap in her diary
0:06:33 > 0:06:38noting Lady Anne is some 49 years younger than he is.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42No wonder he's got a smile on his face.
0:06:42 > 0:06:49The 16-year-old Princess Victoria would have been completely pooped
0:06:49 > 0:06:51as the evening wore on.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55So she no doubt was delighted when ushered to her bedroom.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59This is the green state bedroom
0:06:59 > 0:07:03and it's quite likely that the princess was ushered in here.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06They don't actually have records of precisely which rooms
0:07:06 > 0:07:09the royals occupied in their visit
0:07:09 > 0:07:12but because this is the state room,
0:07:12 > 0:07:16and it's called a state room because it's the bedroom that was set aside
0:07:16 > 0:07:19for any head of state that happened to be visiting,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22and whilst Victoria was still only a princess,
0:07:22 > 0:07:26she was only a heartbeat away from becoming queen.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32She must have been impressed and indeed intrigued
0:07:32 > 0:07:34by the contents of this room
0:07:34 > 0:07:37because it's one of the most richly endowed
0:07:37 > 0:07:40and decorated spaces in Holcombe.
0:07:40 > 0:07:45And they certainly didn't spare any expense to make it so extravagant.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49The 257-yards of three-coloured velvet used on the bed
0:07:49 > 0:07:53and the upholstered furniture cost £899 alone,
0:07:53 > 0:07:56an absolute fortune at the time.
0:07:56 > 0:07:57In fact, in today's money
0:07:57 > 0:08:01you wouldn't get much change from 80 grand.
0:08:01 > 0:08:02Crikey.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05The room also contains an intriguing piece of furniture,
0:08:05 > 0:08:08an 18th century sofa bed, no less.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17The duchess was so paranoid about protecting her daughter
0:08:17 > 0:08:21that she forced Victoria to sleep in the same room as her,
0:08:21 > 0:08:26so perhaps the young princess had no choice but to sleep here.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28One thing's for certain though,
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Victoria did have a good night's kip,
0:08:30 > 0:08:32because she writes in her diary,
0:08:32 > 0:08:37"I awoke at nine o'clock after a very good night's rest
0:08:37 > 0:08:40"but still rather tired and headachy.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44"Got up directly, at ten we all breakfasted."
0:08:44 > 0:08:47According to a later account of the visit,
0:08:47 > 0:08:49written by a descendant of Cooke's,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52when she awoke she was greeted by one of the Cooke children
0:08:52 > 0:08:54and her cousin Bessie,
0:08:54 > 0:08:58dressed in white muslin frocks, embroidered in coral silk.
0:08:58 > 0:09:04They were sent hand in hand to inform her when breakfast was ready,
0:09:04 > 0:09:08a summons which must have presented some contrast
0:09:08 > 0:09:10to the ceremonious etiquette
0:09:10 > 0:09:13with which she was accustomed to be treated.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15Charming.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17As far as we can tell from the records,
0:09:17 > 0:09:21there were seven children in the house during Victoria's stay
0:09:21 > 0:09:24and judging by an entry in her diary, the princess,
0:09:24 > 0:09:28like any opinionated teenager, had plenty to say about them.
0:09:28 > 0:09:34"Lady Mary's second little girl is a dear quiet little thing.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37"She is quite the reverse to little Margaret Cooke
0:09:37 > 0:09:41"who is the greatest little fidget and chatterbox imaginable."
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Back downstairs we're getting to grips with our dish of the day.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53Little bombs of foie gras in aspic,
0:09:53 > 0:09:57typical of the grand food served on such special occasions.
0:09:57 > 0:10:02It's labour-intensive and requires great attention to detail.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06This intricate dish was really what aristocrats wanted on their table,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09something as beautiful as the furniture
0:10:09 > 0:10:11- and the decorations in the room.- Yes.
0:10:11 > 0:10:16So the first thing we need to do is to chill the moulds on ice.
0:10:16 > 0:10:21- Yeah.- And then we mask them with this aspic jelly.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25And all you do is you swirl it around in the mould
0:10:25 > 0:10:27and tip it out again.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29It's just to make a very, very thin lining.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31It's just plain aspic jelly.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34It's a beef stock that's had pig's trotters boiled in it
0:10:34 > 0:10:37with some herbs, and then it's been clarified
0:10:37 > 0:10:39by putting it through a jelly bag.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42So not such a simple aspic after all.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44I'll put this one back on the ice.
