Frederick the Great, King of Prussia (1712 – 1786), is an important figure at Paxton House even though he ruled a kingdom on the other side of Europe and spent most of his life fighting aggressive wars far removed from the peaceful woods of Paxton House.  Would Paxton House even have been built without Frederick the Great?

An Education Abroad

The stylish Palladian house that is Paxton, was designed as a home for Patrick Home, a young man who knew Frederick the Great well. At 19, Patrick had set off from his home in Scotland to attend the University of Leipzig to broaden his education.  At the time, the University of Leipzig was one of the leading literary and cultural centres of Europe and it wasn’t long before young Patrick found his way to King Frederick’s court at Berlin and Potsdam. Although we remember Frederick the Great for his military successes, turning the small state of Prussia into a major European power, his legacy is equally important in the arts.  He was impressively well read, a passionate connoisseur of music, art and architecture and a prolific writer of prose and verse. At his court, he surrounded himself with writers and musicians of talent. Patrick, out of reach of his family in Scotland, must have felt his education had truly begun.

Friends at Court

For Patrick, his two years in Prussia must have been golden days. For a start, he fell in love with a pretty young woman at court, Sophie de Brandt, popular for her intelligence and good nature. He was also on hand for one of the great parties of eighteenth century Europe – the Berlin Carousel of 1750, staged by King Frederick in honour of a visit from his favourite sister, Willhemine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth.  Weeks of theatrical performances, banquets, promenades in illuminated parks, balls and fireworks culminated in a pageant, where four sets of six ‘knights’ competed against each other in a mock up of a medieval joust  accompanied by choral music, each group led by a brother of the King. Patrick was one of the Carthiginian knights, riding next to his friend, Prince Heinrich of Prussia, younger brother of the King, who was about the same age. The Carthiginians faced knights dressed as Romans, Greeks and Persians. Their costumes were fantastical, both horse and rider bedecked in embroidery, gold, pearls, precious stones and plumes. Patrick kept his costume – it is still at Paxton House – the only one to survive from this legendary entertainment although we know how gorgeous they all looked because Frederick had sketches made for another of his sisters, Louisa, Queen of Sweden. The Carousel concluded with a masked ball and shortly afterwards, Patrick left for Italy. After all, he was in a quandary, he could not marry Sophie without moving to Prussia and taking his fortune with him, something his mother would certainly not approve. His eyes had been opened to the possibilities of an Enlightenment education and he was to spend the next few years in Italy and France where his taste for the finer things in life developed further.

Too Smart for Home

It was this European sophistication that Patrick brought back to Scotland when he came home and commissioned the building of Paxton House, choosing the latest Palladian style of architecture inspired by the villas of Andrea Palladio in Italy. The influence of the court of Frederick the Great must have been profound, certainly it was the beginning of a love of culture which was to stay with Patrick Home all his life.  When he returned to Scotland, he brought with him a wardrobe that he never saw fit to wear again. If you would like an idea of the finery expected of a young man at court in Frederick the Great’s Prussia, take a look at the frock coats and waistcoats that Patrick wore while he was there in the 1740s; they are all on display now at Paxton House. Finest of all is the Carolingian Carousel costume which links us to the fine  portrait of Frederick the Great by Rosalba Carriere which hangs at the foot of the main staircase.

Patrick Home’s costume collection can be seen on a house tour of Paxton House until the end of October. Book here.