Remembering Diana at Kensington Palace

Tributes to Diana, Princess of Wales, have again been laid at the gates of Kensington Palace in London, her home from her marriage in 1981 to her death in a car accident in Paris 1997. It happens every year (below in 1995) - a visual reminder of how her life touched so many people.

In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, the path leading up to the palace was swamped by an estimated one million boquets. The 2017 anniversary is more low key, but bears out the affection in which she is still held by many members of the British public.As her son Prince William said in a television tribute: "She was this ray of light in a fairly grey world". The many messages with the flowers reflect this sentiment.

The day before the September 31 anniversary, Princes Willian and Harry spent some time looking at the tributes to their mother, and, along with the Duchess of Cambridge, toured the beautiful white garden (below) that has been established next to the palace in her memory.

With them were representatives of the many charities she supported, including those helping AIDS sufferers and children in need. A Palace spokesperson said they were reflecting on her significant achievements and the legacy of her work, that continues to resonate with so many to this day. There were no plans for any events on the day of the anniversary itself - the two princes were marking the day privately. Later in the year, a statue in memory of the Princess will be placed in Kensington Gardens. 

Enlightened Princesses: Caroline, Augusta, Charlotte and the Shaping of the Modern World

Queen Caroline of Ansbach, Joseph Highmore c.1735, Royal Collection Trust © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

When history is written, it’s usually the men who take centre stage, their spouses relegated to the shadows. So a new exhibition at Kensington Palace that puts the spotlight on three intelligent, dynamic and cultured women is to be welcomed. Caroline, Augusta and Charlotte were German-born Protestant princesses who married into the Hanoverian dynasty and moved to Britain.

Queen Charlotte, Johann Joseph Zoffany 1771, Royal Collection Trust © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Caroline and Charlotte became queens consort to George II and George III respectively, while Augusta was Princess of Wales, regent and mother to George III.

Augusta, Princess of Wales 1754, Jean-Etienne Liotard, Royal Collection Trust © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

With more than 30 children between them, they fulfilled their dynastic roles, even if there was much inter-generational feuding.

Children of George III and Queen Charlotte, Royal Collection Trust © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth

 But despite the years of childbearing, they found time to actively support the latest scientific and medical advances. They championed inoculation and publicly backed the creation of London’s Foundling Hospital for deprived and abandoned children.

Samples of English silk, January 1795, used to make clothes for Queen Charlotte & family for wedding of future George IV (c) Historic Royal Palaces

They also acted as patrons of British trades and manufacturing. Their outfits showcased locally designed and made fabrics, some of which are on show.

The Music Party Frederick, Prince of Wales with his Three Eldest Sisters, Philippe Mercier 1733, Royal Collection Trust © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth

It was an age known as The Enlightenment, a time of intellectual awakening, when many of the old ideas were being challenged. The exhibition examines how the princesses befriended and encouraged some of the greatest cultural and intellectual figures of their age, welcoming writers such as Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift, astronomer Isaac Newton (who performed light refraction experiments at Kensington Palace) and composers including Handel, Mozart and Haydn.

Views of the Garden and Buildings at Kew, Sir William Chambers, 1763, © The Royal Board of Trustees of Royal Botanic Gardens Kew

They were keen gardeners too - Augusta was involved in the creation of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and in 1763 she commissioned the much-loved 10-storey pagoda, currently being restored to its original splendour with the missing 80 dragons recreated.

'Anti-Saccharrites, - or - John Bull and his Family leaving off the use of Sugar', 1792 (c) Historic Royal Palaces

Living at a time when newspapers and journals had become freely available, everything they did attracted public attention.  The royal family was often subjected to savage satire and criticism. Some of these cartoons are on display.

Yinka Shonibare, Mrs Pinckney and the Emancipated Birds of South Carolina, 2017, Yale Center for British Art

As part of their outward-looking remit, they also made use of the many products from across the empire – exotic plants, rare birds and wild animals -  and encouraged their study. Also in the exhibition is a new work created for the occasion by artist Yinka Shonibare. The sculpture interprets the 1753 encounter between Mrs Eliza Pinckney, the owner of a slave plantation in South Carolina, and Princess Augusta. Beside it is Mrs Pinckney's original letter to a friend, recounting their meeting.
More than 200 objects are featured in the exhibition, including some loaned by the Queen. They provide a fascinating insight into the lives of these three remarkable women, and celebrate the public roles they played in shaping ideas of a national identity.
Enlightened Princesses runs until November 12, 2017
https://www.hrp.org.uk

Diana: Her Fashion Story

It’s hard to believe that 2017 brings the 20^th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales –  one of the most photographed women in history, whose fashion choices were copied by millions. This exhibition at London's Kensington Palace – her home for many years – is a celebration of her life, charting the transformation from fresh-faced teenager fond of frilly collars to international star in a bejewelled Versace gown.

