The Princess of Wales was in London today for the official opening of the Young Victoria & Albert Museum (formerly known as the V&A Museum of Childhood).
The Princess arriving.
Great to see the Princess of Wales at one of my old haunts today. She is officially opening the Young V&A (formerly known as the V&A Museum of Childhood). pic.twitter.com/6UuXX9ezTX
— Victoria Murphy (@byQueenVic) June 28, 2023
Kate was welcomed by a familiar face -- Director of the V&A Tristram Hunt. Speaking to BBC News ahead of the visit, Hunt said: "The V&A believes in the transformative power of creativity, and it's critical we work to support and develop the next creative generation. The optimistic and transformative power of creativity radiates through Young V&A and we cannot wait to unleash it upon our teenagers to toddlers."
In March 2018, Kate became the first Royal Patron of the Victoria & Albert Museum. The previous summer, the then Duchess of Cambridge channelled Jackie Kennedy in a fabulous tweed Gucci dress to officially open the museum's new entrance, courtyard and exhibition gallery on Exhibition Road. The V&A Exhibition Road Quarter was the V&A’s largest architectural project in the last 100 years, designed by British architect Amanda Levete.
The museum was officially opened by Queen Victoria in 1857. Over four decades later, the laying of the foundation stone of the Aston Webb building (to the left of the main entrance) on 17 May 1899 marked the last official public appearance by the monarch. It was during this ceremony that change of name from the South Kensington Museum to the Victoria and Albert Museum was made public. Queen Victoria's address during the ceremony, as recorded in the London Gazette, ended: "I trust that it will remain for ages a Monument of discerning Liberality and a Source of Refinement and Progress."
Today, the V&A is the world’s leading museum of art, design, education and performance, with collections unrivalled in their scope and diversity. It was established to make works of art available to all and to inspire British designers and manufacturers. Today, the V&A’s collection spans more than 5,000 years of human creativity, showcasing work in virtually every medium and from many parts of the world.
A fascinating element of the V&A's museum has been their outstanding archives depicting childhood throughout the decades. The new Young V&A is dedicated to children and young people aged 0-14. It marries Kate's passions for early childhood and art perfectly.
A meticulous three-year transformation has come to fruition and the team at the museum look forward to welcoming the public to see the results from Saturday.
Take a look at the spiral staircase.
Kensington Palace described the Young V&A as a "a world leading museum of design and creativity".
A press release added: "Local schoolchildren, parents and teachers played a critical role in the project, participating in co-design and co-production workshops in which they worked with the architects and Young V&A team to reconceive how the building could be used, designed key architectural features, contributed ideas for the displays and exhibition programme and participated in making new commissions for the galleries."
Young V&A houses three new galleries called Play, Imagine, and Design. Each has been conceived for specific age groups, from babies to teens, with nearly 2,000 objects from the V&A’s collections presented in new and playful ways, designed to inspire children’s own creativity.
A snippet from the Evening Standard's review:
'Walking into the main atrium – named the ‘Town Square’ – for the first time is breathtaking. Light floods in from the skylight that runs the length of the central hall, illuminating the Victorian mosaic floor below. There is a vast semicircular window at the far end behind a spiral staircase leading to the second floor. Staggeringly, the windows had all been boarded up for decades. Letting in the light has made a huge difference, Newson says.
On either side of this central space, where the café is going to be, are the exhibition areas, aimed at different age groups. Throughout, the focus is on helping children harness creativity and build new skills to develop creative confidence. It describes itself as a “doing” museum. “Every aspect of Young V&A has been developed with a rigorous eye to childhood developmental theories and practice,” they have said. Even better, the kids will be having too much fun to notice.'
Take a look at the process of dressing a 17th century doll house.
The Guardian's review of the £13million reimagining declares the museum has been "reborn" as a "joyful inspiring paradise of play".
More from the article:
'All that has changed. After a three-year, £13m makeover, the cobwebs have been well and truly blown away, the gloomy building injected with dazzling new energy and a mischievous sense of fun – now fittingly rebranded as Young V&A.
The project is the work of architects De Matos Ryan (DMR), who were responsible for the main structural changes, and AOC, which handled the interiors and exhibition design. Both conducted intensive months-long residencies and co-design workshops in the museum to determine what local families and schools wanted the place to be, engaging a staggering 22,000 people. The overwhelming response? “More light, more colour, more pattern, more sound!” says AOC’s Gill Lambert. In short, the place needed more zing.'