0:10:44 > 0:10:49This thin coating of aspic will give the little balls of foie gras
0:10:49 > 0:10:52a lovely glossy finish.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56The ballettes are placed on ice to set before the next stage,
0:10:56 > 0:10:59lining the moulds with an egg garnish.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04It's made with egg yolk mixed with a little cream
0:11:04 > 0:11:07- and then coloured with a tiny bit of cochineal.- Oh, right.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09- And seasoned with some salt. - Oh, brilliant.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11And I'll put it out on the deck.
0:11:12 > 0:11:18- And we've also got a very similar egg garnish.- Yes.
0:11:18 > 0:11:25But this one has been made with egg white so this one is white.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27They're very firm, aren't they?
0:11:27 > 0:11:29They need to be because we're going to cut them
0:11:29 > 0:11:31into very, very thin slices.
0:11:31 > 0:11:36- If you cut about three slices off that.- There we are.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39There were so many stages to these elaborate dishes.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43It's exactly like cutting an egg.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45Next we have to cut small circles
0:11:45 > 0:11:48with these very special Victorian cutters.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57Victoria notes in her diary on 22nd September
0:11:57 > 0:12:01that there were at least 21 local highbrows for dinner.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05You have to wonder whether those toffs upstairs really appreciated
0:12:05 > 0:12:11just what it took downstairs to produce even the smallest morsels.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15I hope Tim appreciates all this effort.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19This is going to take us hours.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27On the afternoon following her arrival,
0:12:27 > 0:12:32Victoria went for a ride around the vast Holcombe estate.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34There was much to see.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38She wrote, saw the hothouses, kitchen garden,
0:12:38 > 0:12:43and a little further on, the boundless free ocean is visible.
0:12:46 > 0:12:51"Drove around the park in which Mr Cooke has planted all the trees
0:12:51 > 0:12:54"and improved the whole thing so much
0:12:54 > 0:12:56"that it is really quite wonderful."
0:12:56 > 0:12:59Cooke certainly did plant all the trees.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03He was mad about them, as Doctor Susanna Wade Martins,
0:13:03 > 0:13:08who has written extensively about the great man, explains.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10He's said to have planted two million trees.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12Did you say two million trees?
0:13:12 > 0:13:16Two million trees are recorded in the estate documents
0:13:16 > 0:13:19as having been planted between about 1790 and 1820.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21So when Queen Victoria came,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24some of them would not have been more than 15 years old
0:13:24 > 0:13:27so the park would have looked very different
0:13:27 > 0:13:30but on the other hand she would have seen it develop.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32This memorial was built to honour Cooke
0:13:32 > 0:13:37but not just for his obsessive tree planting, he's a fascinating chap.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41An agricultural innovator, pioneering landlord
0:13:41 > 0:13:43and a bit of a self-publicist.
0:13:43 > 0:13:49He'd been offered a peerage several times but had steadfastly refused.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52England's greatest commoner, as he became known,
0:13:52 > 0:13:54had some radical views.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57He despised both King Georges
0:13:57 > 0:14:00and called the House of Lords the hospital for the incurables.
0:14:00 > 0:14:05But still, he was much admired by the 16-year-old Victoria,
0:14:05 > 0:14:08who writes, "He is an astonishing person.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12"He is in his 82nd year but is as active and strong
0:14:12 > 0:14:14"as any man 30 years younger."
0:14:14 > 0:14:20And later, when she became queen, he finally accepted a peerage.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22What I think's so interesting
0:14:22 > 0:14:26is that he's turned down all the offers of a peerage
0:14:26 > 0:14:30from every monarch before that but when it came to the young Victoria,
0:14:30 > 0:14:34when she came on the throne two years after her visit to Holcombe,
0:14:34 > 0:14:35it was all different, wasn't it?
0:14:35 > 0:14:37By this time he had sons,
0:14:37 > 0:14:40he had a direct heir to the estate and so he was more interested
0:14:40 > 0:14:44in the fact that they should have a title to go with it.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48I can't help wondering if it wasn't just his sons
0:14:48 > 0:14:51who changed his mind over accepting a peerage
0:14:51 > 0:14:55but Victoria, herself, who charmed him into wearing the ermine.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00It's not just the stories above stairs that were intriguing.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04I've been captivated by one servant's story in particular.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09Archivist Mary Ann Garry has a fascinating tale
0:15:09 > 0:15:11about a baby below stairs
0:15:11 > 0:15:16that made an appearance as a result of Princess Victoria's visit.
