The Prince of Wales must have enjoyed his first summer with Maria Fitzherbert in Brighton, because in October 1786 he asked one of his staff, Louis Weltje, to obtain a lease on the house where he planned to make further visits - Thomas Kemp's farmhouse on the site of what is now Brighton's Royal Pavilion.
Louis Weltje was of German nationality. He was the Prince's cook, but did a lot of other jobs for him too. He was also no fool, because after getting a lease for the prince, in November 1787 he bought the house and grounds from Thomas Kemp for £5,850. He then charged the Prince £1,000 per year rent and had a house built for himself nearby. It was not until September 1807, twenty years later, that the prince bought the house and gardens for £17,000.
The Prince wasted no time in getting his building plans started. Between April and June 1787, he employed Henry Holland to turn the farmhouse into a neo-classical wooden-framed villa. He moved into the new Marine Pavilion on 6th July 1787.