The Independent described it as (I really quite love this!) "a playdate at the grandest house in the UK".
The Princess enjoyed a tour of the building with a group of children whose input was considered throughout the reimagining process.
Embed from Getty Images Kate spent time in the Play Gallery, a "sensory landscape" for toddlers inspired by the way infants experience the world.
Embed from Getty Images The Princess spoke with members about how the gallery is dedicated to the development of language, motor skills, and constructive play, before visiting The Arcade, a space designed for teenagers which explores the history and process of video and boardgame design.
Embed from Getty Images Kate spent time in the Design Gallery, which showcases the design process of innovative objects and how design has the power to make a positive impact on the world.
Embed from Getty Images Surrounded by an excited group of children in the Imagine Gallery, the Princess chatted with the kiddies about the activities and experiences they enjoyed most throughout the day.
Embed from Getty Images For the children of Globe Primary School, they said it all with hugs :)
Big hugs from Globe children to the Princess of Wales at the preview of our wonderful local museum, the Young V&A. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/uBdqIHbJbX
— Globe Primary School (@GlobeSchool) June 28, 2023'Tristram Hunt, director of the V&A, tells PEOPLE that Kate's interactions with the youngsters were "brilliant." The play session “is about collaboration and cooperation and communication — all of the things that have been under such pressure in COVID. This space is where children can get together and have to work together through play.”
He chuckles at the thought of the children’s innocent but sometimes drawn-out tales, "chapter after chapter. She was very very generous listening to their stories,” Hunt says. "As you can imagine, she was encouraging. She wanted to know what objects they were drawing upon in the gallery." There was a boy who brought along a police Tardis box, and one had a Samurai uniform. “They talked about the connection between those and the storytelling."'
This is quite the photo!
Embed from Getty Images The Palace noted: "At the heart of the gallery is The Stage, a new dedicated performance space featuring objects from the V&A’s renowned Theatre and Performance Collection, where children can also enjoy dressing up and performing their own shows."
Embed from Getty Images And the verdict from the young reviewers? Magnificent.
❓ How would you describe the new @young_vam?
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) June 28, 2023
It was a pleasure to see how this special museum has been revamped with the help of local school children, parents and teachers this morning, ahead of its opening this Saturday. pic.twitter.com/QvmJhpiZCcYesterday, the Princess wore an Alessandra Rich dress first seen at Wimbledon. I remarked to a couple of friends, Kate's likely getting her 'Wimbers Wardrobe' ready for this year and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see more looks appear.
Today, Kate chose another summery dress first seen at the tennis tournament.
Embed from Getty Images Kate first sported the Beulah London Ahana dress for the Men's Singles Final in 2021.
The £720 piece is described as being "crafted from blush-hued wool and shaped to a fit and flare silhouette with a short stand neckline, cropped sleeves and sweeping skirt that's belted at the waist for a figure-defining fit". It has also been worn by Crown Princess Mary of Denmark in beige.
It's a fabulously versatile piece. Lady Frederick Windsor, Sophie Winkleman, wore the piece in lemon for Royal Ascot last week.
Embed from Getty Images Kate wore her Jimmy Choo 85 pumps in white leather.
And her Mappin & Webb Empress earrings.
Next week is shaping up to be an interesting one with significant events across Scotland for members of the Royal family next week. William and Kate are confirmed to join Charles and Camilla next Wednesday to mark the Coronation, though their exact schedule is yet to be announced. Of course, Wimbledon kicks off on Monday, so we'll likely see Kate at some point during week one :)
I liked this the first time I saw it and I like it again today. I preferred the shoes worn at Wimbledon. Lovely event. I'm looking forward to seeing them in Scotland!
ReplyDeleteThe V&A is a very enjoyable place to visit, and I'll be delighted to do so again the next time I'm in UK. The children's museum looks terrific.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a quintessential Kate look that I feel there isn't much to be said about it that hasn't been said before, beyond my view that light pink isn't really her color and that white pumps should be banned outside of weddings. (I've made those comments before, too.)
However, I was distracted even from the shoes by the great mass of the Princess's hair, which is starting to bring Rapunzel to mind. I am really flummoxed by the fact that she's grown it so long, but it's looking much TOO long, too heavy, and too messy. It's very hard to control hair that long; it simply can't look very polished. She's been curling it, but the curls are tending to go limp these days, probably because too much length and weight are tugging at them.
