Royal Arcade, London facts for kids
The Royal Arcade is a beautiful old shopping street in Mayfair, London. It connects two famous streets, Albemarle Street and Old Bond Street. This special arcade was finished in 1880. It was designed by architects Archer & Green. It is also a 'Grade II listed' building, which means it is an important historical place that needs to be protected.
Contents
A Look Back: The Royal Arcade's History
People first thought about building a shopping arcade here in 1864. They wanted a longer path between Old Bond Street and Regent Street. But this idea was too big and would have meant tearing down too many buildings.
Later, a new plan was made for the arcade to be just like it is today. The Royal Arcade officially opened in 1880.
This arcade still looks almost exactly as it did 140 years ago! It has a special glass roof and fancy decorated arches. The shop windows are curved, and there are grand columns. All these original features make it a very rare and special Victorian arcade.
How the Arcade Became "Royal"
When it first opened, it was simply called The Arcade. But then, something exciting happened! A shirtmaker named H. W. Brettell had his shop there. In the early 1880s, Queen Victoria herself became a customer! Because the Queen shopped there, the arcade was given its "royal" name. William Hodgson Brettell was only 24 years old when he opened his shirt shop in 1880.
The Royal Arcade on Screen
The Royal Arcade is so beautiful that it has been used in many movies and TV shows! Some of these include:
- The Parent Trap (1998)
- Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008)
- Balletboyz (2013) for Channel 4
- Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool (2016)
Also, parts of an episode from the famous detective show Agatha Christie's Poirot, called The Theft of the Royal Ruby, were filmed here.
Shops You Might Find Here
The Royal Arcade is home to many unique and fancy shops. Here are some of the businesses that were there in 2017:
- Charbonnel et Walker, a famous chocolate shop
- Simon Griffen Antiques, selling old and interesting items
- Watch Club, for special watches
- EB Meyrowitz Optician, for glasses and eye care
- Calleija Jewellery, selling beautiful jewelry
- Camper, a shoe store
- Cartujano, known for leather goods
- Ormonde Jayne, a perfume shop
- George Cleverley, a bespoke shoemaker
- Beards Jewellers, another jewelry store
- Erskine, Hall & Coe, an art gallery
