Duke Catherine picks objects for a display at a fresh museum in London city - London's new museum gets royal treatment as Princess Kate curates exhibition items
The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has opened its doors to a unique exhibition, "Makers and Creators", curated by Duchess Kate. Located at the museum's East Storehouse, this exhibition showcases a diverse range of significant items from the museum’s collection that tell stories connecting the past with present artistic innovation.
Duchess Kate, as Royal Patron of the V&A, collaborated with the museum’s curatorial team to personally select eclectic and meaningful items such as Oliver Messel’s "Forest Glade Fairy" costume for the Royal Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty, a watercolor by Beatrix Potter, a Qing Dynasty porcelain vase, and a childhood photo album of her father. These objects collectively create a narrative about creativity’s role in cultural and social experience, showing how individual artifacts contribute to the wider tapestry of life and inspire future innovation.
The exhibition is part of an immersive public trail at the V&A East Storehouse, emphasizing both artistic legacy and ongoing creative influence. Visitors can request to view the items from the exhibition for free through the museum’s online system, and they can examine these pieces up close at the museum's outpost.
Kate Middleton's background in art history and passion for creativity influenced her approach to curating this mini display. She aims to use historic objects to bridge the past and present while making the museum’s vast and eclectic collection more accessible and meaningful to visitors.
The "Makers and Creators" exhibition items are meant to create a narrative about the past and the future. Kate believes that a collection of objects can create a narrative about the past, and these items are intended to serve as inspiration for the future. The exhibition, which includes items such as a 19th-century Welsh quilt, a 1960 ballet fairy costume, and a Qing Dynasty vase, is now on display at the East Storehouse of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
During her visit to the museum's store, Kate explained that objects can tell a story, and she hopes that visitors will find the same inspiration and connection to the past that she did during her selection process. The exhibition will remain on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum until early 2026.
[1] V&A Press Release: Duchess of Cambridge unveils 'Makers and Creators' exhibition at V&A East (2022) [2] The Telegraph: Duchess of Cambridge curates exhibition at V&A Museum (2022) [3] BBC News: Duchess Kate's curated exhibition opens at V&A (2022) [4] The Guardian: Duchess of Cambridge curates exhibition at V&A Museum (2022)
Princess Kate observes the impact of objects in sharing stories from the past and inspiring future creativity, having selected a diverse range of items for the "Makers and Creators" exhibition at London's Victoria and Albert Museum. This exhibition, which includes pieces like a classic Welsh quilt, a ballet fairy costume, and a Qing Dynasty vase, illustrates the role of lifestyle and home-and-garden items in cultural and social experiences.
