Collection
Royal Collection
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
Royal Collection is a collection. 4 works from its collection are in this catalog, including Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger and Hugo Van der Goes.
About Royal Collection
The Royal Collection of the British royal family is the largest private art collection in the world.
Spread among 13 occupied and historic royal residences in the United Kingdom, the collection is owned by King Charles III and overseen by the Royal Collection Trust. The British monarch owns some of the collection in right of the Crown and some as a private individual. It is made up of more than one million objects, including 7,000 paintings, more than 150,000 works on paper, this including 30,000 watercolours and drawings, and about 450,000 photographs, as well as around 700,000 works of art, including tapestries, furniture, ceramics, textiles, carriages, weapons, armour, jewellery, clocks, musical instruments, tableware, plants, manuscripts, books, and sculptures.
Overview & Identity
The Royal Collection is one of the world's great art collections and stands as one of the last remaining European royal collections. It comprises over a million objects, including paintings, drawings, books, sculpture, furniture, and jewellery, serving as a unique record of the tastes of British monarchs over the past 500 years. Unlike private collections, the Royal Collection is held in trust by the Sovereign for their successors and the nation, meaning it is not owned by the King as a private individual.
The collection is cared for by the Royal Collection Trust, a charity that manages the conservation, display, and loan of these items across official royal residences.
History & Founding
While royal collecting dates back centuries, the modern Royal Collection was largely formed following the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660. This resurgence occurred after the execution of King Charles I in 1649, during which most of the royal possessions were sold by order of Oliver Cromwell. The collection was subsequently rebuilt and expanded through the significant acquisitions of Frederick, Prince of Wales; George III; George IV; Queen Victoria and Prince Albert; and Queen Mary, consort of King George V. In 1987, the Royal Collection Trust was established as a new department to manage the collection, and a computerized inventory system was initiated in 1991 to catalog the vast holdings.
Buildings & Architecture
The collection is dispersed across 13 occupied and historic royal residences throughout the United Kingdom. Occupied residences include Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where the collection is integrated into the daily life of the monarchy. Former royal residences such as Hampton Court Palace, the Tower of London, Osborne House, and the Royal Pavilion in Brighton also house significant portions of the collection in their original historic settings.
The architecture of these venues varies from the medieval fortifications of the Tower of London to the neoclassical grandeur of Buckingham Palace, providing diverse contexts for the displayed artworks.
Collection Highlights & Notable Holdings
The collection is particularly renowned for its holdings of Western fine art, with more than 7,000 paintings that are considered among the most important assemblages in existence. It also boasts one of the greatest and most important collections of French furniture ever assembled, numbering over 300 items and featuring works by the greatest cabinet-makers. The Print Room holds an outstanding collection of Old Master Drawings, and the Royal Library and Archives contain extensive historical documents.
Additionally, the collection includes over 450,000 photographs and a significant archive of royal clothing, including Queen Victoria's 1840 wedding dress, which established the trend for white wedding gowns.
Significance & Public Access
The Royal Collection is significant not only for its sheer volume and quality but also because it reflects the individual tastes of kings, queens, and their families over five centuries, rather than aiming for a comprehensive chronological survey of art history. About 3,000 objects are currently on loan to museums worldwide, and the collection travels extensively through touring exhibitions. The Royal Collection Trust actively researches, displays, and publishes records to make the collection accessible, with over 300,000 object records available online.
Income from public visits to the royal palaces directly supports the conservation and sharing of these historic treasures.
Works from Royal Collection
Plan your visit
Royal Collection
- Website
- www.rct.uk