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This Week in London – Buckingham Palace’s Picture Gallery redisplayed; ‘Henry VIII’s Joust’ at Hampton Court Palace; and, Paul Sarrut’s images of World War I…

by exploringlondon
The Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace has undergone a once-in-a-generation redisplay and opens to the public as part of the palace’s summer opening today. PICTURE: © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2026/Royal Collection Trust – Ben Fitzpatrick

• Some 120 masterpieces from the Royal Collection – including paintings by Rubens, Caravaggio and Zoffany – have gone on display in Buckingham Palace’s Picture Gallery in a major transformation of the storied room. The new presentation, which almost doubles the number of works on show, comes as the palace’s State Rooms open to visitors for summer. Highlights of the redisplay, which took some 875 hours to complete, include Johan Zoffany’s The Tribuna of Uffizi which depicts the famed Florentine gallery with works by Holbein, Rubens and Raphael all identifiable, as well as George Stubbs’ A Rough Dog, believed to show King George IV’s pet dog, Thomas Gainsborough’s portrait of Johann Christian Fischer, not believed to have been hung in the gallery display before. Other new works include The Letter by Vermeer contemporary Gerard ter Borch, and Caravaggio’s The Calling for Saints Peter and Andrew while five paintings by Rembrandt have now been hung together and seven works by Rubens have been reunited. The gallery was created during the John Nash-designed redevelopment of what had been Buckingham House into Buckingham Palace and while King George IV died before its completion, the first arrangement was hung by the time Queen Victoria acceded to the throne in 1837. Open until 27th September. Admission charge applies. For more, see www.rct.uk.

• See jousting amid the drama of the Tudor court at Hampton Court Palace over the next two weekends. ‘Henry VIII’s joust’ will take visitors back to 1526 when they can watch knights clash on horseback while tensions build as it’s discovered Anne Boleyn has not been formally invited to the event. The family friendly event, which is taking place over the weekends of 11th and 12th July and 18th and 19th July, is included in general admission to the palace. For more, see https://www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/.

• The first ever UK exhibition dedicated to the work of World War I French liaison officer and interpreter Paul Sarrut has opened at the National Army Museum in Chelsea. Drawn on the Western Front: Paul Sarrut and the Indian Army features more than 50 drawings and works on paper exploring the experiences of some of the more than a million Indian men who volunteered to serve in the British Indian Army during the war. The display features Sarrut’s famous image of Sepoy Harnam Singh as well as also uniforms, photographs, archives and medals. The latter include Victoria Crosses awarded to Frank de Pass, the first Jewish recipient, and Khudadad Khan, the first Muslim and first soldier from the Indian subcontinent to receive the award. Free to enter. Runs until 27th February, 2027. For more, see https://www.nam.ac.uk.

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This Week in London – America’s 250th at the British Museum; Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller’s landscapes; and, ‘rival queens’ at the Foundling Museum…

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Washington Peace Medal PICTURE © The Trustees of the British Museum

• The Washington Peace Medal, engraved to bear a portrait of George Washington by Paul Revere in 1777, is at the heart of a new exhibition at the British Museum marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Declaring independence: USA 250 also features a ceremonial copy of the Declaration of Independence, handwritten in sheepskin and on loan from the West Sussex Record Office, known as the Sussex Declaration (it will be added halfway through the display’s run), a wampum belt representing the diplomacy between the Lenape people and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy in 1712 (the Lenape later signed the Treaty of Fort Pitt in 1778 with the Revolutionaries in what was the first formal treaty between an Indigenous Nation and the United States), and a pipe tomahawk given to Thayendanegea (Joseph Brant), a Mohawk, Haudenosaunee leader, which represents the Mohawk alliance with the British. The free display can be seen in Room 3 until 29th November. For more, see www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/declaring-independence-usa-250.

• The first UK exhibition of the works of Austrian painter Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller (1793-1865) – and the first to be devoted solely to his landscapes – opens at the National Gallery today. Waldmüller: Landscapes features about 14 works including landscapes depicting scenes in the Prater, Vienna’s famous park, the Alpine region near Salzburg in Austria known as the Salzkammergut, views of Sicily, and later works such as Early Spring in the Vienna Woods (1861). Waldmüller, who was trained at the Academy in Vienna, visited London in 1856, bringing with him 34 works which were sold at auction following a private audience with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, each of whom bought one. The exhibition in Room 1, which has been organised in cooperation with the Belvedere, Vienna, runs until 20th September. Admission is free. For more, see www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/waldmüller-landscapes.

• A new display celebrating 300 years since the debut of two operas by George Frideric Handel in London – Alessandro and Scipione – is running at the Foundling Museum in Bloomsbury. 300 Years of the ‘Rival Queens’: Handel’s 1726 Opera Season focuses on Italian soprano Faustina Bordoni and her rival Francesca Cuzzoni and how Handel carefully composed operas with two equally important roles to suit both singers, known as the ‘rival queens’. Admission charge applies. Runs until 25th October. For more, see https://foundlingmuseum.org.uk/event/handels-1726-opera-season/

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This Week in London – Documents from the American Revolution; Frida Kahlo’s impact; and, ‘Mirror Moon’ at the Royal Observatory…

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• Some of the most significant letters, papers, maps and documents of the period of the American Revolution have gone on display at the National Archives in Kew. Revolution 250: America’s Independence Story (1763-1783) features a rare Dunlap print of the declaration itself as well as the Tea Act, which ultimately led to the Boston Tea Party, a British officer’s account of the tea party event and the ‘Olive Branch petition’ sent to King George III from representatives of the 13 colonies in what represented a last attempt to avoid war. Also on show are King George III’s Proclamation of Rebellion declaring that the 13 colonies were in revolt and the Treaty of Paris in which Britain accepted American independence. Admission charge applies. For more, see www.nationalarchives.gov.uk.

