Britain's Catherine picks fairy costume, Beatrix Potter for museum exhibit
A watercolour by beloved children's author Beatrix Potter and a fairy costume for a 1960 ballet are among the objects chosen by Britain's Princess Catherine for a display at an innovative British museum.
Catherine, the Princess of Wales also known as Kate, chose costumes, paintings and furniture from the V&A's large collection for her "mini display".
The princess's Makers and Creators display follows her visit to the museum's storehouse and new "on-demand" visitor attraction last month.
In a message from Kate, she wrote: "Objects can tell a story. A collection of objects can create a narrative, both about our past and as inspiration for the future."
"Individual, unique objects can come together to create a collective whole that helps us to explore our social and cultural experiences and the role we play in the wider tapestry of life."
Her selection of objects includes a blue-and-white Qing dynasty porcelain vase made between 1662 and 1722, a costume for the Fairy of the Woodland Glade by the designer Oliver Messel for the Royal Ballet's 1960 production of The Sleeping Beauty a nd a watercolour painting of a forest glade by Potter.
Other items highlight a handmade quilt from Wales dating from 1830 to 1840 and a 15th century earthenware tile from the southern country of Somerset.
The mini display celebrates past creators and shows "how historic objects can influence fashion, design, film, art, and creativity today," said the V&A.
It also mirrors Kate's love of nature, and interest in nurturing educational development in young children.
Visitors will be able to examine the objects up close by using the free Order an Object service.
Members of the public can select items on the museum's online catalogue and book an appointment to spend time with the objects with the help of a museum staff member.
One fifth of the museum's total collection is available to be viewed and enjoyed in the four-storey building on the former site of the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Catherine's display will be available for viewing at the V&A East Storehouse until early 2026. - AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Stella Rimington, first woman to lead UK's MI5 dies at 90
LONDON: Stella Rimington, the first woman to head the UK's domestic secret service MI5, has died at the age of 90, the spy agency announced on Monday. Rimington, who led MI5 from 1992 to 1996, was widely believed to be the inspiration behind the female role of M in the James Bond movies, played by UK star Judi Dench. She was the first director general of the intelligence service who was publicly named, as before Rimington's appointment in 1992, MI5 chiefs were never officially identified or photographed. Publication of her identity caused a press frenzy. "As the first avowed female head of any intelligence agency in the world, Dame Stella broke through long-standing barriers and was a visible example of the importance of diversity in leadership," the current MI5 director general Ken McCallum said in a statement. "Her leadership ushered in a new era of openness and transparency about the work MI5 does to keep this country safe, a legacy that continues to this day." MCallum presented his condolences to Rimington's husband, two daughters, and her whole family after her death on Sunday. In a statement, her family said: "She died surrounded by her beloved family and dogs and determinedly held on to the life she loved until her last breath." Born on May 13, 1935, in the southern London district of South Norwood, Rimington was first employed as a part-time typist at the British embassy in Delhi, having accompanied her diplomat husband to India. She then joined MI5 in a full-time post in 1969. Dubbed the "housewife superspy", the agency said Rimington had held various roles including in counter-subversion, counter-espionage and counter-terrorism. During her time as director general, the agency "underwent far-reaching transformation", the statement said. It also moved its headquarters and "instituted a policy of greater public openness to demystify the work of MI5, including beginning a programme of releasing MI5 files to The National Archives." But Rimington triggered controversy when she published her memoirs "Open Secret" in 2001 after her retirement, with some accusing her of treason and MI5 of trying to block the publication. "It was quite upsetting because suddenly you go from being an insider to being an outsider and that's quite a shock," she told The Guardian daily newspaper at the time. But she added: "I've never been one to retreat at the first whiff of gunshot." Another woman, Eliza Manningham-Butler, took up the helm of MI5 between 2002-2007. And Blaise Metreweli was named in June as the first female head of the UK's overseas spy service MI6.
The Sun
8 hours ago
- The Sun
Stella Rimington, Britain's first female spy chief, dies at 90
LONDON: Stella Rimington, the first female director general of Britain's MI5 security and counter-intelligence service who ushered in an era of greater transparency at the agency, has died aged 90. Rimington, who ran the domestic security agency between 1992 and 1996, was its first head to be publicly named and later wrote a memoir 'Open Secret' about her career at the formerly secretive organisation. She went on to write a series of espionage novels and is also widely thought to have inspired actor Judy Dench's tough but playful characterisation of the fictional spymaster 'M' in several James Bond movies. 'She died surrounded by her beloved family and dogs and determinedly held on to the life she loved until her last breath,' a family statement quoted by local media said. Rimington was given one of the British state's highest honours when she was made a dame in 1996. She joined MI5 in 1969 and worked in roles including counter-subversion and counter-terrorism. Under her leadership MI5 took a more prominent role in Britain's fight against Irish republican militants, according to a profile on the MI5 website. 'As the first avowed female head of any intelligence agency in the world, Dame Stella broke through long-standing barriers and was a visible example of the importance of diversity in leadership,' current MI5 Director General Ken McCallum said in a statement. She committed the agency to a more transparent approach to its work, softening its post-Cold War image. 'We are, of course, obliged to keep information secret in order to be effective, this is not to say that we should necessarily be a wholly secret organisation,' she said in a publicly broadcast 1994 lecture. 'Secrecy is not imposed for its own sake. It is not an end in itself.' Foreshadowing her later literary career, Rimington opened that same speech with a nod to the British spy novel tradition and the fascination with the security services it had inspired among the general public. 'It is exciting stuff and has led to the creation of many myths - and some lurid speculation - about our work. I must admit that it is with some hesitation that I set out tonight to shed some daylight,' she said. 'I have a sneaking feeling that the fiction may turn out to be more fun than the reality.' - Reuters
The Star
14 hours ago
- The Star
Stella Rimington, Britain's first female spy chief, dies aged 90
LONDON (Reuters) -Stella Rimington, the first female director general of Britain's MI5 security and counter-intelligence service who ushered in an era of greater transparency at the agency, has died aged 90. Rimington, who ran the domestic security agency between 1992 and 1996, was its first head to be publicly named and later wrote a memoir "Open Secret" about her career at the formerly secretive organisation. She went on to write a series of espionage novels and is also widely thought to have inspired actor Judy Dench's tough but playful characterisation of the fictional spymaster 'M' in several James Bond movies. "She died surrounded by her beloved family and dogs and determinedly held on to the life she loved until her last breath," a family statement quoted by local media said. Rimington was given one of the British state's highest honours when she was made a dame in 1996. She joined MI5 in 1969 and worked in roles including counter-subversion and counter-terrorism. Under her leadership MI5 took a more prominent role in Britain's fight against Irish republican militants, according to a profile on the MI5 website. "As the first avowed female head of any intelligence agency in the world, Dame Stella broke through long-standing barriers and was a visible example of the importance of diversity in leadership," current MI5 Director General Ken McCallum said in a statement. She committed the agency to a more transparent approach to its work, softening its post-Cold War image. "We are, of course, obliged to keep information secret in order to be effective, this is not to say that we should necessarily be a wholly secret organisation," she said in a publicly broadcast 1994 lecture. "Secrecy is not imposed for its own sake. It is not an end in itself." Foreshadowing her later literary career, Rimington opened that same speech with a nod to the British spy novel tradition and the fascination with the security services it had inspired among the general public. "It is exciting stuff and has led to the creation of many myths - and some lurid speculation - about our work. I must admit that it is with some hesitation that I set out tonight to shed some daylight," she said. "I have a sneaking feeling that the fiction may turn out to be more fun than the reality." (Reporting by William James; Editing by Sandra Maler)
