With the coronation of King Charles III of the United Kingdom only weeks away, more and more coronation exhibitions come to light. As many people from all over the country take an interest in the event, and also visitors come from abroad, here is an overview of the exhibitions and displays.
Coronations & Celebrations
The Fan Museum, London
Wednesday 1 February 2023 – Saturday 24 June 2023
On the occasion of the coronation the museum has compiled a new exhibition with centuries of royal fans from across the continent from a special, printed, English fan marking the restoration of Charles II almost 400 years ago, to the contemporary fans made by The Fan Museum in honour of the late Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee.
Spanning centuries of history across the much-known royal legacies of Europe, this exhibition is not merely a look back on what has been but a rally of hope for what is to come.
Queen Camilla is very interested in the work of the museum.
The Fan Museum (https://www.thefanmuseum.org.uk/)
12 Crooms Hill
Greenwich, London, SE10 8ER
Opening times: Wednesday to Saturday 11am-5pm
The Royal Palace
Madame Tussauds, London
Tuesday 28 March 2023 –
On the occasion of the coronation the famous museum has opened a new experience called The Royal Palace. Visitors will be able to have a look inside “Buckingham Palace” to see the royal wax figures. The outfit of King Charles III has been changed into what he wore for his first state banquet as a king in November 2022, including nine miniature medals and the insignia of the Order of the Garter. Of course also the Prince and Princess of Wales are on display.
The Throne Room has been recreated, as well as the Royal Drawing Room and visitors even have the chance to stand on its royal balcony and wave to the crowds on the Mall. Furthermore some guests are including, like Sir Mo Farah and Dame Judi Dench. The late Queen Elizabeth II has been reunited with her late husband The Duke of Edinburgh. Also historical royals like Queen Elizabeth I and Princess Diana come to life.
Madame Tussauds (https://www.madametussauds.com/london/whats-inside/zones/the-royal-palace)
Marylebone Road
London NW15LR
Opening times: Daily from 9am/10am-4pm/5pm (see the site)
‘A declaration of our hopes for the future’: Coronations from the middle ages to the present day
Lambeth Palace, London
Wednesday 12 April 2023 – Thursday 13 July 2023
It will show material from the Lambeth Palace Library collections relating to previous coronations, from the coronation of Henry I in 1100 to Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953.
Highlights include the Coronation Charter of Henry I, the manuscript of the Coronation service prepared for William III and Mary II; Archbishop Wake’s notes for the Coronation of George II; a letter from George VI thanking Archbishop Lang for his part in the coronation ceremony; and the Bible upon which Elizabeth II swore her Coronation oath.
There will also be a display of artefacts until 14 June associated with previous Coronations, including the cope and mitre worn by Archbishop Fisher in 1953, and the large banners from the 1902 coronation from which Archbishop Frederick Temple had to read the service because of his failing eyesight.
Lambeth Palace Library
15 Lambeth Palace Road
SE1 7JT London
Opening times: Tuesday to Friday 10am-5pm
Free
Coronation Robes display
Apsley House
22 April 2023 – 30 September 2023
To mark the coronation of King Charles III, the coronation robes of the 1st Duke of Wellington will go on display at Apsley House. The robes were made for the 1st Duke and his two sons for the coronation of George IV in 1821. Displayed to the public for the first time in more than 30 years, they recall the splendour and ceremony of previous coronations.
Apsley House (https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/apsley-house/)
149 Piccadilly, Hyde Park Corner
London W1J 7NT
Opening times: Wednesday to Sunday 11am-5pm, occasionally also on Monday (check the website)
Crown Jewels display
Tower of London
26 May 2023 –
The Crown Jewels have been stored and displayed at the Tower of London since 1661. Just 20 days after the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla the Tower of London will transform its Jewel House. There will be a new display exploring more stories than ever before about the history and significance of the Crown Jewels. The new display will be the first major change to the Jewel House at the Tower of London for over a decade.
A new exhibition, leading towards the Treasury where most of the Crown Jewels are kept, will explore the origins of some of the objects for the first time, including the destruction of the original jewels under Oliver Cromwell. The display will evoke the spectacle and pageantry of the Coronation procession, before detailing the specific uses of the regalia during the ceremony itself, from the Coronation Spoon to St Edward’s Crown.
Tower of London (https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/)
London EC3N 4AB
Opening times: Tuesday to Saturday 9am-5.30pm (except for 6 May 2023), Sunday and Monday 10am-5.30pm
