• Introduction
• Scotland Office
• Past Secretaries
• Dover House
• - The Site
• - The Building
• - Sir Matthew Featherstonehaugh
    and others 1756-1788
• - Frederick, Duke of York 1788-1792
• - The Melbourne family 1793-1830
• - The Dover Family 1830-1885
• - The Scottish Office 1885-1999
• - The Scotland Office 1999-Present

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The next occupant was Frederick, Duke of York, who was Commander in Chief of the Horse Guards and whose monument stands on the north side of the Mall. This occupation began in 1788 at the time of his marriage. The Duke, second son of King George III, was genial, ponderous and in future years ultimately unsuccessful;

"The noble Duke of York
He had ten thousand men
Marched them up to the top of the hill
and marched them down again."

In his marriage to his Prussian Princess, the noble Duke of York had been just as unsuccessful. Within a couple of years they had separated and the Duke was looking for a new house more in keeping with his bachelor requirements. This, however, was not before he had made his mark on what was then York House, (a print of which is in the Upper Waiting Hall). The extensive redevelopments made by Sir Henry Holland are discussed elsewhere but the discerning viewer will note the field marshal's baton and coronet on the frieze of the middle room in the ground floor suite which was part of the Duke's private apartments.