We are now officially in The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee! After 70 years on the throne, she is the first British monarch to reach this milestone and one of few monarchs in world history to reach it. While there will be Jubilee celebrations in the UK in the first week of Britain and throughout the year across the Commonwealth, there are also some exhibitions taking place to mark this momentous occasion. These are the focused Platinum Jubilee museum exhibitions planned as of February 2022! (There are smaller exhibitions and displays, but I’m only including those dedicated to the Jubilee.)
I will be updating this post if more exhibitions across the Commonwealth are announced.
Photo Credit: <a href=”https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_II_%26_Philip_after_Coronation.JPG”>Cecil Beaton</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
If you plan on attending…!
A plea- if you plan on attending any of these exhibitions (or any other monarchy themed exhibitions) and would like to write a guest post covering them, please let me know! You can either send me an email at AnHistorianAboutTown@gmail.com or a message on Instagram or Twitter and we can work it out. (Also, if you are going, please know that I am extremely jealous…)
Her Majesty The Queen at Sandringham: An Exemplary Reign and a Unique Country House (Sandringham Estate) 9 April- 13 October 2022
A special exhibition inside the Ballroom at Sandringham House will go on display from 9 April – 13 October, with formal commemorative planting in the Gardens from May.
Her Majesty The Queen at Sandringham: An Exemplary Reign and a Unique Country House, is this year’s special exhibition at Sandringham forming part of the visit to the House. The exhibition will showcase The Queen and the Royal Family’s affection for the much-loved country retreat. Highlights of the exhibition include objects and photographs relating to The Queen’s love of animals, horses and the great outdoors, as well as a special audio-visual display focusing on the very first televised Christmas Day speech broadcast from 1957, recorded by The Queen at Sandringham House.
Why This Exhibition Is Special
Sandringham holds a sentimental place in the royal family’s collective heart. They often spend Christmas there, and The Queen spends Accession Day there every year (barring global pandemics…) While it is probably a smaller exhibition than others, I think it will offer a lot of insight into The Queen. Also, the display focusing on Her Majesty’s first televised Christmas broadcast sounds fantastic!
There will also be additional celebratory events at Sandringham throughout the year. If you are close by, I would absolutely attend!
Platinum Jubilee: The Queen’s Coronation (Windsor Castle) 7 July- 26 Sept 2022
In celebration of The Queen’s historic Platinum Jubilee in 2022, Windsor Castle will host a special display commemorating Her Majesty’s Coronation at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953.
On display will be the Coronation Dress and Robe of Estate worn by The Queen that day. Designed by the British couturier Sir Norman Hartnell, the dress was created in the finest white duchesse satin, richly embroidered in a lattice-work effect with an iconographic scheme of national and Commonwealth floral emblems in gold and silver thread and pastel-coloured silks, encrusted with seed pearls, sequins and crystals.
Her Majesty’s Robe of Estate was made by the royal robe-makers Ede and Ravenscroft of purple silk velvet woven by the firm of Warner & Sons, and was embroidered at the Royal School of Needlework. The goldwork embroidery design features wheat ears and olive branches, symbolising prosperity and peace, surrounding the crowned intertwined EIIR cipher. It took 12 embroideresses, using 18 different types of gold thread, more than 3,500 hours to complete the work between March and May 1953.
Why This Exhibition Is Special
Royal Collection Trust exhibitions are always something else- unsurprisingly, it is the Royal Collection after all. All three of the RCT exhibitions look wonderful, but I think that there is something about seeing her coronation dress and Robe of Estate. I do think that there will be more Coronation themed exhibitions and celebrations planned for 2023 but this absolutely looks more than worth a visit.
Platinum Jubilee Display (Palace of Holyroodhouse)- 12 July-25 Sept 2022
In celebration of The Queen’s historic Platinum Jubilee in 2022, the Palace of Holyroodhouse will host a display looking back at Her Majesty’s previous Jubilees.
The display will feature outfits worn by Her Majesty on occasions to celebrate the Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees. In 1977 for The Queen’s Silver Jubilee, the royal couturier Sir Hardy Amies designed a striking ensemble of dress, coat and stole in pink silk crepe and chiffon with a matching hat designed by Simone Mirman with flowerheads hanging from silk stems. The ensemble was worn at the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on 7 June 1977 marking the 25th anniversary of The Queen’s Accession.
Why This Exhibition Is Special
Holyrood is one of my favourite historic sites to visit. It is quieter than a lot of other castles and palaces, which is impressive given that The Queen does actually stay there. As someone who clearly loves fashion history, I would love to see this Hardy Amies ensemble (as well as other Jubilee outfits). While the other Jubilees sit in the background most of the time, I do like that they are calling back to them.
Platinum Jubilee: The Queen’s Accession (Buckingham Palace) 22 July- 2 October 2022
In celebration of The Queen’s historic Platinum Jubilee in 2022, The State Rooms at Buckingham Palace will feature a display looking at The Queen’s Accession to the throne in February 1952.
On display will be examples from the remarkable series of portraits taken by Dorothy Wilding, that formed the basis of The Queen’s image on stamps and in British embassies across the world until 1971. Also featured will be The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara, which was a wedding gift to Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, later Queen Mary, on the occasion of her marriage to the future King George V in 1893. The diamond tiara was made by E. Wolff & Co for R & S. Garrard in a scrolled and pierced foliate form. Queen Mary gave the tiara to her granddaughter, Princess Elizabeth, as a wedding present on the occasion of her marriage to Prince Philip on 20 November 1947.
Why This Exhibition Is Special
As the third RCT exhibition, it also looks wonderful. And this one includes a tiara! The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara is one of Her Majesty’s favourites, and she still frequently wears it- see it if you can! Also, Wilding’s portraits are iconic. Not just in terms of royal portraits but portraits period. This exhibition is definitely focusing on core pieces of The Queen’s image!
Which Platinum Jubilee exhibitions are you attending?
Cheers,
The Historian
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You state that the Coronation Exhibition is at Windsor Castle from June 2-September. All the other sites I have looked at say ii is from July 7-September. I was hoping to see it on June 23, but now I don’t know where it will be then. Please advise the correct location for that date. Thank you.
Hi Carol! Thank you for pointing this out- the information that I had based it on has since been updated. Unfortunately it looks like it opens on the 7th of July now, my apologies!! But what a special time to be in Windsor nevertheless, I hope you have a wonderful trip