Turner’s book, Wanderings By The Loire, inspired English artists to paint Château Amboise.

Many know Turner, the artist. Many know Louis-Philippe, the last king of France. Not many know that the son of a poor Londoner and the French aristocrat, admired each other, became friends and stayed friends, or that in October 1826 Turner came to Amboise to sketch the Royal Château. It was empty. Louis Philippe was not invited to be King of the French until 1830.

A Dutch artist with the wonderful name of Lambert Doomer, arrived in Amboise in the summer of 1646. He left with a sketchbook of wonderful drawings which captured the spirit of the age.

To mark the fifth centenary of Leonardo’s death in 1519, the Vatican loaned it to the Château to be exhibited to the public. This was the first time in 500 years it had been seen outside the Vatican and Italian Museums.

Leonardo da Vinci spent his last years not in his own country, Italy, but in France. They were very happy years, the happiest of his life.

The Christmas Candle may be a little dimmer in 2020, but thanks to the heroic efforts of the Mairie, Royal Château Amboise and the musicians of Nazelles-Negron it has not been extinguished.

Beauregard, a small, privately owned chateau in the Loire Valley, is well worth a visit. If it were not for two very special attractions it might have disappeared into the jaws of time because it was not built as a château or a manor house; it was built as a hunting lodge for Francis I.

Monarchs gives rise to Styles. One has only to think Victorian or Georgian. People know instinctively what the Louis-Philippe (1830 to 1848) style is. They may not be able to describe it but can recognise it. It’s pretty, dainty, delicate, elegant yet practical.