1) The day began early and leisurely, including some email with a friend, and then and early and leisurely promenade down Kensington High Street to the palace. I was surprised how close I’d come to it yesterday.
2) A prominent feature as I approached was a statue of William III (of William and Mary fame). How shocking to discover on its base that it was given by the Kaiser!
The staircase on which Victoria met Albert.
3) Though 15 minutes early, I was nowhere near the head of the line for my entrance time. But it was most pleasant to talk with the lady behind me, and then with her friends who joined the line just before our entrance time was opened.
4) Only after I went up the staircase did I learn that it was the one on which Victoria met Albert. Excitement!
5) Kensington Palace had three exhibition components: a special show called Crown to Couture, basically comparing Hanoverian court culture to 21st-century celebrity culture; its Jewel Room, centered around an emerald parure designed by Albert for Victoria; and Victoria: A Royal Childhood, interpreting Victoria’s early life in the rooms in which she lived.
5a) Crown to Couture felt crowded: a lot of stuff and a lot of people in what felt like complicated traffic patterns, at least at the beginning. But this exhibit was very meticulously considered, contrasting some pretty amazing court clothes — those enormous skirts! — with looks from the Met Gala.
5b) Very surprising to see a satirical illustration of a lady being laced into a corset by a grenadier, because I remember buying a reproduction of it at Colonial Williamsburg in 1980. (And I think I still have it . . . )
5c) The exhibit continued up the grand staircase, with its famous murals by William Kent into the state apartments of George I and II. So many people on that staircase taking selfies (yes, me included)! Some amazing gowns, but I confess I was a whisper more interested in the paintings, and the rooms themselves. One of the guides present started talking about the weathervane, over 300 years old, installed over one of the fireplaces.
5d) Then in the next space I was delighted to find friends! Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, and a couple others.
The Fife Tiara. Must be seen to be believed. No photograph does it justice.
6) Then the Jewel Room, which is based around a central display of some stunning 19th-century pieces: an emerald parure designed for Victoria by Albert (those emeralds are amazing), and a small but dazzling tiara with “swing-set” teardrop diamonds, given to the Duchess of Fife (one of the daughters of Edward VII) as a wedding gift. One friend says it’s the most beautiful tiara of them all, and it’s easy to see why.
6a) But Crown and Couture appeared here also, in part with a stunning skull necklace.
Worn by Jason Momoa to the premiere of Aquaman.
7) The tour of Queen Victoria’s childhood rooms did something very unusual, but very appropriate considering her large collection of dolls. Little porcelain dolls were seen in every room, representing Victoria, her mother the Duchess of Kent, her evil comptroller Sir John Conroy, and others. This was done most effectively in the small ballroom where Victoria’s 17th birthday ball had been held. Half a dozen torcheres in the center of the room were all topped with dancing couples that would spin in turn!
7a) Another unexpected delight was a large toy theatre with a recording of Donizetti’s I Puritani playing in the background, one of her favorites.
Look how charming this is! The doll sitting on the books represents Princess Victoria.
8) Walking to an outside table at the café, a gust of wind blew most of my chips away.
9) Before I left the palace, I did go into the sunken garden that has now been dedicated to Princess Diana. While I’m not a fan of the statue, the garden itself is very beautiful, and its scent becomes present as soon as you walk into it. Overall it is a lovely and touching memorial.
10) I took a slow and stately promenade through Kensington Gardens to my next destination and was delighted or surprised by: a) enormous swans preening themselves, b) the sudden appearance of the Albert Memorial and the Royal Albert Hall, c) a sign indicating that I had just walked the famous Rotten Row, d) the Wellington Arch (which I recognized from Korda’s 1947 film of An Ideal Husband with Paulette Goddard, Michael Wilding, and costumes by Cecil Beaton) . . . and then finally, a corner of Buckingham Palace.
11) My goodness, all the hoopla in front of the palace! But I didn’t pause, because my next destination was almost upon me: the Queen’s Gallery and its special exhibition, Dressing the Georgians.
12) I must say, the staff at the Queen’s Gallery could not have been nicer or more delightful. If you are ever in London, you must go. I was early for my ticket time, and set off the metal detector twice, and they still made me feel absolutely welcome.
13) And then — rounding a corner I could not believe my eyes. There, in front of me talking to one of his many fans, was Zack Pinsent, Regency tailor and social media celebrity. I have admired him since the BBC documentary about him came out in 2018 (I remember about 25 people messaged me on ye Fycebykke “Robert, you have to see this guy!” or “This made me think of you!”). And there he was, six feet away explain to a Man Older Than I that he had just popped in to show his dad around.
The most unexpected and thrilling part of my day.
13a) I did finally work the nerve to interrupt — “Please forgive me . . . ” — and both he and his father could not have been more gracious. We talked for a minute or two about the exhibitions, and then his father took our photo. After that I had to return to the entrance of that room to view the parts of the exhibit I missed, but I was unable to concentrate due to Fanboy Bliss for about five minutes.
14) This exhibition, which followed the evolution of court fashion through the Hanoverians, also yielded a lot of familiar portraits, mostly of the daughters of George III. Mercy, these paintings are huge! That said, in general this family was not very fashion forward.
15) Bonus: the curator gave a talk about men’s wigs which interested me more than I expected.
Princess Charlotte’s silver wedding gown.
16) Leaving the gallery, I returned to the Mall so I could see all the coronation preparations, and all the crowds. Already there are people out in pup tents, enormous sets of bleachers, gigantic flags looking very fresh and clean. I called Craig while I wandered about, and eventually ended up passing through the Horse Guards entrance to the Real World.
17) By this time my feet had already died, and eventually I ended up in the Horse and Guardsman Pub near Trafalgar Square for an old fashioned in memory of Tyler Fitzgerald and a steak and ale pie. And I thought, “How am I supposed to eat this thing?!” And I knew Etiquetteer would say “Without attracting attention!” Which is true, but not particularly helpful.
18) Back in my room, I packed up again. I have to leave very early for Windsor (why did I book a 9:30 ticket?), and then I switch hotels, and then I have a dinner engagement.