Previewing Buckingham Palace’s Bejeweled Royal Portrait Exhibition

The press materials for the upcoming summer exhibition at Buckingham Palace were distributed this week, and it’s packed with gorgeous images of beautiful royal jewels. Here’s a little sneak peek–and an invitation to take an even deeper dive into the exhibition with a free edition of the Hidden Gems newsletter!

In May, Buckingham Palace will open the doors of The King’s Gallery to visitors for their annual summer exhibition. This year’s Royal Collection display, Royal Portraits: A Century of Photography, includes some truly iconic royal images. Curator Alessandro Nasini explains, “This is the first exhibition from the Royal Collection entirely dedicated to modern portrait photography, an artistic medium that has helped to shape how the world views the British monarchy. We are excited for visitors to discover the beauty and materiality of these original prints, many on display for the first time, and we hope they will also enjoy a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the creative process behind some of these iconic royal images.”

The exhibition features work from some of the great royal portrait photographers of the 20th century, including Cecil Beaton, Dorothy Wilding, and (former royal spouse) Lord Snowdon. Delightfully, the vintage prints are also accompanied by some fascinating ephemera–unreleased proof sheets, handwritten annotations, and even correspondence with members of the royal family. You’ll recognize some of Beaton’s work from his famous 1939 sitting with Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother , shown on the proofs above.

I’m sadly not able to hop across the pond to attend this year’s press preview, but I have done a much more extensive overview of the exhibition’s press materials today in my Saturday newsletter on Substack, Hidden Gems. While the articles at Hidden Gems are usually for subscribers only, I’ve opened today’s edition to everyone for free. If you’ve been curious about the content and formatting over at Hidden Gems, but haven’t yet considered subscribing, here’s your chance to explore!