The current appearance, with its domes and minarets, is the work of the architect John Nash, who extended the building starting in 1815.

In 1786, under a financial cloud with investigations by Parliament for the extravagances incurred in building Carlton House, London, the prince rented a modest, erstwhile farmhouse facing the Old Steine, a grassy area of Brighton used as a promenade by visitors.

Remote from the royal court in London, the pavilion was a discreet location for the prince to enjoy private liaisons with his long-time companion, Maria Fitzherbert.

In 1801–02, the pavilion was enlarged with a new dining room and conservatory, to designs of Peter Frederick Robinson, who worked in Holland's office.

The fanciful interior design, primarily by Frederick Crace and the little-known decorative painter Robert Jones, was heavily influenced by both Chinese and Indian fashion (with Mughal and Islamic architectural elements).

She purchased an estate and land that was redeveloped for Osborne House in the Isle of Wight, which became the summer home of the royal family.

Many of the Pavilion's original fixtures and fittings were removed on the order of the royal household at the time of the sale, most ending up either in Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle.

Since the end of the Second World War, the municipality of Brighton has worked to restore the Pavilion to its state at the time of King George IV.

It has undertaken an extensive programme of restoring the rooms, reinstating stud walls, and creating replicas of some original fittings and occasionally pieces of furniture.

The Pavilion hospital also incorporated the adjacent Dome and Corn Exchange; these buildings had formerly been part of the large stable complex associated with the residence.

With the official sanction of the state, a series of photographs were made to show the resplendent rooms converted into hospital wards.

[12] The purchase of the Royal Pavilion from Queen Victoria, by Brighton, marked the beginnings of the site's attraction as a tourist destination.

On 29 March 2014, the Royal Pavilion was host to one of a number of the first legal same-sex marriages to take place in the United Kingdom following the passage of the 2013 Same Sex Couples Act.

[19] Historic England deemed the garden 'at risk' in October 2017 due to its original character being blighted and overshadowed by unsightly fencing, litter bins, signage and lighting etc.

[20] Brighton and Hove City Council opened a public consultation on the future of the gardens after they were put on Historic England's "At Risk" register.