0:15:16 > 0:15:22So tell me about this extraordinary story that I've heard whispers about.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26Well, the story goes that the children's nurse, whose name
0:15:26 > 0:15:32was Jane Salmon, had secretly married the head gardener, Hugh Girvan...
0:15:32 > 0:15:34- Really?- ..and was pregnant.
0:15:34 > 0:15:39And the excitement brought on by the arrival of the royal party
0:15:39 > 0:15:41meant that she went into a premature labour
0:15:41 > 0:15:46and gave birth to the baby the day that Princess Victoria arrived.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49Because the wedding was a secret,
0:15:49 > 0:15:52most of the household thought she was a single mum
0:15:52 > 0:15:54and the child was illegitimate,
0:15:54 > 0:15:59which would have been a huge scandal, especially during the royal visit.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02But in fact, she was married and all was well
0:16:02 > 0:16:04so why keep the marriage a secret?
0:16:04 > 0:16:07Generally speaking, when a maid married, first of all
0:16:07 > 0:16:11they would ask permission from their employers to get married.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14And if they got permission which they very often did,
0:16:14 > 0:16:16then they would receive a nice wedding present
0:16:16 > 0:16:20and have their wedding breakfast paid for by their employers.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23But they usually retired to be a good wife and mother,
0:16:23 > 0:16:27but of course she may just have kept the marriage a secret
0:16:27 > 0:16:29because she was fond of the children
0:16:29 > 0:16:31and wanted to go on working in the nursery.
0:16:31 > 0:16:36Whatever the real reasons for the secret marriage, the surprise arrival
0:16:36 > 0:16:42of a young baby in the downstairs of the house during Victoria's visit
0:16:42 > 0:16:44caused quite a stir upstairs.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Princess Victoria, who was only 16 at the time,
0:16:47 > 0:16:51was also very intrigued by this and demanded to see the baby
0:16:51 > 0:16:54and out of respect for the queen,
0:16:54 > 0:17:00the baby was a girl, luckily, and was duly christened Victoria Jane.
0:17:00 > 0:17:05What a lovely, lovely story.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10As well as a tour of the grounds,
0:17:10 > 0:17:14the princess and her mother took a tour of the house,
0:17:14 > 0:17:16exploring its long enfilade,
0:17:16 > 0:17:18the name for an alignment of rooms
0:17:18 > 0:17:22running the entire length of the building.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25This is an enfilade.
0:17:26 > 0:17:33Literally a series of rooms that interconnect
0:17:33 > 0:17:37via a series of doorways,
0:17:37 > 0:17:43each of which are lined up precisely.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47It's an architectural deceit but there is another purpose
0:17:47 > 0:17:53to these series of interconnecting rooms and that's social hierarchy.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57The higher you are up the social pecking order,
0:17:57 > 0:18:01the more of the rooms that you can penetrate
0:18:01 > 0:18:04running along the enfilade.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07By the time Holcombe was completed in the 1760s,
0:18:07 > 0:18:12this arrangement of state rooms connected by an enfilade
0:18:12 > 0:18:15was already considered incredibly old-fashioned.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17Families wanted more privacy.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21But if you think I've walked a long way down the enfilade,
0:18:21 > 0:18:23you've got another thought coming,
0:18:26 > 0:18:30because this enfilade is a whopper.
0:18:30 > 0:18:37Apparently, 340 feet from one end to the other.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41I wonder whether Victoria walked all this way
0:18:41 > 0:18:45on her tiny little legs.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47She'd be fagged out if she did.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53All very well Tim swanning about in the enfilade
0:18:53 > 0:18:58while we're still slaving away over our elaborate duck pate entree.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00It would have been served
0:19:00 > 0:19:04halfway through dinner that was frequently a seven-course affair.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08We're moving on to the next stage of our dish with our tiny egg decorations.
0:19:08 > 0:19:13I'm going to pick out one of these
0:19:13 > 0:19:18and plonk it right in the middle of the ballette mould.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22Then I'll go for a white one.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25- So you're doing this alternately. - Alternate rings.- Yes.
0:19:25 > 0:19:26Different colours.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30They'll stick to the jelly inside so we now go for another pink one
0:19:30 > 0:19:37and we gradually build up a little mosaic pattern in the mould.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39So how long would it take to make one of these?
