An Exhibition Fit for a Queen – H.M The Queen Camilla Opens New Exhibition at The Fan Museum

Home >Events >An Exhibition Fit for a Queen – H.M The Queen Camilla Opens New Exhibition at The Fan Museum

We were very honoured to welcome HM The Queen and HRH The Duchess of Gloucester to The Fan Museum on the morning of Thursday 7^th May.

The Queen is a long-standing Patron of the Fan Museum and a friend of Hélène Alexander, our Founder. Both she and the Duchess of Gloucester are members of the Worshipful Company of Fan Makers.

From The Fan Museum’s perspective the event had a twofold relevance, first to mark the opening of our new exhibition, Monarchy; an Exhibition of Royal Fans; and secondly for the Queen to name the Alexander Room and the Adda Gallery.

The exhibition has benefited from loans from The Royal Collection Trust, the Queen’s personal collection, and from the Worshipful Company of Fan Makers, largely donated from the collection of HRH Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone. From the Royal Collection, among other items, is the iconic photograph of Queen Victoria as Empress of India together with a black fan that she may have had with her at the time of her death. The Queen’s loan includes a striking jay feather fan given to her great grandmother, Alice Keppel.

Included in the Exhibition, which features both fans with a Royal provenance, and fans which show royalty from various European dynasties (including one with a collage of photographs of the descendants of Queen Victoria), are many from The Fan Museum Trust Collection and others from the Hélène Alexander Collection held at the Museum. The exhibition had been expertly curated and catalogued by our Consultant Curator, Mary Kitson with invaluable help in the design and layout of the catalogue from our General Manager, Sophie Long.

After being introduced to our Trustees, to Celia Turnbull, the Chair of The Friends of The Fan Museum, Linda Bird, (Mayor of Greenwich), Helene’s daughter and son in law Susannah and James, Jeremy Hawes, (Chair of the Victor Adda Foundation), to Tal Dinai whose company Art-Link helped to sponsor the event, and finally to the Museum core staff members Sophie Long and Will Downie, Buildings Manager, The Queen was invited to join Hélène in her study for an informal and personal chat.

The Queen and the Duchess were then conducted around the exhibition by Mary Kitson, Rhian Wong from the Royal Collection, and Anne-Marie Benson from the Fan Makers. Sarah Baile, conservator to the Museum, was also present. They showed genuine and informed interest in the fans and the beautiful day dress worn by a member of the King of Romania’s family, and loaned to the exhibition by a private collector.

The Fan Museum had agreed that at this stage there should be a presentation by the Fan Makers of the Coronation Fan they had commissioned for HM The Queen.

All present then gathered in the Orangery where I formally welcomed our Royal Guests and indicated what a debt we all owed to the vision, inspiration, and funding provided by Dickie and Hélène Alexander that had led to the creation and success of the Fan Museum. The Trustees are determined to maintain that vision which can be simply encapsulated in Helene’s desire that it should not be like any other museum but should resemble the 18th Century home of a person of discernment and taste.

Part of the funding for The Fan Museum has come historically -and continues to come – from the Victor Adda Foundation, set up in the name of and with funding from Hélène’s father. The Trustees were determined that these contributions from Helene, her husband, and father should be recognised by designating one of the ground floor rooms as The Alexander Room and the gallery on the first floor the Adda Gallery.

HM The Queen unveiled a plaque commemorating the naming of the 2 rooms, had time for a quick stop at The Museum shop on the way out, and finally we bade farewell to our Royal Guests.

It was a very happy day which all present will remember warmly.

Following the event Mrs Alexander received a generous note of thanks from Buckingham Palace in these words:

‘I write on behalf of HM The Queen and HRH The Duchess of Gloucester to thank you and your wonderful team so much for such a happy visit to the Fan Museum.

Her Majesty and Her Royal Highness greatly enjoyed their time with you and were, as ever, deeply touched by the warmth of the welcome extended to them. The exhibition is exquisite and a real testament to your years of dedication to the beautiful Museum. I am to thank you also for the thoughtful gifts, which The Queen and The Duchess were delighted to receive.

Do please pass on warmest thanks to every person who had a role to play in the engagement.

This comes with heartfelt best wishes.’

Tim Barnes Chairman Fan Museum Trust

HM The Queen and HRH The Duchess of Gloucster entering The Fan Museum, greeted outside by the Deputy Lieutenant, Matt Burrow - © Niki Gorick Photography.