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Royal News

The Princess of Wales curates display for the V&A Museum

The Princess of Wales enjoys a visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum storehouse

The Princess of Wales has turned into a cultural curator, working with the V&A East Storehouse to put together a ‘Makers and Creators’ exhibit tying the past with the world of modern arts.

Kensington Palace announced that Catherine, who serves as Royal Patron of the V&A Museum, has put together an exhibit that will be on display through early 2026.

Among the pieces Catherine chose to display include a forest glade watercolour painting by famed children’s author Beatrix Potter; a Royal Ballet costume from their 1960 production of The Sleeping Beauty designed by Oliver Messel and worn by Diana Vere as the Fairy of the Woodland Glades; a Welsh hand-quilted bedcover made between 1830-1840; a Qing dynasty porcelain vase made between 1662-1722; a sculpture by Clemence Dane; the oil painting ‘A Woman Holding a Mirror and a Rose’ by George Henry Boughton; an earthenware tile dating to the 15th century, which features a design of interlacing bands from Somerset’s South Cadbury Church; and a Morris & Co. furnishing screen dating to the mid-1880s.

Princess of Wales's Display at the V&A East Storefront
Princess of Wales’s Display at the V&A East Storefront Photo: V&A Press Office

The Princess of Wales’s display is meant to show how “individual, unique objects can come together to create a collective whole that helps us to explore our social and cultural experiences, and the role we play in the wider tapestry of life,” per the V&A Museum.

Her display will be ‘hacked’ into storage racking and is one of over 100 such displays that will showcase the vast collections stored within the V&A East Storehouse.

The future queen paid a visit to the V&A East Storehouse in June, which removes the barrier and allows the wider public the chance to see more of the pieces stored within the V&A Museum complex.

At the time, Catherine said, “What an opportunity for everyone to see these historic pieces. It’s so eclectic. And all parts of the process of displaying and curating.”

About author

Jess Ilse is the Assistant Editor at Royal Central. She specialises in the British, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish Royal Families and has been following royalty since Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee.Jess has provided commentary for media outlets in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.Jess works in communications and her debut novel THE MAJESTIC SISTERS is now available.