It's her hair, and she can do what she likes with it, of course, but it must be quite time-consuming to deal with. I can't even imagine.
I wonder if she’s planning to donate her hair again.
DeleteI agree completely about Catherine's hair. It's beautiful but too long. She had it about 4 inches shorter for a time, maybe 5 years ago, and it looked great and was still long enough to curl.
DeleteI prefer the white pumps with this dress. I feel that an ankle strap with a midi dress cuts off the leg.
I agree with all that is said here...chuckling about "Rapunzel"...but also came here to say what Anon.22:56 said - perhaps she's planning to donate her hair?
DeleteI think her hair looks fabulous.Ali
DeleteAgree on the colour aspects. Disagree on the hair. I think everyone should wear their hair as long as they like. It’s true that it seems to have lost a bit of its bounce but I am not sure that’s due to the weight. She seems to have changed her hairstyle routine as well.
DeleteI noticed that her curls weren’t the usual blow out when she was at the Selfportrair gallery. Her hair looked as if she just slept with a damp braid. Maybe her hair is undergoing some change? Wouldn’t be the first woman to experience changes in her hair over time. And there are always ways to create polished looks with long hair. From ponytails and braids to up-dos and buns.
C.
I thought the thing about white shoes was an American thing, that you don't wear them before or after a certain day. Are people saying they are wrong in general? S.🙂.
DeleteAnon 20:11 add me to that list! :) Allure Magazine put out an online article, that day, saying how Kate's hair was so gorgeous, that she looked like she should be in a Pantene hair commercial! lol :) Different strokes for different jokes! xoxo
DeleteI like Catherine's hair long as it is. It distinguishes her and gives her character. When she has has shorter hair, it looks standard and conformist. What I would really like as a message to young girls, is if she would from time to time wear her natural curl. The reason is setting a standard of beauty. Girls should not be imprinted to think that only a sleek blow out is proper for special events. It should be appreciated that one's natural curls are beautiful too. It's been a long time since we have seen the natural texture of Catherine's hair. Solomon Islands come to mind.
DeleteHope we see W&C at tennis several times. They are always looking loved up
ReplyDeleteLovely to see two of the Princesses passions - the arts and child development - come together. The V&A is one of my favourite museums (especially the costume galleries and jewellery department!) but this looks great for children.
ReplyDeleteAlso pleased to see another repeat of a very nice dress. Princess Beatrice has it in blue, and Sophie (Winkleman) Windsor has it in deep pink too...
This is one outfit where I actually like the white pumps! She looks beautiful and the museum looks like so much fun!
ReplyDeleteLovely repeat! I love the pink. And frankly, though I like to see new dresses, I really like that she repeats things in her closet. Much more modest and sustainable, which I appreciate. However, I much prefer the shoes she paired with it at Wimbledon in 2021 over the white pumps this time.
ReplyDeleteMy comments would not publish again tonight. S.🙂.
ReplyDeleteAnother rewear... I wonder does the Princess read the blog. 🤔. She looked beautiful today. I like it but have to agree with a previous comment. Pale pink doesn't do much for her. Still beautiful though. The museum looks like a great day out for the kids. I'm looking to seeing all the family in Scotland next week. I'd love to see the King wearing the crown of Scotland or at least be photographed wearing it. Thanks Charlotte. S🙂.
ReplyDeleteI too have wondered if she or her stylists read the blog, however, she hasn't cut her hair and she keeps wearing the white shoes.🥰
DeleteSame thought I wondered...someone's reading because the timing is so eerily in line with the blog comments, same thing happened with the coronation...many of us wanted to see a tiara and were bummed that it was going to be flowers in the hair as the official dress code and somehow she kept to the rule yet gave us what we wanted to see...the people on this blog are measured and generally fair and like her very much, so it would make sense for her or her team to use a platform like this to measure the pulse of the people and "take the temperature"...Read an article saying (I paraphrase) the monarchy walks a fine line to remain in existence in a world of majority republics, and the British monarchy does a fine job of "reading the room."
DeleteJean, not sure if she reads it but I would be shocked if she wasn't aware of Charlotte's blog and all her hard working bringing updates on the Princess. Reading some of these comments, you would think white shoes should be against the law. 🤣. S.🙂.
