Elegance of the Edwardians on display at Buckingham Palace
The Edwardians: Age of Elegance, at the King's Gallery in Buckingham Palace, brings together more than 300 works from the Royal Collection that will be on display until November 23.
The centrepiece is the coronation gown Queen Alexandra wore on August 9, 1902, made of silk embroidered with thousands of gold sequins and designed by the French house Morin Blossier.
Alexandra, daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark and sister of King George I of Greece, married Edward, then Prince of Wales, on March 10, 1863, in the chapel of Windsor Castle.
She was 18 years old. He was 22.
Alexandra was to remain the princess of Wales for almost 40 years until Edward succeeded to the throne on the death of his mother, Queen Victoria, in 1901.
Under Edward VII began the Edwardian period.
The royal couple ushered in a new generation after the austere last years of Victoria's long reign, when she largely withdrew from public life, mourning the death of her beloved husband, Albert.
'Pure drama'
For her coronation as the new queen, Alexandra decided against wearing the traditional white or cream robes, which had an ecclesiastical feel.
'She wanted that moment to be a moment of pure drama,' said curator Kathryn Jones.
Realising that electric light was to be 'used for the first time in Westminster Abbey ... she chooses a gold fabric so that she shimmers with thousands of tiny spangles', Jones told AFP.
The dress is fragile and has not been on public display for some 30 years.
Conservators have spent more than 100 hours preparing it for the exhibition.
'It's a powerful example of Edward and Alexandra's attempts to balance tradition and modernity as they stood on the cusp of the 20th century—a shining moment of glamour before the world was at war,' Jones says on the exhibition's website.
Edward's gold coronation mantle is also on display, along with two thrones commissioned for the event.
Photography was still in its infancy but it allowed thousands of pictures of the new queen to be seen around the world, turning her into fashion icon and symbol of elegance of the times.
Alexandra was a keen amateur photographer herself and some of her snapshots taken with a portable Kodak camera are on display.
Two massive portraits of the couple greet visitors arriving at the King's Gallery.
One room depicts their lavish lifestyle through paintings of opulent receptions, concerts, regattas on the Isle of Wight, lavish costume balls, garden parties and their residences at Marlborough House in London and Sandringham in Norfolk.
As collectors, they amassed textiles, artworks, tableware, paintings, furniture, sculptures, plants, and rare books.
There is a copy of Oscar Wilde's Poems with a rare handwritten note by the author.
Edward also discovered a passion for Faberge and ordered several miniature figures of his favourite animals.
Visitors can admire paintings and water colours by such artists as Frederic Leighton, Lawrence Alma-Tadema and John Singer Sargent, as well as bronze sculptures by Alfred Gilbert.
Several rooms are dedicated to the royal couple's travels across five continents.
The exhibition also includes works collected by Alexandra and Edward's son, who became George V and was crowned in June 1911, with his wife Mary.
By then, times were changing, and instability and political turmoil roiled Europe and the British Empire.
The Age of the Edwardians was fast coming to an end. — AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
9 hours ago
- The Star
Singapore photographer Lui Hock Seng, who had his first solo exhibition at 81, dies at 88
SINGAPORE: Lui Hock Seng, a self-taught local photographer who found acclaim with his first exhibition at 81, died on Saturday (July 26) at the age of 88. He had been admitted to Tan Tock Seng Hospital for pneumonia, said his youngest son Roger Looi, 51, who confirmed his death. Lui was diagnosed with lymphoma, a cancer affecting the lymphatic system, in 2018. While he underwent chemotherapy at the time, doctors recently told the family that the cancer had spread. 'Photography was his life. It was in his blood. Wherever he went, he took along a camera,' said Looi, who had taken a few months' absence from his work in the oil and gas industry to care for his father. Lui, a widower, is survived by his three sons and two grandchildren. While Lui did not take up photography full-time, his wide-ranging oeuvre spanned streetscapes, portraits, nature, architecture and industry. He roamed the streets of Singapore in his free time, pursuing his passion for photography for about 60 years. His black-and-white photographs of the country, taken in the 1960s and 1970s, gained recognition in the past several years. His work recorded a Singapore that has long vanished, capturing images such as snake meat vendors in Chinatown, letter-writers for the illiterate and a boy drawing water from a well in a kampung. After a career as a mechanic, Lui worked as a cleaner. From 2012, he was employed at Singapore Press Holdings (now known as SPH Media), where his talent in photography was discovered. He left his job based at the local media company, which publishes The Straits Times, after he got cancer. Singaporean photographer Lui Hock Seng found acclaim and public recognition with his first solo photography exhibition when he was 81. - Photo: Ryan Chua An ST article profiling him in 2016 prompted two strangers who admired his work to come together to gain a wider audience for Lui. At that time, French expatriate Nicolas Genty, who was working as an engineer in the petrochemical industry, told ST that he was struck by a dramatic photograph of Ellenborough Market in Clarke Quay that had been taken by Lui in the 1960s, which accompanied the article. Genty later bought a print of the market from Lui, the first piece Lui had ever sold. Genty, himself an amateur photographer who has published a book of his work, e-mailed organisations that dealt with photography, including the non-profit centre for photography and film Objectifs, about Lui. Objectifs' outreach director Ryan Chua, 46, had also read the 2016 ST article when he received Genty's e-mail. Lui had his first solo photo exhibition in 2018 at Objectifs, which was curated by Chua. Titled Passing Time, it showcased black-and-white photographs of Singapore that Lui took in the 1960s and 1970s. His first photo book, bearing the same title, was subsequently published by Objectifs. Later that year, then Prime Minister Lee shared a BBC video of Lui in a Facebook post, saying it was clear that his passion for photography had not diminished, but grown stronger as he got older. He described Lui as 'a brilliant example of active ageing'. Objectifs has represented Lui's work since their first encounter and Chua told ST that he developed a friendship with Lui. Chua said: 'When I first saw his work, I was really impressed. I was like, wow, what a treasure trove. He is such a talented person and his work is very artistic – the composition, light and shadows are beautiful. I thought, how come nobody knows about him? 