0:19:39 > 0:19:43It takes about probably ten minutes if you're good.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46If you're a novice, it might take you half an hour.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48But just think, this is one mouthful.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52It's gone just like that, just like that.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54The servant spends all afternoon making them
0:19:54 > 0:19:56and it just takes a second to eat them.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59I've also got the top. As you can see, it's got a little funnel
0:19:59 > 0:20:01on the top, which is very important.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04- What's that for?- Well, that's to pour some more aspic through.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08But the next stage is to actually put the filling in.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11- Right, which is the foie gras.- Yeah.
0:20:11 > 0:20:16The cooked liver, duck in this case, not goose, is put into the ballette.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18- And then I'm going to put the lid on it.- OK.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22Which I'd have to do very carefully.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24It's wonderful.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26Like so.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30Well, all we have to do is to fill it with some cold aspic.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32- Yes.- Now this is setting.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36- It's beginning to gel beautifully. - It's perfect timing.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38And these are very cold
0:20:38 > 0:20:43so with a spoon you just carefully fill the ballette,
0:20:43 > 0:20:47it won't take very much but it will completely
0:20:47 > 0:20:49fill all of the gaps inside.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53Yes. It's amazingly simple to do when you think about it,
0:20:53 > 0:20:55but just time-consuming.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Back upstairs, the entertainment was as important
0:20:58 > 0:21:03as the food and they put on quite a show for the teenage princess,
0:21:03 > 0:21:06a karaoke session, Victorian-style,
0:21:06 > 0:21:10and we know that Victoria joined in with enthusiasm.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14Mezzo-soprano Karen Harris has a keen interest
0:21:14 > 0:21:16in the music of the era
0:21:16 > 0:21:19and a knowledge of the princess' love of singing.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23Bravo, bravo! Karen, that was lovely.
0:21:23 > 0:21:28Now, do we know what tunes Victoria sang that evening here at Holcombe?
0:21:28 > 0:21:31She first of all sang an aria
0:21:31 > 0:21:34from the opera Faliero by Gaetano Donizetti.
0:21:34 > 0:21:39She also sang a barcarola which is a Venetian folk song
0:21:39 > 0:21:41for the gondoliers.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44And she sang also an aria
0:21:44 > 0:21:47from I Puritani called A te, O cara.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50So were those what one might call
0:21:50 > 0:21:55- trendy pop-type numbers for a 16 year old at the time?- Very much so.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58Very much so. And she really was passionate about her opera.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01Were there any other composers that she was particularly fond of?
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Indeed. She loved Rossini.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08It is noted in her diary that a couple of years before she came here,
0:22:08 > 0:22:10she actually went to see the Barber of Seville.
0:22:10 > 0:22:15Princess Victoria clearly loved the opera and to have had the chance
0:22:15 > 0:22:18to indulge in her passion must have cheered everyone up.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22After all, putting a smile on a teenager's face isn't always easy,
0:22:22 > 0:22:24royal or otherwise.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28No singing for Ivan and me, we have to add the finishing touches
0:22:28 > 0:22:34to our Victorian delicacy, foie gras in aspic.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36The Victorians loved to dress their food
0:22:36 > 0:22:42and we're arranging artichokes and broad beans to decorate our plate.
0:22:42 > 0:22:47In the 19th century, everything was done with such finesse and precision.
0:22:47 > 0:22:52Goodness, it's like creating a work of art.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55It's always been to look rather pretty, hasn't it?
0:22:55 > 0:22:56It is, very pretty.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01And here comes some chopped up aspic.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05And we're going to lay a bed of it down the centre.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11- It's shimmering. - It's very jewel-like, isn't it?
0:23:11 > 0:23:14- It's jewel-like.- Like diamonds.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17There we go. And then we can just even it out.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19It looks lovely.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Imagine what it looks like
0:23:21 > 0:23:22in candlelight though
0:23:22 > 0:23:25because every little facet glistens.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30Right, so we're going to get these ballettes
0:23:30 > 0:23:34and we need to dip them into some warm water.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36- Right.- Just for a second or so.- OK.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40And that'll melt the jelly on the outside and it will release them.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42So ready for number one?
0:23:42 > 0:23:47- OK.- So just count to one, two, three.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49They need to be wiped.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55And then we can take the top off.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57So that should come off. And look.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Oh, look at that.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02It's come out beautifully.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06Yeah. And then I've got to then very carefully tip it into my hand
0:24:06 > 0:24:08and then I'm going to put it exactly,
0:24:08 > 0:24:10I know where the middle is...
0:24:10 > 0:24:11It's perfect.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13I'm so pleased we did that.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15- That's fantastic. - It sits on the jelly.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18It looks wonderful, doesn't it? It looks like a mosaic.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21It is a mosaic. It's beautiful.
