We round up the reviews for the gallery’s latest exhibition, on display until the 23rd November.
The Observer: *** “The Edwardians is expertly achieved, intensely popular and, in many respects, repugnant.”
The Standard: *** “Part of the fun is spotting resemblances – Mary of Teck’s official state portrait shows that the late Queen Elizabeth was the very spit of her. George V was practically identical to his cousin Nicholas, the doomed Tsar. And that’s the thing about this show; it’s what it doesn’t say. In the fine portrait of Alexandra in her sixties, there’s a steely look about her, perhaps on account of her husband’s flagrant infidelities, including his long term mistress, Alice Keppel, Camilla’s great grandmother (how history repeats itself!). The unfortunate Tsar Nicholas – son of Alexandra’s sister Dagmar – was abandoned to his fate from the Bolsheviks by his British relations.”
The Upcoming: **** “At times, it starts to feel like a meticulously curated inventory of the one percent – but then, that’s precisely what it is. Still, it’s hard not to be seduced by the sheer, unapologetic decadence of it all.”
The Telegraph: **** “There’s a lot of sparkle to savour – and some sadness too – in this grand, wide-ranging exhibition at the King’s Gallery.”
Londonmumsmagazine.com: “a must-visit for fashion aficionados, jewellery lovers, and families seeking a fascinating journey through royal history.”
ianvisits.co.uk: “It’s a bit of a mixed exhibition, not really telling a story or candidly showing off anything particularly exceptionally rare. You could almost imagine this exhibition occurring in any great mansion house owned by a rich Edwardian industrialist. However, the main difference is that this is the Royal Family and that adds the missing stardust to elevate the collection.”
To book tickets visit: https://www.rct.uk/collection/exhibitions/the-edwardians-age-of-elegance/the-kings-gallery-buckingham-palace