Helen Larson Collection, Royal Items
Combination of known and unknown makers
- Art Funded
- 2018
- Vendor
- Estate of Helen Larson
This rare collection of items of dress associated with Queen Victoria and her family has been acquired by Historic Royal Palaces (HRP), custodians of Kensington Palace, the Tower of London and other royal homes.
The items come from the extensive holdings gathered by the Californian fashion collector Helen Larson, who died in 1998.
Among the most significant pieces in the acquisition is an iconic black day ensemble (c1900) worn by Queen Victoria. A number of her hats, shoes and stockings are also included, as are items worn by her children (c1840-50). Also in the collection is a linen bodice (c1898-1900) worn by Queen Alexandra when Princess of Wales.
As Kensington Palace is the childhood home of Queen Victoria, HRP has a special interest in artefacts associated with the monarch. These clothes and other items now enter its Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection and will appear in a rotating display on Queen Victoria’s life at Kensington Palace, as well as in a special exhibition planned for 2019 to mark the bicentenary of her birth.
Provenance
The Helen Larson Collection.