How could such an extraordinary and outlandish creation have been built in England? The answers lie partly in the 18th-century fashion for chinoiserie, partly in the travels of British artists to India and China, and partly in the extravert personality of the Prince Regent - later King George IV. As a royal residence the Pavilion enjoyed musical evenings, lavish banquets and high-tech kitchens. In 1850 it faced destruction, but was rescued by the townspeople of Brighton; in 1914-16 it was used as an Indian military hospital; in 1975 it survived an arson attack. Since then it has been restored to the magnificently exotic palace that we see today.