Walking along the chilly coast of Brighton in southern England, visitors might be astonished to glimpse Mughal arches, onion domes, and chhatri-topped towers rising against the gray sky. The Royal Pavilion stands as a striking reminder that as British monarchs expanded their influence across South Asia in the late 18th century, the exchange of architectural styles was not a one-way street. While British rule left Victorian buildings across Indian cities like Mumbai, British royals were simultaneously fascinated by South Asian architecture and brought those designs back home to England's seaside.
Originally constructed as a coastal retreat for King George IV, the opulent building has witnessed centuries of royal intrigue and historical transformation. Queen Victoria stayed at the pavilion during the 1830s and 1840s, though she famously grew disenchanted with the location when the arrival of passenger railways brought working-class crowds to Brighton, spoiling her private sanctuary. Upon decamping for Buckingham Palace, she even took the pavilion's elaborate lotus-flower chandeliers with her.
The building's connection to South Asian history deepened during World War I, when the site was converted into a military hospital caring for thousands of Indian soldiers fighting for the British empire. To accommodate the troops' diverse backgrounds, separate kitchens catered to different castes, and Muslim soldiers gathered on the east lawn for daily prayers facing Mecca.
Having survived royal caprice, shifting historical roles, and an arson attack, the Royal Pavilion now functions as a public museum. Its surrounding gardens have been restored into a vibrant green lung for the city, even hosting some of the United Kingdom's first same-sex weddings following legalization in 2014. Today, this extraordinary architectural fusion remains open to the public, offering a vivid window into a shared cultural past.