From the moment the engagement of Lady Diana Spencer to the Prince of Wales was announced in February 1981 (she wore this blouse for her engagement portrait), there was a huge demand for news about her. Magazines that featured her on the cover could increase circulation by 40%.

The pressure was intense, but she quickly learned the unwritten rules of royal and diplomatic dressing. As she explained in 1985: “You’d be amazed by what one has to worry about, from obvious things like the wind... and you’ve got to put your arm up to get some flowers, so you can’t have something too revealing and you can’t have hems too short.”

On her honeymoon in Scotland Diana wore this brown tweed wool day-suit, a very traditional English country outfit that she had made in two versions – one with extra shoulder room that allowed her to take part in activities such as shooting.  As she gained in confidence she began experimenting with different looks and learnt from her mistakes. Pie crust collars were out – ruffles didn’t photograph so well. 

This tartan wool day-suit was for an official visit to Italy in 1985, and although the boxy shape was fashionable, it swamped her and was criticised by the press. It was never seen again.

She learned which clothes worked for different occasions. When she posed for an official 1987 official portrait, she needed something strong that would hold its own next to Prince Charles’ ceremonial uniform, and Catherine Walker devised this stately pink satin gown, sometimes dubbed the ‘Disney Princess’ dress. Diana quickly became, according to designer Caroline Charles, “the best ambassador for British fashion”.

The Princess was not afraid to bend the rules. The tuxedo style of this cocktail dress by Bellville Sassoon was an unusual choice for a princess, and in royal circles, black was usually reserved for mourning – but the result was stunning.

Diana developed close relationships with fashion designers, who would prepare sketches for her to review. Together they would finalise the look, and she often made notes on the sketches, suggesting changes or commenting on details she particularly liked. A selection of these is on display..

The exhibition includes many dresses worn on high-profile engagements around the world. This cream silk crepe Catherine Walker gown was created for an official visit to Saudi Arabia in 1986. It’s embellished with the national bird, the falcon, and the long sleeves and high neckline respect local customs.

Diana was aware she would be photographed from all angles, so her outfits often had back interest, such as the embroidery on this burgundy silk velvet evening dress by Catherine Walker (1990).

Many of her dresses were asymmetrical such as this sari-inspired chiffon dress, worn to a ballet performance in Rio de Janeiro in 1991. (On the same trip to Brazil she famously shook hands with an Aids patient, conspicuously removing her gloves first in a gesture that did much to dispel public fear of the disease.)

Two iconic dresses in the exhibition are the ink blue velvet gown by Victor Edelstein that she wore at the White House when she danced with John Travolta and this pearl encrusted dress with a high collar by Catherine Walker, christened by the Princess as her ‘Elvis’ dress. Designer Oscar de la Renta summed up the impact she made whenever she appeared: “She had tremendous star quality. When she walked into a room, there wasn’t anyone who didn’t notice.”

Walker became her favourite designer, and together they honed and streamlined Diana’s image, creating a ‘royal uniform’ – simple outfits that would focus attention on her work, not her wardrobe. She wore cheerful colours that children would like, in specially weighted fabrics that would not crease or crumple. She would never wear a hat to a hospital, because she said you could never cuddle a child with a hat on, and chose bright, chunky jewellery that they could play with. This red day suit was worn in 1996 at the launch of an HIV/Aids Charity London Lighthouse appeal.

In 1997, after her divorce, 97 of her dresses were sold at Christie’s in New York, raising $3.25 million for charity. Diana wore this Catherine Walker shift dress, with deliberately light and understated embroidery, to the gala event preceding the auction. Who could have guessed that in a little over two months she would die in a road accident in Paris and people would be queuing to place flowers outside her Kensington Palace home? But as this exhibition shows, her legacy endures. The 25 dresses and many photographs will trigger a flood of memories for visitors. Some of the outfits have been on show before, but this is the first display to examine the way her style evolved, and how she used her image to engage people and champion the causes she cared about. As designer David Sassoon put it: “There will never be anybody to replace her. She was unbelievably genuine and completely unique.”

The exhibition runs throughout 2017. 

http://www.hrp.org.uk/kensington-palace/visit-us/top-things-to-see-and-do/diana-her-fashion-story/#gs.JLSYOfQ