DeleteNice rewearing. I do not agree with the criticism for having released dresses lately. She is a very high profile international woman and for big occasions, she must fascinate and be the epitome of elegance.
ReplyDeleteRepeat dresses is for these events that do not have as much international coverage.
Stephanie, well said & I agree.
DeleteI love the V&A! The more people who get to experience it, the better, and starting young is best of all. For the dress--I mostly like this (beautiful shade of pink, and great buttons) but I've never been a fan of this kind of fabric belt. In terms of long hair, I have had very long hair at different stages of my life but I would look ghastly with it now. Hence, I enjoy long hair vicariously through Kate!
ReplyDeleteI love this dress and the peek inside the museum. In the US , we wear white shoes in the summer , so her choice was fine with me. The kids hugging her was a cute moment .
ReplyDeleteI very much like this dress, and I especially like these beautiful white shoes. I can’t imagine a color that would look better with the light pink of the dress. I find the dislike that so many express for white shoes puzzling.Very similar to the complaints about nude color shoes,which I didn’t understand either.
ReplyDeleteJoanne, I loved your comment & am right there with you. Color me confused, but different opinions are like salt, it gives us flavor. :)
DeleteI agree Joanne
DeleteKate looks lovely I do like this shade of pink on her and going against my previous comments on the white pumps I like them here that might be because she's not carrying a white bag? It's obviously a lovely comfortable dress to wear if so many other Royal ladies like it too. I agree with Vittoria on Kate's hair! Sue in WA
ReplyDeleteLove this re-wear by the Princess Kate. This is the style of dress every woman should have her in closet - and clearly many do :-) Can't wait to see Kate's next selection.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful museum. Whenever I took care of nieces and nephews the museums in my town was the firstt place I would take them. Just such a wonderful part of any childhood.
This dress is very pretty, but too girly for a woman in her 40s, in my opinion. Perhaps it’s the pink that grates on my nerves; the yellow version somehow looks more age-appropriate.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful repeat dress. The children adored her, nice!
ReplyDeleteI hope she rewears that fantastic Gucci dress again, with the fab red bag!
ReplyDeleteI think Kate looks lovely in this summery dress. She was so much in her element - with the kids&surrounded by art and creative activities. The Museum must be a fantastic place to visit! I'm sure she'll bring her own kids there. Thank you, Charlotte. Zora from Prague
ReplyDeleteI completely agree Zora! A very summery look, and would believe that Kate will definitely take her children to the museum...would love to be a fly on the wall on that trip! They all seem to have very inquisitive minds.
DeleteHave to agree with Vitorria on this one about the white pumps she made me laugh lol. I think Kate looks lovely. Regarding her hair I think it is truly a security blanket for Kate especially when nervous she plays with it a lot even this many years later after entering royal life. Also she probably feels as she gets older she worries she will lose some of her hair anyways so she might as well keep it as long as possible but for the health of one's hair the ends need a trim to prevent breakage. Curling is a trick to conceal dry and split ends. When my mom was dying of cancer she lost her hair so I know how it can affect a woman's self esteem and why some women like to wear their hair long for as long as possible.
ReplyDeletePerhaps you should make it clear that the Children's V&A is the former Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood (though I think it has always been administratively part of the main museum), and is not within the main V&A building. It would be a pity if some of your non-British readers were to look in the wrong place. Or has the collection been moved? (It is decades since I last went there.)
ReplyDeleteBefore I read what anyone else had to say.... Can I just say..... I love Kate!! In a world that feels like it's turned on it's head, on a regular basis.... She just makes me feel that something is still right with the world. I don't mean this in a starry eyed way, rather it's the very real way she balances the very different roles that she has, but somehow still retains herself within them.... She is still herself, in all the many iterations of her position & she still brings her light to all... whether old, young, rich, poor, in the UK & beyond..... even those like us online! She's just a light!
ReplyDeleteCharlotte, thank you for including that photo of Sophie Winkleman & Prince Charles at Ascot. I just loved Sophie in "Sanditon". I really respect how she has balanced being a Windsor/by marriage & still pursues a career that she loves.
