An Antiques Roadshow expert was left unimpressed with King Charles after a significant blunder involving a £30million furniture collection.
BBC furniture specialist John Bly delivered a stern message to Charles back when he was the Prince of Wales in October 2010, claiming that precious items at Dumfries House in Ayrshire had already suffered damage.
He blamed the house’s caretakers for not maintaining the collection properly, leading to cracking and shrinking of the pieces. He also expressed concern that conservators might be hired who could “ruin” the “untouched” masterpieces.
Bly first visited the house during an Antiques Roadshow episode in September 2009, and was so alarmed by what he witnessed that he felt compelled to write to Charles’ advisers, reports the Express. However, he was not pleased with their reply.
In his letter, he cautioned: “Damage manifests itself in cracking and distortion of veneer due to timber shrinkage. This has been caused by a lack of circulation of air.
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“We are in summer and the house is currently over-warm and yet, apparently, the windows are now permanently closed. The furniture needs to breathe, as it has been allowed to do throughout the preceding centuries.”
Bly further stated: “Of even greater concern is to learn that restorers are being called in to remedy recent damage and restore other items. I hope all of this will be undertaken with the greatest possible restraint, for in these circumstances careful and sympathetic conservation is needed, rather than enthusiastic renovation.”
Advisers at the time dismissed the expert’s criticism as “completely unfounded”. One of the trustees for Dumfries House, Sir Hugh Roberts, outlined that they had implemented preventative measures such as UV filters and an electronic environmental monitoring system.
In response to concerns, Sir Hugh stated: “There are indeed numerous areas where the furniture has suffered but over many, many years, from neglect, from excessive humidity and from excessive daylight. The neglect is being carefully put right, the humidity and temperature issues are being monitored and gradually corrected and the damaging effects of daylight tackled.”
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