Queen for a day...
BUCKINGHAM PALACE SUMMER OPENING
Autumn may be fast approaching but did you know that the doors of Buckingham Palace are still open until the end of the month? With the success of ITV’s long-running Victoria series, this year’s exhibition, Queen Victoria’s Palace, has particular resonance.
Marking the 200th anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria, the exhibition tells the story of how the young monarch brought the palace to life, transforming an unloved royal residence into the country’s social and cultural heart. Eight of the Queen’s nine children by Prince Albert were born at the palace and, to accommodate her growing family, she was given a £20,000 grant by Parliament in 1846 to build an extension. The iconic East Wing could hardly be classed as your usual home improvement, though…
To celebrate the exhibition, the Royal Collection Trust has released a new range of jewellery inspired by the designs of tiaras in the Queen’s collection, aptly entitled Crowning Glory London. The brainchild of TV jewellery presenter and diamond specialist, Laurie Wickwire, and designed by Yasmin Lambert, the pieces (on sale at the Palace gift shop and other RCT shops, including the new Windsor Castle boutique) include Greville Drop earrings (£75), The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland bracelet (£95) and Brazilian Aquamarine necklace (£125).
Royal Collection Trust/© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2019