'He preserved a piece of history that the younger generation have not seen, and may not know about. For the older generation, it probably evoked the good old times.' Chua placed Lui in the tradition of salon photography. Salons, held around the world, are competitions in which photographers submit their best images to be judged and critiqued by experts. Lui picked up awards in several photography competitions over the years, and was accepted as an Associate of The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain in 1963. In 2016, he won third prize in the colour category in the Kampong Glam Community Club photography competition. Chua says Lui's work was also influenced by pictorialism, an international movement that dominated photography in the early 20th century. It generally refers to a style in which the photographer creates an aesthetic image, rather than documenting an otherwise straightforward photo. Chua said: 'He was very kind and down to earth, and so approachable and friendly. He was generous as well. When we passed him the earnings from sales of his work, he donated some money to us as a way of giving back.' Objectifs is a registered charity with Institution of a Public Character status. Chua said he was impressed by Lui's resilience, from training his left eye after suffering partial vision loss to having cancer to the death of his wife in recent years. In an accident at work when Lui was in his 40s, a metal splinter struck his right eye while he was repairing a car. He simply put his left eye to the camera instead. Chua said: 'Even though life had been difficult, he was always positive.' Lui became interested in photography as a teenager in the 1950s. A friend introduced him to the South-east Asia Photographic Society, where he honed his skills after becoming a member for a few years. The son of a tailor and a housewife, he spent decades working as a mechanic, his first job out of school. The third of six children, he could not afford a camera and could not pursue his interest until his eldest brother bought him a German-made Rolleiflex in his youth. In Lui's old age, he kept up with the times, using a digital camera and occasionally experimenting with Photoshop. When he was younger, he took on freelance photography jobs, taking pictures at weddings, dinners and funerals. He stopped at the age of 60 when he found the work too tiring. He told ST previously that he did not think he could make a living as a full-time photographer as he felt he would not have a stable income. Looi remembers his father as kind, humble, hardworking, soft-spoken and gentle. He said: 'He never showed off. He would just smile and say thank you when others commented on his work. He said, when you're kind to people, people will be kind to you in return.' While there were other small-scale showcases of Lui's work afterwards, Lui was glad that he got the chance to show the public his work through his first solo exhibition. Looi said: 'He told me he was very happy that his wish had come true.' - The Straits Times/ANN
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Three-Michelin-star Paris restaurant Arpege switches to plant-based dishes
View of tables and the decor at Arpege, the three-Michelin-starred restaurant of French chef Alain Passard, which serves an exclusively plant-based menu, in Paris, France, July 23, 2025. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes PARIS (Reuters) -French chef Alain Passard, known for his mastery of roasting techniques, has decided to drop almost all animal products from the menu at his three-Michelin-star restaurant, Arpege. The decision follows his earlier move to eliminate red meat from Arpege's dishes in the early 2000s. Passard's updated menu excludes meat, fish, and dairy, although honey sourced from the restaurant's own beehives will remain an exception. Passard said he was motivated by his passion for nature, adding that using seasonal vegetables would also reduce the restaurant's environmental impact. Passard, 68, rose to fame for his roasted dishes, including "poulet au foin", or chicken cooked in hay, but has since become a leader in Paris's growing vegetable-based dining scene. "Everything I was able to do with the animal will remain a wonderful memory," Passard told Reuters. "Today, I'm moving more towards a cuisine of emotion, a cuisine that I could describe as artistic. It's closer to painting and sewing... Today I'm a different chef." Arpege is the first restaurant with three Michelin stars in France to move to plant-based food, joining the ranks of Eleven Madison Park in New York, which made a similar transition under chef Daniel Humm. On the menu is a "mosaic" of tomatoes, flamed aubergine with melon confit, and a dish made up of carrot, onion, shallot and cabbage. The priciest set menu costs 420 euros ($493) and lunch costs 260 euros. Some countries have seen consumers turn away from meat in recent years. At the Paris Olympics last year, organisers set out to cut the amount of meat served to athletes and spectators. ($1 = 0.8526 euros) (Reporting by Noemie Olive and Lauren Bacquié, writing by Lauren Bacquié and Elizabeth Howcroft, Editing by Gabriel Stargardter and Louise Heavens)
Hype Malaysia
2 days ago
- Hype Malaysia
Maje's Qixi 2025 Capsule Collection Marries French Flair With Eastern Romance
We're loving it! Maje has introduced its Qixi 2025 Capsule for the Fall Winter season, a heartfelt tribute to the Chinese Qixi Festival interpreted through the maison's signature French style. This limited-edition collection tells a love story that bridges cultures, blending traditional Eastern symbolism with Parisian refinement. The collection explores a dreamy palette of soft pink and deep black, brought to life with delicate lace, sheer tulle, and exquisite floral embroidery. Inspired by the romance of a Provençal countryside picnic, each piece is filled with natural details like wildflowers and daisies. Every motif is crafted using traditional thread-by-thread embroidery techniques that echo the gentle charm of Southern France. Ethereal tulle skirts stand out with their three-dimensional blooms, capturing the feeling of love in motion. Every silhouette is light, romantic, and artfully composed, reflecting a cross-cultural celebration of emotion, artistry, and timeless beauty. With the Qixi 2025 Capsule, Maje offers more than fashion. It presents a poetic expression of love, where French craftsmanship carries Eastern sentiment through every thoughtful detail. The capsule is now available in Maje boutiques and online.
