The Royal Pavilion, also known as the Brighton Pavilion, is a Grade I listed former royal residence located in Brighton, England. Beginning in 1787, it was built in three stages as a seaside retreat for George, Prince of Wales, who became the Prince Regent in 1811. It is built in the Indo-Saracenic style prevalent in India for most of the 19th century. The current appearance of the Pavilion, with its domes and minarets, is the work of architect John Nash, who extended the building starting in 1815. The purchase of the Royal Pavilion from Queen Victoria, by Brighton, marked the beginnings of the site’s attraction as a tourist destination. The Royal Pavilion has been changed from a private residence to a public attraction under civic ownership. Today, around 400, 000 people visit the Royal Pavilion annually. General filming and photography is not permitted inside the Royal Pavilion. Many of the items in the palace are on loan, in particular from HM The Queen, and one condition of the loans is that the items cannot be photographed or reproduced without prior written permission. The Royal Pavilion is licensed as a venue for weddings. On 29 March 2014, the Royal Pavilion was host to one of a number of the first legal same-sex marriages to take place in the United Kingdom following the passage of the 2013 Same Sex Couples Act.
