I have to say, I am at my grumpiest, history-wise at the moment. Canada is still locked down (and for good reason), but when the rest of the world has started to open up again, it feels even more restrictive. If you follow this blog at all, you will know that most of the history I study is based in the British Isles. So, I’m a tad heartbroken that there are several incredible royal exhibitions currently happening that there are no possible ways for me to visit.
The Tudors to Windsors exhibition at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, looking at 500 years of British royal portraiture looks incredible. (I’ve ordered the exhibition book, my review will follow!) Royal Style in the Making at Kensington Palace will showcase both Lady Diana Spencer’s wedding dress and the 1937 coronation toiles. (I think its particularly cruel to stage this when no one can visit the UK…) Victoria and Albert: Our Lives in Watercolours, at the Queen’s Gallery at Holyrood, also looks fantastic.
I have been lucky to visit several royal exhibitions on my travels, though, and I’ve decided to share my highlights from what I’ve seen!
Fashion Rules at Kensington Palace- July 2013 (Post)
Fashion Rules, housed in the modern section of Kensington Palace, looked at the public wardrobes of the Queen, Princess Margaret, and Diana, Princess of Wales. While it was a slightly disjointed exhibition, it included some spectacular pieces that you could imagine otherwise. (And I think that the fashion exhibitions nicely showcase that not all royal history is centuries old.) I have to say, the Norman Hartnell and Dior pieces were absolutely the winners here. Being the more traditional/classic styled person I am, I found Diana’s pieces to be very overwhelming (like most 1980s clothing).
Norman Hartnell Gown, 1963
No designer is more closely associated with the Queen than the First Knight of Fashion, Sir Norman Hartnell. It was stunning in person, and I’m hoping I can see a Hartnell exhibition at some point in my life.
“This evening gown worn by The Queen for the opening of the New Zealand parliament in 1963, demonstrated Hartnell’s skilled craftsmanship. It is embroidered with pearls, beads, diamanté and sequins in an intricate diamond pattern, with bugle beads forming tassel drops, alternately in silver and gold. The scissor-cut skirt creates fullness and reveals further embroidery underneath.” (HRP, Modern Royal Fashion, 78)
Royal Women at Fashion Museum Bath- February 2019 (Post 1, Post 2)
Similar to the Fashion Rules exhibition at Kensington, Royal Women examined the wardrobe of four generations of royal women in the British Royal Family. However, the focus was looking at women adjacent to the throne but not on it- three consorts/mothers of sovereigns, and one sister! (Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother), and Princess Margaret) Although this exhibition was on the smaller side, it packed a strong punch, and is one of my favourites. While The Queen lent several pieces, impressively many of these items were already in the Fashion Museum’s collections.
Norman Hartnell Gown, 1949
I didn’t intend to pick multiple Hartnell gowns but here we are. This “red and white candy striped cotton lawn evening dress, with a full skirt and ‘bishop’ sleeves” belonged to Princess Margaret. While the dress looks fantastic, what is more impressive is that it is actually made of cotton (not common for evening wear). Princess Marina was one of the first royals to wear cotton dresses, to support the Lancashire cotton industry, and Margaret’s interest in fashion was largely influenced by her aunt. Although he is known for detailed (and often embroidered) gowns, this evening dress shows his versatility!
Russia, Royalty and Romanovs at Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace- February 2019 (Post)
Russia, Royalty and the Romanovs explored the relationship between the Russian royal dynasty, and the British- from Peter the Great’s 1698 visit to the twentieth century. Luckily the Royal Collection Trust has one of the most impressive collections in the world, and so had several incredible pieces to include. The exhibition was fairly painting-heavy, but also featured jewelry, knick-knacks, textiles, and sculptures. I never thought I would see quite so many Fabergé pieces in one exhibition, but I can check that off my list!
Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara, ?
Obviously I was going to pick the Grand Duchess Vladimir as my exhibition highlight! This is one of The Queen’s favourite tiaras- we see her wearing it frequently. She will wear it with pearl drops or emeralds (the Cambridge emeralds), occasionally without either. Her grandmother, Queen Mary- a royal magpie if one ever existed, purchased this piece from the Grand Duchess after she fled revolutionary Russia. The pictures don’t it justice; it looks stunning in person. And if you are interested in the process of switching the stones out, Angela Kelly’s book The Other Side of the Coin gets into the details!
Diana: Her Fashion Story at Kensington Palace- February 2019 (Post)
Diana: Her Fashion Story was quite different from Fashion Rules. Both did look at Diana’s fashion but Her Fashion Story looked at her life and style (not only her public life). While it did feature some of the same pieces, it also included many other pieces that I hadn’t seen on display before. And I loved the inclusion of several design sketches- it gives more insight into the royal design process. HRP always included a photo of when and where the piece was worn, and it was very helpful for this exhibition! It was wonderful, aside from the women wandering around sobbing at 2pm on a Tuesday afternoon in February 2019…
Bill Pashley Plaid Suit, 1982
There were several stunning and impressive gowns throughout the entire exhibition. However, the piece that stood out the most for me was this plaid suit from Charles and Diana’s honeymoon in Scotland. (Well, a second one!) The jacket especially looks like anyone could wear it now without a second thought, and the whole ensemble stands in contrast to the rest of the pieces that were included in it. This is one of her looks that I immediately think of when you say “Diana”. (Even though it predates me by several years…) Unexpected but wonderful to see!
Victoria: Revealed at Kensington Palace- February 2019 (Post)
This was a bit of an odd experience for me, but great nevertheless. Because of the route I took to go upstairs, I had thought I was seeing the full Victoria: Revealed exhibition but I actually only saw one remaining part. I will argue that it was the best part, though, without ever having seen the rest. Three tiaras were put on display for the exhibition, and lucky for me, they were still up! One of the tiaras (and a necklace, earrings, and brooch) belonged to Victoria herself. The other two were created for her granddaughter. The only thing I have to say is that it is unfortunate that so many tiaras have to be sold to pay death duties, as so few end up where the public can see them like this.
Queen Victoria’s Emerald Tiara Set, 1843 (Set), 1845 (Tiara)
Obviously you cannot go wrong in an exhibition featuring three gorgeous tiaras. However, as someone born in the month of May, I’ve got to go with the emeralds. This set looked incredible within it’s setting- the room was dark, aside from the one lit case with the tiaras. I have mixed opinions on Victoria and Albert’s relationship. I know that they are considered one of the great love stories, but they also were weirdly codependent with a lot of passive aggressiveness happening. However, Albert could design jewelry if nothing else, and he knocked this one out of the park!
Are you going to be seeing any new royal exhibitions this year? If yes, which ones?
Cheers,
The Historian
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
