Kings and queens may have been the centerpieces of the historic English monarchy, but they were always supported by an army of staff. Those workers are now the focus of an exhibition at London’s Kensington Palace, a longtime royal residence, that highlights the behind-the-scenes work of palace life—from wet nursing to ice chipping to rat killing.
“Untold Lives,” which focuses on the years between 1660 and 1830, tells these stories through an “unlikely collection of objects,” as the Telegraph’s Francesca Peacock writes. In one room, for example, visitors can view an ornate dress worn by Queen Charlotte—her only surviving gown—alongside a large, serrated saw. This tool was used in the 1700s by two women known as the “keepers of ice and snow,” Frances Talbot and Louisa Flint, who were tasked with cutting ice from rivers and ponds and preserving it for royals’ cold drinks and desserts.
The curators have also commissioned contemporary artworks to accompany the other items on view. For example, a photograph by artist Peter Brathwaite brings to life a Black trumpeter and courtier depicted in a painting in Kensington’s King’s Staircase. Additionally, a series of ceramic plates by artist Matt Smith tells the story of a gentleman usher who was dismissed from Queen Charlotte’s court after he was seen having sex with a young man in Hyde Park.
“Untold Lives” is on view at Kensington Palace in London through October 27, 2024.
Via The Smithsonian