The King’s Gallery offers visitors a rare opportunity to explore selections from the Royal Collection—one of the finest and most comprehensive collections of art and historical artefacts in the world, owned by the British Royal Family. Its exhibitions provide fascinating insights into royal life, culture, and history through an ever-changing display of paintings, objects, and treasures. The current exhibition, ‘The Edwardians: Age of Elegance’
Renaming of the Gallery
It’s not often that an art gallery changes its name, but in this case it was due to the death of Elizabeth II. For along the south side of Buckingham Palace is one of London’s lesser known galleries.
For many years it was known as the Queen’s Gallery, but with the coming of Charles III to the throne, it had to change its name to the King’s Gallery. Unlike the Tates (Modern and Millbank) or the National Gallery, this one has a lower profile, so doesn’t tend to make it onto a tourist’s ‘must do’ list. I rather fancy that many people discover it by accident after a trip to the palace, and hopefully are pleasantly surprised. 🔊 Listen Now: Episode 42: John Julius Angerstein: The Man Behind National Gallery
Royal Collection
The gallery was created in 1962, and then expanded and modernised in 2002 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee. Its purpose is to display works of art from the Royal Collection. Anyone who has visited one of the royal palaces will be aware that our royal family have some incredible artworks in their possession.
Some have been in the hands of the monarch for centuries, but there are also more recent acquisitions, some of which have been gifted from foreign dignitaries either here or abroad. In fact it is one of the largest and most important art collections in the world, and one of the last great European royal collections to remain intact. From old master paintings to books, from photographs to porcelain, from garments to objets d’art, the collection is hugely varied and there will be something to interest everyone.
Current Exhibition
The current exhibition, which is running until November 2025, is ‘The Edwardians: Age of Elegance’. The Edwardian period was relatively short, and somewhat overshadowed by its predecessor, the 60 year period when Queen Victoria was on the throne. It is generally understood to encompass the reign of Edward VII, on the throne from 1901 to 1910, and the first years of George V’s reign up until 1914 and the start of the First World War.
The exhibition starts earlier, from 1863, when Edward VII and Queen Alexandra were Prince and Princess of Wales, and takes us up to the end of the Great War. It was an age of change, especially in the first years of the 20th century, when previous social divisions started to crumble, when technological advances were being made – the motor car for example – and when travel opened up people’s horizons.
The exhibition is fascinating, exposing the gilded life of the royals as they approach the turn of the century, and ending on a rather more sombre note with the impact of war on everyone, civilian, military and royal alike.
One of the most moving artworks is a painting by Frank O Salisbury. It depicts the coffin of the unknown warrior, passing the newly-installed Cenotaph on Whitehall, on its way to be interred in Westminster Abbey.
George V is following the gun carriage bearing the coffin as chief mourner. Not only is there a King’s Gallery in London, but there is also one in Edinburgh, within the Palace of Holyroodhouse. That is showing ‘Royal Portraits: A Century of Photography’ until September 2025.
Join us on our Royal London Walk or Wonders of Whitehall Walk to discover London’s most iconic landmarks and experience history where it happened.