‘Untitled [Self-portrait with thorn necklace and hummingbird]’ (1940). Nickolas Muray. Collection of Mexican Art.

• The first major exhibition exploring how artist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) became a global icon and a key influence on later artists has opened at Tate Modern. Frida: The Making of an Icon, developed in collaboration with the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, features more than 30 works by Kahlo including rarely seen self-portraits such as Self-Portrait (With Velvet Dress) (1926) as well as photographs and personal artefacts. Other highlights include Diego and Frida (1929), Survivor (1938), Memory (The Heart) (1937), Girl With A Death Mask (1938) and My Dress Hangs There (1933-38). Runs until 3rd January. Admission charge applies. For more, see https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/frida-kahlo-the-making-of-an-icon.

• Luke Jerram’s Mirror Moon is on display at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich in a celebration of 350 years of studying the Moon from the site. The scale model, two metres in diameter, is made from mirrored stainless steel and draws on highly accurate topographical NASA data of the lunar surface. For more, see www.rmg.co.uk/royal-observatory/attractions/mirror-moon

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This Week in London – Sir Lawrence Olivier honoured with a Blue Plaque; Anne Boleyn at the Tower; and the Elfin Oak restored…

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• Sir Lawrence Olivier, one of the finest actors of the 20th century, has been honoured with an English Heritage Blue Plaque at his childhood home in Pimlico. The plaque, which was unveiled by Sir Ian McKellen, has ben placed on 22 Lupus Street where Olivier lived from ages six to 11 and where he first began taking steps toward the acting career that would make him famous, creating a makeshift stage and performing songs, dances and dramatic sketches for hours at a time. Olivier, whose father served as curate at nearby St Saviour’s Church, attended All Saints School in St Margaret’s Street during this time and it was there that actress Ellen Terry saw his talent and declared that even at the age of 10, he was already a great actor. Olivier would, of course, go on to be a star of the stage before becoming a Hollywood icon and, later, the first director of the National Theatre of Great Britain. For more, see www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/.

PICTURE: Juhi Sewchurran/Unsplash

• The Tower of London is preparing for the coronation of Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII, in the 1530s. Pop-up performances are taking place at the Tower until 14th August which put visitors right in the thick of the action. Anne herself will be seen at the Tower from 25th July when visitors will have the chance to ask her a question and take a selfie with her. Admission charges apply. For more, see www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/

• The famous Elfin Oak in Kensington Gardens has been given something of a facelift with 97 of the figurines which adorn the tree being restored. The Elfin Oak was first unveiled in 1930. A mature oak, brought from Richmond Park, children’s book illustrator Ivor Innes had carved miniature figurines around the natural features the tree. As well as restoring the figures, the recent project also included work to improve visibility of the tree through the protective fencing. For more, see www.royalparks.org.uk/visit/parks/kensington-gardens.

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This Week in London – American independence documents; 120 years of the Piccadilly Line and Food Season at the British Library…

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The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. PICTURE: Phil Lev/Unsplash

• One of the earliest British reports of American independence is at the heart of a temporary display at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. Opening on Monday, the display – which marks the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on 4th July – features a letter dated 10th July, 1776, and a handwritten copy of the Declaration made between 5th and 10th July, 1776, which were sent to John Mantagu, 4th Early of Sandwich and First Lord of the Admiralty by Vice-Admiral Molyneux Shuldham, commander-in-chief of the North American Station. The documents are believed to be the first written accounts of American Independence to reach Britain and pre-date the first known arrival of a copy of the Declaration of the Continental Congress, known as the Dunlap Broadside, in August the same year. The documents will be on display in the Caird Library. Admission is free but requires a ticket. To register in advance, head to rchiveandlibrary.rmg.co.uk/aeon.

• A season of events to celebrate 120 years of the Piccadilly Line is taking place over the next few months at the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden. The events include a creative workshop on Saturday in which participants can take inspiration from the line to create a unique textile artwork, a talk featuring railway historian and broadcaster Tim Dunn on 22nd August and the chance to go behind the scenes at the Museum Depot open days in September. For more, see www.ltmuseum.co.uk.

• The British Library’s annual Food Season, now in its seventh year, kicks off on Saturday with the Food Season Big Weekend, a two day celebration featuring talks, tastings and live events. Among those appearing over the weekend are River Café co-founder Ruthie Rogers and culinary icon and actor Simon Russell Beale who is looking at the role of food in Shakespeare. The season runs until 2nd July. Others involved include food critic Jay Rayner chairing a discussion on chef Anthony Bourdain’s legacy, classicist Mary Beard and writer Charlotte Higgins exploring the food culture of ancient Pompeii and long-time friends and cultural icons Neneh Cherry and Andi Oliver reflecting on four decades of their shared life across music, food and family. Admission charges apply. For the full programme, head to https://events.bl.uk/whats-on/food-season.