I love your enthusiasm, Becca, and I agree with you - Kate shines! 🌞 Zora from Prague
DeleteBecca, what you have described is the same feeling people got from the late Queen. The Princess is a Queen in the making. I really think she did the right thing in taking her time in learning the ropes. I also believe that the late Queen took a lot of comfort in the fact that the crown was in very safe hands for the future. Also agree about Prince William, well done to him and I wish him every success. It was Princess Diana's wish that her son's would be involved in this type of work. Especially William as future King.
DeleteBecca,I feel much the same way as you about Kate,which you expressed so beautifully in your comments!
DeleteThanks Zora:) I think what I was trying to say..... is she's not just a pretty face. So many people have lost their sense of decency & kindness. Kate seems to have a kind of "old fashioned moral compass & values" & she's not afraid to show it.
DeleteShe somehow has the inner strength, to not have crumbled under all the pressures that have come her way, from the days of dating William through to today. She has stood her ground, when it comes how to raise her family. To quote (loosely) an article I read, She accepts the realities & traditions of raising her family within the Royal Institution, but she has/is finding ways to alter them, in the way that she can, to give her family the most balanced possible lives.
She also has done the same within her Royal roles. With William's help & support, she has found a way to be herself & be Royal/Regal at the same time. xoxo
Totally agree with you Becca. What a lovely lady she is, inside and out❤️
DeleteI also wanted to take this chance to say how impressed I am with what William has been doing & his #Homeward initiative! I'm on a, rather long now, hiatus from Social Media, yet I read an article about him & went to their accounts to get caught up. Not only was I impressed by all that he is doing, but it just put a smile on my face, thinking of them as a couple, pursuing what I'm sure have been long time dreams for them. :) xoxo
ReplyDeleteI agree and said as much on one of the recent posts. As well as launching that project I think he's also done an investiture and attended an agricultural show in Norfolk. He's making progress with stepping up.
DeleteActually ABCD, it was what you said, that sent me looking for what William had been up to! lol :) xoxo
DeleteThanks for mentioning it Becca.
Delete@Charlotte, do you think it might be possible to feature the POW a bit more? Like you do with Harry on your other blog? Wiliams campaign is quite ambitious (maybe too bold and ambitious) and he has been associated with this for … basically ever since he is an adult. I hope as future King we might see quite bit of big projects and I do love your well written and researched posts.
He he!
DeleteWhen I saw the photos of Catherine being hugged and mobbed by all those children, my first thought was that it's hard to imagine such a scene with the late Queen on a visit, even to a children's museum opening. (My second thought was that if Catherine hadn't chosen to be "Princess of the UK" as her occupation, she would probably have made a great teacher, especially of young children.) There are loads of pictures of the late Queen smiling at and apparently enjoying crowds of happy children, but always at a slight distance with little physical contact permitted. It's said that QEII managed to make people feel at ease and honored to have her there no matter who they were, yet she did so constrained by the standards of a bygone time (and perhaps by her own shyness). Now, the future Queen's warmth and enthusiasm does so as well, in an entirely different way. While I think Queen Camilla is doing her job well under unique and incredibly challenging circumstances, to me she always looks slightly worried or ill-at-ease in the intense public gaze. I always get the impression from the photos of Catherine on these visits that she is just ignoring the photographers and throwing herself into the moment. Around children, athletes, other Moms, social workers, nurses, artists and "just regular folks," especially, she just seems to act herself, completely relaxed. I think that's one of the ways she will continue to be a valuable asset to the royal family as it tries to negotiate it way through the coming decades.
ReplyDeleteWow Anon 17:38!!! What a beautiful Post/Comment & so well written. You captured things that I feel too, but could not have said as well as you. It's interesting what you said about Camilla. I too feel she always has a sense of unease about her. I often feel sorry for her, because while she & Charles seem to have a wonderful relationship, I do feel sorry for her when I see her in her public Royal Role!
DeleteLove the shot of the kids hugging her. I have to say I prefer the yellow version of this dress. That pale pink shade doesn’t do the Princess any favors. I would love to see her with a shorter hairstyle too. But either way she looks nice.
ReplyDeleteDennie
I’m perplexed at how she’s been leaning in so hard on the midi skirts, which is actually the only length that does NOT necessarily flatter her. Her lower legs are slightly disproportionately short, and cutting them off at their widest point is exactly the wrong thing to do. Knee length, above-the-knee, or maxi length are all better options. Still, it’s hard for her to look bad in anything.
ReplyDeleteKate doesn’t have a widest point she is tin beyond believe
Delete