During the Commonwealth, the Palace of Holyroodhouse was subjected to occupation by Parliamentarian troops, and in 1650 suffered an outbreak of fire in the State Apartments. After years of neglect, attention finally turned to the Palace in the 1670s when John Maitland, 1st Duke of Lauderdale, the king's Commissioner to the Scottish Parliament, authorised full-scale internal and external improvements to the Palace. When the Duke and Duchess of York stayed at the Palace great splendour was attended on the royal couple.

Cat. 109