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This Week in London – William Tyndale’s New Testament; Marilyn Monroe portraits; and, the Great Exhibition Road Festival…

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PICTURE: Alex Tai/Unsplash

• The 500 year story of one of the smallest yet most revolutionary books in English history is being told at St Paul’s Cathedral. A Dangerous Calling: 500 Years of William Tyndale’s New Testament, which opens tomorrow, provides a rare chance for visitors to see a first edition of Tyndale’s translation up close in the cathedral library (one of only three in existence) as well as access to a new digitised version on the cathedral floor. The exhibition can be seen until 27th February. Admission charge applies. For more, see www.stpauls.co.uk/whats-on/exhibition-dangerous-calling-500-years-of-william-tyndales-new-testament

• Marilyn Monroe’s life, career and legacy is the subject of a new exhibition which opened at the National Portrait Gallery this week. Marking 100 years since her birth, Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait features works by the likes of Andy Warhol, Pauline Boty, Cecil Beaton and Richard Avedon. There’s also unseen photographs portraits taken by Allan Grant at Monroe’s Brentwood residence a day before her death in August, 1962, in a session for Life magazine. The display can be seen until 6th September. Admission charge applies. For more, see www.npg.org.uk/whatson/exhibitions/2026/marilyn-monroe-a-portrait

• The Great Exhibition Road Festival kicks off in South Kensington this weekend, marking 175 years since the 1881 Great Exhibition. The event features workshops, talks, performances and installations with organisations ranging from the Natural History Museum and Science Museum taking part along with Imperial College London, the Royal Parks, the V&A and Royal Albert Hall. For more on the festival, head to https://www.greatexhibitionroadfestival.co.uk/.

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This Week in London – Lost music venues; the Iraq war remembered; and, ‘Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style’ extended…

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• Lost UK music venues are recalled in a new exhibition opening at the V&A in South Kensington on Saturday. Lost Music Venues features more than 100 objects celebrating 50 lost venues and includes gig posters, membership cards, club photography, band merch, and subculture fashions which have been gathered together following a call to the public. Highlights include handwritten Oasis lyrics, a Blur set list, Mark Webber’s briefcase from his stint as Pulp’s tour manager, the exterior sign from the Astoria London, Joan Baez’s note of support for Rainbow Theatre, a poster for an early Banksy exhibition held at The Arches, a bespoke club outfit designed by Vivienne Westwood, and flyers from Plastic People. Free to visit, the display can be seen until 30th October, 2027. For more, see vam.ac.uk.

• Marking the 15th anniversary of the end of the war in Iraq, a Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicle will go on display outside the National Army Museum from next Tuesday to Sunday, 14th June. The vehicle has been recently decommissioned after more than 40 years of Army service and was present during operations in Iraq in 2004. It was almost certainly the vehicle in which then-Private Johnson Beharry earned the Victoria Cross for two separate acts of bravery under sustained enemy attack. Now Warrant Officer Class 1, Beharry became the first living British soldier in 35 years to be awarded the Victoria Cross for his heroic actions in saving the lives of his comrades during ambushes in Iraq. In the first, after his platoon commander was wounded in an attack on 1st May, 2004, Beharry took control of a Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicle and, despite being severely injured, he led his patrol to safety under heavy machine-gun fire from the enemy. In the second incident on 11th June, 2004, Beharry, who sustained a severe head injury when a rocket-propelled grenade detonated just six inches from his head, still managed to drive his vehicle out of danger and saved the lives of those around him before losing consciousness. Beharry’s Victoria Cross will be among the first medals from Lord Ashcroft’s collection of Victoria Crosses and George Crosses to go on display inside the museum from 2nd June. His Iraq Medal and Kosovo Medal will also be on display. For more, see https://www.nam.ac.uk/.

• Buckingham Palace have announced the landmark centenary exhibition at the King’s Gallery marking the centenary of the late Queen’s birth – Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style – will be extended by six months due to popular demand. The exhibition, which will now close on 18th April next year, is the largest exhibition of Queen Elizabeth II’s fashion ever staged featuring more than 300 items drawn from her personal fashion archive. Admission charge applies. For more, see www.rct.uk/queenelizabeth. 

LondonLife Special – The Chelsea Flower Show…

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A gallery of some of the highlights of this year’s Chelsea Flower Show which runs until tomorrow at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. To see all the medal winners, head to www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show/awards-2026

‘She Grows Veg’. The Great Pavilion. PICTURE: RHS Chelsea Fower Show 2026.
The Campaign to Protect Rural England’s show garden ‘On the Edge’ – designed by Sarah Eberle. PICTURE: RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026.
Tokonoma Garden – Sanumaya no Niwa – designed by Kazuyuki Ishihara and Paul Noritaka Tange. Show Garden. PICTURE: RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026.
Lovehoney presents: Aphrodite’s Hothouse. Designed by James Whiting of Plants by There. Houseplant Studio. PICTURE: RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026.
Chlorophyll: The Colour of Life. Created by Acacia Creative Studio. Creative Space. PICTURE: RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026.
Saatchi Gallery Garden. Designed by Naomi Ferrett-Cohen. Showground installation. PICTURE: RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026.

This Week in London – Dinosaurs that ruled the seas; James McNeill Whistler; and, Lambeth Palace Garden…

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A mososaur skull. PICTURE: Trustees of the Natural History Museum.

• Come face-to-face with some of the deadliest predators ever to rule the oceans in a new exhibition at the Natural History Museum in South Kensington. Opening tomorrow, Jurassic Oceans: Monsters of the Deep allows visitors to see the tooth of a mosasaur – described as the T Rex of the sea – up close, touch a cast of a Baryonyx claw and see a complete plesiosaur. There’s also the chance to hold Jurassic poo and take part in the Fierce Factor trail in a bid to find out which creature deserves to be crowned the most ferocious predator in the sea. Admission charge applies. For more, see www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/exhibitions/jurassic-oceans.html .

James McNeill Whistler,
Arrangement in Gray: Portrait of the Painter, c 1872, oil on canvas. Detroit Institute of Arts, Bequest of Henry
Glover Stevens in memory of Ellen P Stevens and Mary M Stevens,
34.27.

• Europe’s largest retrospective of the works of American artist James McNeill Whistler in 30 years opened at Tate Britain in Millbank today. James McNeill Whistler brings together 150 works ranging from the iconic Portrait of the Artist’s Mother, four major self-portraits from across his career and previously unseen sketchbooks. Other highlights include his largest landscapes such as Coast of Brittany (1861) and Wapping (1860-4) and the largest assembly of his Nocturne landscapes seen in three decades, such as Nocturne in Blue and God: Valparaiso (1865-74) and Nocturne: Blue and Gold – St Mark’s, Venice (1880). Runs until 27th September. Admission charge applies. For more, see www.tate.org.uk.

• The story of London’s continuously cultivated gardens – Lambeth Palace Garden – is being told in a new exhibition at Lambeth Palace Library. Over the wall charts the garden from its origins in medieval orchards to today’s landscapes and displays items from the library’s collections connected to that ongoing story. Entry is free. Runs until 22nd July. There’s a special Lambeth Palace Garden open evening being held tonight – prebooking is essential. For more, see www.lambethpalacelibrary.info/exhibitions/over-the-wall/.

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LondonLife – The State Opening of Parliament…

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King Charles III and Queen Camilla attended the State Opening of Parliament last Wednesday.

The King and Queen, in the Irish State Coach, move across the Tilt Yard of Horse Guards to the Palace of Westminster for the State Opening of Parliament. PICTURE: PO Phot Rory Arnold/UK MOD © Crown copyright 2026
The band of the Grenadier Guards at the Palace of Westminster for the State Opening of Parliament. PICTURE: SSgt Donald C Todd/UK MOD © Crown copyright 2026
King Charles III in the Irish State Coach during the State Opening of Parliament. PICTURE: SSgt Donald C Todd/UK MOD © Crown copyright 2026
Staircase lining party made up of the Household Cavalry, at the Sovereign’s Entrance of the Palace of Westminster during the State Opening of Parliament today. PICTURE: SSgt Donald C Todd/UK MOD © Crown copyright 2026

This Week in London -Courtauld carpet returns to Eltham; art from Asia-Pacific; London broadsides; and, a Blue Plaque for a ground-breaking astronomer…

by exploringlondon

• An antique Chinese carpet which originally was part of furnishings at Eltham Palace has returned home after 80 years. The carpet, dyed in the “dynastic blue” of the Qing dynasty and featuring symbols including dragons, Buddhist emblems and masks, represents the demand for the Chinese decorative arts in the 1920s and 1930s and serves as a reminder of how Chinese art was produced, circulated, and displayed in Britain. The carpet, donated from the estate of Mrs M R Bernard – the niece of former palace owner Stephen Courtauld, has undergone extensive conservation work. It can be seen in what was Virginia Courtauld’s boudoir. Eccentric millionaires Stephen and Virginia Courtauld built a magnificent art deco mansion right next to the medieval Great Hall of Eltham Palace in 1936 but moved out in 1944 and passed the lease to the Army Educational Corps. Over the ensuing decades many of the original items in the palace were dispersed but English Heritage, which took over management of the palace in 1995, has been working to restore the interiors back to when the Courtaulds lived in them. Other original items which have returned to the palace in recent history including a gold telephone and a pair of Cartier brooches. Admission charge applies. For more, see www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/eltham-palace-and-gardens/.

Pala Pothupitiye / Kalutara Fort, 2020–21 / Purchased 2021 with funds from Professor Emeritus Ian O’Connor AC and Anna Reynolds through the QAGOMA Foundation / Collection: QAGOMA, Brisbane/© Pala Pothupitiye

• The works of more than 40 artists from 25 countries across the Asia Pacific region are going on show at the V&A in South Kensington. Rising Voices: Contemporary Art from Asia, Australia and the Pacific, to be held in The Porter Gallery, is being held in partnership with Australia’s Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art. Highlights include: Mchael Parekōwhat’s life-sized sculpture of a Mãori security guard, Kapa Haka (Whero) (2003); Pala Pothupitiye’s Kalutara Fort (2020-21) – a reimagined map of an historic Sri Lanka military camp; Brenda Fajardo, Elisabet Kauage, Mathias Kauage and John Siune’s There is still a war going on in Bougainville (1995) which responds to Papua New Guinea’s Bougainville conflict between 1988-98; and, a series of porcelain busts by Ah Xian. The exhibition opens on Saturday and runs until 10th January. Admission charge applies. For more, see https://www.vam.ac.uk/.

• The role broadsides played in spreading news, advice and gossip in London from the 16th century onwards is the subject of a new exhibition at the Guildhall Library. Broadsides: Speaking to the People explores the history of broadsides and how they were used to speak to the general public, high and low alike. Free to see. Runs until 29th October. For more, see www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/events/exhibition-broadsides-speaking-to-the-people.

• Ground-breaking astronomer Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin has been honoured with an English Heritage Blue Plaque at the home in Notting Hill where she lived as a teenager. The plaque at 70 Lansdowne Road marks where Payne-Gaposchkin’s journey towards expanding our understanding of space began. Payne-Gaposchkin earned a doctorate in astronomy from Harvard after moving to the US. Her groundbreaking 1925 thesis proposed that stars are composed primarily of hydrogen and helium, a discovery that fundamentally changed scientific understanding of the universe, and in 1927, she became the youngest astronomer ever to have a star of distinction next to her name in the publication American Men of Science. For more, see www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/.

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This Week in London – Henry Moore at Kew; The National Gallery expands online offering; and, Churchill’s paintings…

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• The largest outdoor exhibition of the art of Henry Moore – including a series of monumental sculptures – goes on display at Kew Gardens this Saturday. Henry Moore: Monumental Nature features 30 of Moore’s work placed across Kew’s landscapes and inside the Temperate House along with more than 90 smaller works on show in the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art. Among the large sculptural works on show will be Large Two Forms, Oval with Points, Reclining Woman: Elbow, Locking Piece and Three Piece Sculpture: Vertebrae while the smaller works include bronzes as well as stone and wood carvings, prints and drawings. Meanwhile, from 5th June Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex is hosting a parallel exhibition of four more of Moore’s sculptures shown alongside newly commissioned pieces from contemporary artists. Both displays can be seen until 27th September. Admission charge applies. For more, see www.kew.org/kew-gardens.

• The entire collection of The National Gallery can be seen in a new online tour. The new Google Arts & Culture tour shows the 2024–25 Bicentenary redisplays of the whole collection, CC Land: The Wonder of Art. There’s also a highlights tour covering seven rooms which focuses on specific paintings including Jan Van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait, Sebastiano del Piombo’s The Raising of Lazarus, Johannes Vermeer’s A Young Woman Standing at a Virginal, Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun’s Self Portrait in a Straw Hat, Edouard Manet’s portrait of the artist Eva Gonzalès, Sir Thomas Lawrence’s The Red Boy and Claude Monet’s The Water-Lily Pond. The Google Arts & Culture National Gallery Complete Tour can be found at www.nationalgallery.org.uk/visiting/virtual-tours/google-street-view-virtual-tour, and the The Google Arts & Culture National Gallery Highlights Tour at www.nationalgallery.org.uk/stories/virtual-curated-tour.

• Now On: Winston Churchill: The Painter. The first major retrospective of Sir Winston Churchill’s paintings since his death, this display at the Wallace Collection brings together 50 of his works, more than half from private collections. As well as wartime scenes and Mediterranean views, they include still lives, portraits, Moroccan cityscapes and paintings of Churchill’s home of Chartwell. Runs until 29th November. Admission is free. For more, see www.wallacecollection.org/whats-on/exhibitions-displays/winston-churchill-the-painter/

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A Moment in London’s History…London Zoo is founded…

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PICTURE: Richard Cook/Unsplash

The origins of the modern ZSL London Zoo go back 200 years to the founding of the London Zoological Society by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles on 29th April, 1826.

While the idea of a zoo had been debated for some years, it was the death of Chunee the bull elephant at Cross’s Menagerie in the Exeter Exchange on the Strand that is said to have been the catalyst for immediate action.

Chunee, who’d been kept in an enclosure at the menagerie for six years, had been put down by a firing squad of soldiers after, having become aggressive during musth (a natural condition in adult male elephants which sees them experience a massive surge of testosterone and is often characterised by erratic behaviour), had injured one of his keepers and killed another. The soldiers, acting on the wishes of the menagerie’s proprietor Edward Cross, had fired 152 musketballs into the elephant but still had to finish him off with a harpoon.

Such was the outrage at this tragic event, that Raffles, famous for having established a trading post at Singapore, moved to to found the society.

Sir Thomas obtained land for the zoo in Regent’s Park before his death on 5th July that year (his birthday) but it was his successor, Whig politician Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne, who oversaw the construction of the zoo’s first animal houses drawing on the services of architect Decimus Burton.

The zoo opened to fellows of the society on 27th April, 1828, permitting them to study the animals. It was granted a Royal Charter by King George IV in 1829. In 1831, animals held in the Tower of London’s menagerie were transferred to the zoo.

It wasn’t until 1847 that it opened to the public in a plan aimed at raising funds for its upkeep.

Initial animals at the zoo included monkeys, bears, kangaroos and zebras – naturalist Charles Darwin was among those who visited in the early years and was fascinated by an ape named Jenny.

While it wasn’t the first zoo in the world (but was the world’s first scientific zoo), it was later responsible for numerous world firsts with the first reptile house opening in 1849, the first public aquarium in 1853 and the first insect house in 1881. In 1850, Obaysch, the first hippo in Europe since Roman times, came to live at the zoo.

Others among the more famous animals housed at the zoo were the African elephant Jumbo who arrived in 1865, the Black bear Winnie who was part of the inspiration for Winnie-the-Pooh, and Guy the Gorilla who arrived in 1947.

Larger animals were moved out to Whipsnade Zoo, the world’s first open-air zoo, in Bedfordshire in 1931.

This Week in London – Zurbarán at the National Gallery; documents to mark the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence; and, NIGO at the Design Museum…

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The Body of Saint Bonaventure, about 1629; Oil on canvas, 245 × 220 cm; Musée du Louvre, Paris © GrandPalaisRmn (musée du Louvre)/Franck Raux

• The work of 17th century Spanish painter Francisco de Zurbarán is the subject of a new exhibition opening at the National Gallery this weekend. Zurbarán, the first major monographic exhibition on his work in the UK, features almost 50 paintings spanning the breadth of his career. They include life-size depictions of saints, altarpieces and still lifes such as Saint Bonaventure on His Bier, Saint Apollonia, The Crucifixion, The Crucified Chrisr with a Painter and Still Life with Lemons, Oranges and a Rose. Zurbarán (1598-1664) spent most of his life in Seville and, along with Diego Velázquez and Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, is considered one of the leading Spanish artists of his era. Runs until 23rd August. Admission charge applies. The exhibition will travel on to the Musée du Louvre and then the Art Institute of Chicago. For more, see www.nationalgallery.org.uk.

• Rare documents related to the signing of the Declaration of Independence in the US are going on display in the City of London Heritage Gallery. The display, which marks the 250th anniversary of the signing, features two letters, dated 1775, which were sent to the City of London from the General Committee of Association of the City and County of New York and the Congress in Philadelphia along with a silk bookmark commemorating the assassination of Abraham Lincoln on 14th April, 1865, and the Roll of Fame recording the Honorary Freedom of the City of London opened at the entry for General Dwight D Eisenhower. Admission is free. The display, entered via the Guildhall Art Gallery, runs until 29th October. For more, see www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/events/heritage-gallery-display-america-and-london.

• The first UK exhibition showcasing the multi-faceted work of Japanese designer and creative director NIGO opens at the Design Museum tomorrow. NIGO: From Japan with Love features more than 700 objects with highlights including a recreation of NIGO’s teenage bedroom, ceramics hand-thrown by NIGO and a life-size glass tea house made especially for the exhibition. Runs until 4th October. Admission charge applies. For more, see https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/nigo-from-japan-with-love.

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This Week in London – V&A East Museum opens; ‘Cool Britannia’ at the Barbican; and, Netherlandish drawings…

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V&A East Museum © Hufton+Crow

• The new V&A East Museum has opened to the public. Located in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the new museum’s first exhibition The Music is Black: A British Story, reveals how Black British music has shaped British culture over the last 125 years. Highlights include Stormzy’s iconic 2019 Banksy-designed Glastonbury vest, Joan Armatrading’s childhood guitar, fashion worn by Seal, Sade and Skin, plus Fabio & Grooverider’s DJ equipment and Grooverider’s first turntable, newly acquired photographs by Eddie Otchere, Jennie Baptiste and Laura ‘Hyperfrank’ Brosnan, and a specially commissioned painting by Sir Frank Bowling. The museum also features two free permanent ‘Why We Make galleries’ which feature more than 500 objects from the V&A’s collection including new artworks by artists including Turner Prize-nominated Rene Matić, Carrie Mae Weems and Tania Bruguera and new acquisitions by designer Yinka Ilori, fashion designer Molly Goddard, photographer Jamie Hawkesworth and ceramicist Bisila Noha, as well as a range of objects from Renaissance portraits and historic scent cases to photographs by Maud Sulter and Shadi Ghadirian, Keith Khan’s carnival costumes, ballet costumes by Leigh Bowery, and fashion by Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood. For more, see vam.ac.uk/east.

• A new exhibition marking 30 years of ‘Cool Britannia’ has opened at the Barbican Music Library. 1996: 30 Years On features original costumes worn by the Spice Girls, previously unseen Oasis memorabilia, photography by Jill Furmanovsky and Derek Ridgers, and personal items from record producers and DJs Paul Oakenfold, Dave Pearce and Judge Jules. The exhibition, curated by the former editor of The Sun Dominic Mohan, also features a selection of pencil sketches of bands by Mike Smith who, in his role as a music executive, signed many of the most prominent acts of the era including Blur, Elastica, and Supergrass. The free exhibition runs until 19th September. For more, see www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/events/1996-30-years-on.

Portrait of an unknown man © The Trustees of the British Museum

• Some 110 works by artists such as Rogier van der Weyden, Lucas van Leyden, Pieter Bruegel the elder and Hendrick Goltzius feature in a new exhibition at the British Museum. Early Netherlandish drawings, which draws on the museum’s collection of pre-1600s Netherlandish drawings, also includes lesser-known masters, anonymous sheets and workshop copies to provide a rich and comprehensive account of drawing across the region. The display follows a chronological narrative and examines the function of drawings in the workshop and their role in the design and production of paintings, tapestries, painted glass, sculpture and prints while thematic displays highlight new subjects that were introduced during this period, including landscapes, proverbs and a local iteration of the antique style, spurred by contact with Italy. The free exhibition can be seen in Room 90 until 20th September. For more, see www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/early-netherlandish-drawings.

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This Week in London – Queen Elizabeth II’s fashion archive on show; London Transport Museum Depot’s open days; and, wartime London in art…

by exploringlondon
Janet Sutherland, the royal christening robe, 1841. © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2026 | Royal Collection Trust.

• A christening robe, first worn by Queen Victoria’s eldest child, Princess Victoria, at her christening in 1841, and subsequently by 61 other royal babies including Queen Elizabeth II, is one of the stars of a new exhibition opening at The King’s Gallery in Buckingham Palace tomorrow. Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style features around 200 items from Queen Elizabeth II’s fashion archive – the largest exhibition of her clothing ever staged. Other highlights include a Norman Hartnell apple-green gown worn by the Queen a state banquet given for President Eisenhower at the British Embassy in Washington, DC, in 1957; a crinoline-skirted blue gown and matching bolero jacket worn by the late Queen for her sister Princess Margaret’s wedding in 1960; and, perhaps more surprisingly, a clear plastic raincoat made by Hardy Amies in the 1960s. The latter is just one example of late Queen’s private, off-duty wardrobe which is also included in the show. Other examples include a Harris tweed jacket and Balmoral Tartan skirt, designed by Norman Hartnell and worn in the 1950 and a green coat made by Angela Kelly. The exhibition runs until 18th October. Admission charge applies. For more, see www.rct.uk.

• Celebrate 120 years of the Bakerloo and Piccadilly Lines and 70 years of the Routemaster bus at a London Transport Museum Depot open day. The first to be held this year, the four open days at the Acton Town facility, will allow visitors to discover the more than 320,000 objects not on display at the museum’s Covent Garden site including the chance to climb aboard historic train stock dating from 1927 and 1938, get a close-up look at the pioneering RM1 and RM2 buses, and explore everything from rare signalling equipment to models, maps, station architecture and posters. A programme of talks is also taking place across the weekend along with activities for kids, heritage demonstrations, displays and stalls. The days run from today – 9th April – through to Sunday (12th April). Admission charges apply. For more, see www.ltmuseum.co.uk/whats-on/depot-open-days/icons-london.

• On Now: Beauty and Destruction: Wartime London in Art. This free exhibition at IWM London tells the story of London during World War II and features more than 45 paintings and drawings as well as photographs, films, objects and oral histories. Works include some by well-known artists such as Eliot Hodgkin, Graham
Sutherland, Henry Carr, Evelyn Dunbar, Duncan Grant and Edward Ardizzone as well as lesser known figures, many of whom were employed by the War Artists’ Advisory Committee. The works are presented under four themes -Travel, Thames, Street and Shelter – and highlights include Frances MacDonald’s Sketch for ‘London Docks’ (1944), John Edgar Platt’s Wartime traffic on the River Thames (1942) and fireman artist Leonard Rosoman’s The Houses of Parliament on Fire, May 1941 (1941) – which captures the last night of the Blitz. Other works in the display are Duncan Grant’s painting of that iconic symbol of wartime resistance, St Paul’s Cathedral, Henry Carr’s St Clement Dane’s Church on Fire after being Bombed (1941), Evelyn Gibbs’ WVS Clothing Exchange (1943) and Evelyn Dunbar’s Convalescent Nurses Making Camouflage Nets (1941). The display can be seen until 1st November. For more, see www.iwm.org.uk/events/beauty-and-destruction-wartime-london-in-art.

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Three unusual London Easter traditions…

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We pause our series on Winnie-the-Pooh to take a brief look at three uniquely London traditions which take place each Easter…

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This Week in London – Sophia Duleep Singh at Kensington Palace; ‘Fairy Tales’ at the British Library; astronomers at the National Maritime Museum; and, the Science Museum celebrates ‘Star Trek’…

by exploringlondon
Historic Royal Palaces conservator Nelson Garcia prepares a banner used by the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) in the early 20th century, for display in a new exhibition at Kensington Palace. The exhibition ‘The Last Princesses of Punjab’ explores the life of Sophia Duleep Singh; suffragette, Punjabi princess and goddaughter of Queen Victoria. PICTURE: © Historic Royal Palaces

• A new exhibition celebrating the 150th anniversary of Punjabi princess and suffragette Sophia Duleep Singh opens at Kensington Palace today. The Last Princess of Punjab: The story of Sophia Duleep Singh and the women who shaped her explores the life of Sophia Duleep Singh and her intersections with six other women including her sisters Catherine and Bamba, her mother Bamba Muller, grandmother Jind Kaur and godmother Queen Victoria. On show is an ornately painted rocking horse from Princess Sophia’s childhood at Elveden Hall in Suffolk which was remodelled to resemble an Indian Mughal palace, an original copy of The Suffragette featuring an iconic image of Sophia selling copies of the magazine on the gate of Hampton Court Palace, a “No Vote, No Tax’ banner used in the early 1900s protest marches, and Princess Sophia’s handwritten letter to Winston Churchill reporting police brutality at the Black Friday suffragette march. And, for the first time since 1886, an iconic portrait of Jind Kaur will be reunited with real earrings she wore in the image. The exhibition runs until 8th November. Admission charge applies. For more, see https://www.hrp.org.uk/kensington-palace/whats-on/the-last-princesses-of-punjab/.

• A celebration of the fantastical creatures, heroes and villains that populate the world of fairy tales opens at the British Library tomorrow. Fairy Tales takes visitors on a journey through an mysterious forest and enchanted palace as they discover the origins and evolution of fairy tales. Items on show include a Mervyn Peake illustration made for an edition of Household Tales by the Brothers Grimm, early printed editions of the legend of Mulan, puppets of Kai and Gerda from the Little Angel Theatre’s production of The Snow Queen, a copy of Cinderella illustrated by Arthur Rackham, a beautiful manuscript illustration of a dragon from the Persian legend, the story of Darab, and the original manuscript of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures Under Ground. Admission charge applies. Runs until 23rd August. For more, see https://events.bl.uk/exhibitions/fairy-tales.

