The Tissue Dress
Edith Head's Oscar
Audrey Hepburn
Anna Wintour
Dita Von Teese
Kendall Jenner
Billy Porter
The wallpaper (rather badly placed outside the toilets!) at KP featuring images of Princess Diana
Lady Gaga
Blake Lively
Lizzo
Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire
Katy Perry 'Chandelier' Dress
The Kings Cytpher on the lawn
Lizzo
Carey Mulligan and Michelle Williams
Knight of the Order of the Garter
The Cupola Room
Billy Porter
Beyonce
Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Queen Victoria's Diamond and Emerald Suite
The Fife Tiara
The Fife Fringe Tiara
Queen Victoria, seen wearing her Emerald and Diamond Tiara
Victoria and her Mother, the Duchess of Kent
The Duchess of Kent's wedding ring
The room where Victoria was born
Princess Charlotte's mittens
The Gift Shop offerimgs
Running until October at Kensington Palace is a new exhibition called 'Crown to Couture'
With a Red carpet feel to the exhibition, you are taken along a journey of couture through the centuries.
Walking into the first room you first see one of the earliest dresses, the Tissue Dress, lent by the Fashion Museum, Bath. Alongside it an outfit worn by Audrey Hepburn in the film 'Roman Holiday' and also to the Oscars.
Your eye is then taken to an actual Academy Award in the same display case. Presented to Edith Head, the famous costume designer of Hollywood Films (also the designer of the wedding dress of Princess Grace of Monaco)
The whole of the Palace has been taken over the exhibition. At times it can be distracting, at others mesmerising. Again I always say please look up, the ceilings of the palace are breathtaking!
As you walk upstairs up the Kings Staircase, itself a work of art. All the painted faces staring back at you (you can almost hear their voices gossiping!)
Red carpet swathes the palace floors as you then enter room by room.
Many outfits were only briefly worn by their owners, to the Met Ball, film premieres, award ceremonies, and I'll be honest I struggled to know half of the names who had lent outfits!!!
Those I did know: Lady Gaga , Beyonce and Lizzo were lovely to see up close, some more detailed than others. Yet still captiviating.
NOW my one disappointment is that the exhibition, with Crown in its name, had not ONE outfit from a member of the royal family. Kensington Palace is renowned for its royal costume exhibitions and this just felt like it lacked something. There have been a plentiful array of royals attending red carpet events over the yers so I do feel this was an omission that stopped me giving it a 10/10!
You can walk at your own pace, no headset tour, and can take photos too (always a bonus to remember memories) but NO flash.
It was VERY busy with a lot of tourists there.
As well as the exhibition there's also a seperate Victoria exhibition and Jewel Room. That does give you the wow factor when you walk in.
Three tiara's all with royal connections:
Victoria's emerald and diamond suite, the tiny flecks of the emerald glistening in the lights projected on it.
Also two tiaras from Princess Louise (the Fife side of the family) On permanent display here now.
The lighting is very dark in the room so you can see them in detail and its a large display case so you can see them from all angles!
You can then walk into the Victoria exhibition. The room she was born is opened (has been a few years now) although the furniture is not original but gives you an impression how it would have looked. Again, more personal possessions of Victoria would have been lovely to see.
In a small cabinet in that room are a pair of mittens owned by Princess Charlotte. She died in 1817, the heir to the throne. The daughter of King George IV. Her unexpected death after childbirth changed the way the crown looked, and hence why Victoria, who never expected to be Queen, became so at a tender age.
From a high window you could see the new cypher of our King on the grass lawn below.
I spent about 90 minutes in the Palace and as with most things, you exit by the shop!!!
But it was a a great exhibition and I always enjoy a visit to the Palace.
