Queen Victoria and her relationship with Hull are being showcased at a new exhibition in the city, featuring one of her most treasured gifts: an exquisite Jewel-Cabinet lent by His Majesty The King from the Royal Collection.
Celebrating the monarch’s links with Hull, including her visit to the city in 1854, the new exhibition – running from 21 October 2022 to 19 February 2023 – will reveal more about life in Victorian Hull.
Star attraction at the city’s Ferens Art Gallery will be Ludwig Grüner’s Jewel-Cabinet, the fourth of five works of art to go on display at Ferens Art Gallery as part of the Masterpieces in Focus from the Royal Collection series, an ongoing partnership with Royal Collection Trust.
A cherished gift from Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, the Jewel-Cabinet was an award-winning exhibit at the Great Exhibition of 1851, a celebration of Victorian advancement and cultural sophistication. Since that time, it has been cared for in the Royal Collection and remains a significant royal artefact.
Gilded on every surface, the Jewel-Cabinet is laden with portraits and medallions bearing the many faces of Queen Victoria’s family.
Now, it will take pride of place as part of the free exhibition, which will also offer a chance for visitors to see some of Hull’s favourite Victorian artworks.
It will feature artefacts from across the Ferens permanent collection, alongside Victorian costume, Queen Victoria’s throne and other local items from Hull Museum and Guildhall collections. Also on show will be King Edward I’s Royal Charter and Queen Victoria’s Letters Patent, on loan from Hull History Centre archives.
Ferens’ latest exhibition will give a new generation the opportunity to recognise Queen Victoria’s influence on the city, already celebrated in several local landmarks that took her name following her visit to the city, from The Queen’s Gardens and Victoria Dock to Queen Victoria’s Square.
More eccentric reminders of her links to the city include a right royal flush, where Victoria sits on the throne at Queen Victoria Square – where her regal statue sits above the public toilets.
And for a rose-tinted view, ar the city’s Royal Hotel – renamed after she visited in 1854 – the bedroom where she stayed and waved to the crowds below still has two remaining rose glass windows especially ordered for her visit.
As well as the exhibition, there will be family activities throughout the school holidays and a programme of adult talks and workshops.
To find out more about the exhibition, visit
For tourism information about visiting, and staying in, Hull see www.visithull.org
Photo: Ludwig Grüner, Jewel-Cabinet, 1851. Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2022
EDITOR’S NOTES
Royal Collection Trust, a department of the Royal Household, is responsible for the care of the Royal Collection and manages the public opening of the official residences of The King. Income generated from admissions and from associated commercial activities contributes directly to The Royal Collection Trust, a registered charity. The aims of The Trust are the care and conservation of the Royal Collection, and the promotion of access and enjoyment through exhibitions, publications, loans and educational programmes.
The Royal Collection is among the largest and most important art collections in the world, and one of the last great European royal collections to remain intact. It comprises almost all aspects of the fine and decorative arts, and is spread among some 15 royal residences and former residences across the UK, most of which are regularly open to the public. The Royal Collection is held in trust by the Sovereign for his successors and the nation, and is not owned by The King as a private individual.