0:24:21 > 0:24:22Now, I'm going to finish them.
0:24:25 > 0:24:26- One, two, three.- Out.
0:24:30 > 0:24:31That's it.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37- Right, one more.- The final one.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39Final one.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41- Out.- Perfect. That's lovely.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Now, I think that looks stunning.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47It does but if we're going to follow this recipe exactly,
0:24:47 > 0:24:49we've got to dress it with some herbs.
0:24:49 > 0:24:54Finally, we sprinkle on chervil and tarragon for flavour,
0:24:54 > 0:24:57as well as decoration. I think that's enough.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01You know what, something that hasn't changed, funnily enough,
0:25:01 > 0:25:04- is less is beautiful.- Absolutely.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08Now, the last thing I have to do is go and present it to Tim.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10Well, I hope he enjoys it.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15Oh, I say, Rosemary.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21Ballette of foie gras a la imperial.
0:25:21 > 0:25:22- Gosh.- What a name.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26What a name but what a vision though. It's so beautiful, isn't it?
0:25:26 > 0:25:31That is absolutely stunning, it really is. Do you know what it is?
0:25:31 > 0:25:34- Haven't got the foggiest idea. - Well, obviously foie gras.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36Yes.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40- But what is that?- Well, they look a bit like spaghetti hoops
0:25:40 > 0:25:44- but they can't be, can they? - Ha! This is egg.- Egg?
0:25:44 > 0:25:48- It's cut out. I must tell you, Tim... - Yes.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51it is so time-consuming.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53Only a house with lots of staff
0:25:53 > 0:25:57could bring a meal like that to the dining room table.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00It is so labour-intensive, it's unbelievable.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03- So, would you like some?- Yes, please.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05- There we go. - So I've got my artichoke.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08You've got your lovely artichoke with some broad beans,
0:26:08 > 0:26:10with a little dressing on the top.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12- Can I have some more jelly, please? - Some more jelly.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14You're being very fussy tonight, Tim.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16I want to really get around that
0:26:16 > 0:26:20- because I tell you what it looks like.- What does it look like?
0:26:20 > 0:26:23It looks like fractured mineralised ice in some way
0:26:23 > 0:26:26which I think is absolutely gorgeous.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28So I'm going to cut it vertically,
0:26:28 > 0:26:32like that, and then reveal inside, the solid...
0:26:32 > 0:26:34- The foie.- ..and delicious foie.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37I'm going to quarter that cos it's incredibly rich this, isn't it?
0:26:37 > 0:26:41But when you think about it, they had virtually only two mouthfuls
0:26:41 > 0:26:45and it would take at least half an hour to make one of these things.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47- Can I have my mouthful now?- Yes.
0:26:51 > 0:26:56Mmm. Now that is absolutely stunning, isn't it?
0:26:56 > 0:26:58Isn't that gorgeous?
0:26:58 > 0:27:02You do get the egg, don't you? And you do get this delicious aspic.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06My dear girl, this is just stunning.
0:27:06 > 0:27:07Isn't this beautiful?
0:27:07 > 0:27:11And I think the young princess would actually loved to have seen that.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14I think she would have been really amused by the little balls.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16Do you know, Rosemary, I've got a theory
0:27:16 > 0:27:20that Victoria was so incredibly happy at her time here at Holcombe,
0:27:20 > 0:27:21as a result of all these children,
0:27:21 > 0:27:26the little ones, running around, all the little brothers and sisters
0:27:26 > 0:27:29from the Cooke family, and of course, she was so young herself.
0:27:29 > 0:27:30It must have been great fun.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33And the other thing that she was incredibly keen on
0:27:33 > 0:27:36was after-dinner entertainments.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39All those little opportunities to sing and perform.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42And of course, she had a great passion for the opera.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46- Oh, I love opera.- Do you? - I really do.- Seriously?
0:27:46 > 0:27:49- Yep. Seriously.- Well, then you're going to thoroughly enjoy this
0:27:49 > 0:27:50little treat I've got for you.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52This is intriguing.
0:27:52 > 0:27:53No hints though.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09What a marvellous end to our visit,
0:28:09 > 0:28:13listening to one of the young princess' favourite tunes
0:28:13 > 0:28:15from celebrated composer Rossini.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23The next Victoria visit we follow comes three years later
0:28:23 > 0:28:26when she'll be 19 years old, and Queen.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30We're off on holiday with her to Brighton.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:40 > 0:28:43E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk