Prince Charles recreates home at Buckingham Palace
- Published
Ever wondered what Prince Charles keeps on his shelves?
Members of the public can get a glimpse of the Prince of Wales' home, as he moves some of his most treasured items to the Queen's home, Buckingham Palace, for an exhibition to mark his 70th birthday.
More than 100 pieces - from private paintings and personal photographs to ornaments and soft furnishings - have been selected by Prince Charles for the "Prince and Patron" exhibition.
Visitors will be transported to the drawing room of Clarence House, or the prince's Gloucestershire country retreat Highgrove, without leaving the Ball Supper Room of the palace.
"This is a very personal show," Vanessa Remington, senior curator of paintings at the Royal Collection Trust, said.
"It's a departure because it is not a standard museum display and the works aren't shown in isolation, they're shown in profusion very, very densely."
Rows of paintings fill the walls, while tables are filled with books, vases, trinkets and family photographs.
Pictures include one from Prince George's christening, another of Charles holding his first grandchild, one with Prince Harry from his time in the Army, and a photo with his newest daughter-in-law, the Duchess of Sussex.
Step into my...pavilion
A portrait of Charles II is among the pieces picked from the thousands in the royal collection
There are no signs or text boxes next to items, but an audio commentary from the prince himself.
One of the highlights is a felt hooded cloak, once belonging to the French leader Napoleon Bonaparte and said to be taken from his carriage after the Battle of Waterloo.
"Since, as a child, I first caught sight of this cloak in the Grand Vestibule at Windsor, I have been fascinated by the sheer magic of the colour, the dashing pattern of the lining and the enthralling story of Napoleon himself which it conjures up," Charles says in his commentary.
A younger prince looks on above the bust of his great great great grandmother Queen Victoria
More contemporary works come in the form of watercolours painted by Prince Charles as well as work from artists from his three arts organisations, the Royal Drawing School, the Prince's Foundation School of Traditional Arts and Turquoise Mountain, based in Kabul, Afghanistan.
The exhibition opens on Saturday and runs until 30 September.
Paintings of the Duchess of Cornwall and the Queen Mother are among the family portraits on display
- Published18 July 2018
