The Edwardians: Age of Elegance at the King’s Gallery

Name: The Edwardians: Age Of Elegance
Start: 2025-04-11
End: 2025-11-23
Location: King’s Gallery

Where? King’s Gallery, Buckingham Gate Road When? 11th April to 23rd November 2025 10 AM to 5.30 PM (Mon & Thu-Sun, Jan-1st half Jul & Sep-Dec); 10 AM to 5.30 PM (Mon-Sun, 2nd half Jul-Aug); Last entry 1¼ hours before closing Price? Adult £19; Child (5-17) £9.50 · See rct.uk Parking: Nearby car parks Buses: 11, 211, C1, C10 Bus fares Trains: The closest station is St. James’s Park Circle District Other nearby stations: Victoria Train fares

Visitors to the King's Gallery will be able to experience the opulence and glamour of the Edwardian age in a major new exhibition showcasing over 300 objects from the Royal Collection.

The period between the Victorian era and the First World War was a golden age that encompassed two of Britain's most fashionable Royal couples – King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, and King George V and Queen Mary.

Queen Alexandra, by Francois Flameng (1908)

When Edward VII and Queen Alexandra married in 1863 they ushered in a glamorous new era, establishing a life of opulent balls, garden parties and society events with fashionable figures – nicknamed the 'Marlborough House Set'. This lifestyle continued with their son, George V and Queen Mary.

God Speed, by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1893)

But it was also a period of great transition, with Europe edging towards war. The Royal family might have lived lavish lives, embracing new trends, but they were also trying to retain traditions and preserve their rapidly fading way of life. The outbreak of World War I would shatter that world forever.

Queen Alexandra's Dagmar Necklace (1863)

The exhibition will bring together the jewellery, paintings, photographs, books, fashions, sculptures and ceramics of the time. Highlights include Alexandra's Dagmar necklace, Mary's 'Love Trophy' necklace, and a Cartier crystal pencil case - all on show for the very first time.

Study of a female head in Sleeping Beauty, by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones (1862-94)

There will also be a previously unseen study of Sleeping Beauty by the Pre-Raphaelite artist Sir Edward Burne-Jones, and more than 20 items by the Russian jeweller Fabergé.

The exhibition will also include including pieces from their own private collections such as Oscar Wilde's Poems, personally inscribed by the author, and works by two pioneering female photographers - Mary Steen and Alice Hughes - as well as photographs taken by Queen Alexandra herself, using the portable Kodak camera with which she managed to capture private family moments.