• A new temporary space-themed gallery opens at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich tomorrow. Astronomers Take Over is a hands-on space that provides the opportunity to meet astronomers from the Royal Observatory just up the hill, participate in science demonstrations and ask questions about space and astronomy. The gallery also includes a planetarium which features live astronomers shows ranging from ‘Animals in Space’ for young visitors to ‘The Night Sky’ – a classical guide to the cosmos, and ‘Solar System Sightseeing’, an introduction to Earth’s celestial neighbourhood. Science theatre shows will also be held at the museum from 3rd April. Admission charge applies. The gallery is open to 2028. For more, see https://rmg.co.uk/takeover.

• The Science Museum in South Kensington is marking the 60th anniversary of Star Trek with a new program of events. They include the chance to see all 13 Star Trek films on one of the biggest screens in Europe as well as a free trail featuring iconic objects from the franchise’s archives and an exclusive range of anniversary merchandise for purchase. For more, see sciencemuseum.org.uk/star-trek-60.

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This Week in London – Sculpture at the V&A East; ‘Londoners on Trial’; and, Elsa Schiaparelli…

by exploringlondon
Artist Thomas J Price unveiling ‘A Place Beyond’, outside of London’s V&A East Museum ahead of its opening on East Bank in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on 18th April. PICTURE: David Parry/PA Media Assigbments for the V&A

• An 18 foot tall sculpture of a young person, holding a mobile phone and looking towards a horizon “full of possibilities”, has appeared outside the V& East Museum ahead of its public opening next month. A Place Beyond, the work of artist Thomas J Price, has been created from an amalgamation of images, 3D scans and observations and has been constructed in bronze using digital technologies and ancient techniques. Also announced this month have been the artists involved with New Work, the V&A’s new six-monthly rotating creative commissions programme. The artists – who include Turner Prize-nominated artist Rene Matić, Lawrence Lek, Laura Wilson, Tania Bruguera, Es Devlin, Shahed Saleem, Justinien Tribillon and Carrie Mae Weems – have been invited to reflect on east London’s layered histories and creative futures under the theme of Making East London. The works will be displayed across V&A East’s two sites – V&A East Museum and Storehouse – from the museum’s public opening on 18th April. For more, see vam.ac.uk.

• On Now: Londoners on Trial: Crime, Courts and the Public 1244-1924. This free exhibition at The London Archives explores the history of law and order in the city and draws on documents from famous cases involving the likes of 17th century pickpocket Moll Cutpurse, highwayman Dick Turpin, Jack Sheppard, Oscar Wilde, and suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst. runs until 25th February next year. For more, head to www.thelondonarchives.org/visit-us/exhibitions/londoners-on-trial.

• The work and impact of Elsa Schiaparelli, one of the 20th century’s most innovative fashion designers is the subject of a new exhibition at the V&A. Opening on Saturday in the Sainsbury Gallery, Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art follows the fashion house’s evolution from its origins through to its present day incarnation under creative director Daniel Roseberry. It features more than 200 objects including garments, accessories, jewellery, paintings, photographs, sculpture, furniture, perfumes and archive materials. Highlights include the V&A’s Skeleton􏰋 dress and the Tear dress as well as a hat shaped to look like an upside-down shoe – all of which were conceived in collaboration with Salvador Dalí. There will also be artworks by Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau and Man Ray on display. Runs until 1st November. Admission charge applies. For more, see vam.ac.uk.

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This Week in London – St Patrick’s Day celebrations; Banqueting House ‘sneak peeks’; and, George Stubbs…

by exploringlondon
St Patrick’s Day celebration in 2022. PICTURE: Sebastien Mercier/iStockphoto

• The St Patrick’s Day parade and celebrations in Trafalgar Square take place this Sunday. The parade, which features Irish County􏰀Associations, marching bands, dancers, musicians and carnival performers, kicks off at noon and heads along Piccadilly, through Piccadilly Circus, down Regent Street and then Cockspur Street before ending in the square. In the square, Irish comedian Rachel Galvo will host the main stage where acts will include traditional and contemporary performances from the likes of Irish Culture Centre Hammersmith’s Singing and Reminiscence Choir, Moonlight: The Philip Lynott Enigma, Carrie Baxter, Cór na nÓg Caisleán, Jig and Swig and the London Bodhrán Band, The Wran, Nell Mescal, Huartan, David Keenan and Robert Arkins ‘Commitments’. There’s also a tent hosting comedy, spoken word, music, and Irish film and TV shorts, an exhibition, Irish language lessons, children’s arts and crafts, and the ‘Oldbog Cottage’ experience. Meanwhile, celebrity chef Anna Haugh and The Wee Sister restaurant will be serving Irish dishes while the square will also host a range of stalls offering food, crafts and other Irish delights. For more, see london.gov.uk/events/st-patricks- festival-2026

Oil on canvas, 268 x 244.5 cm, ‘Scrub, a bay horse belonging to the Marquess of Rockingham’, George Stubbs, about 1762

• George Stubbs’ (1724-1806) monumental portrait of a rearing horse is at the centre of an exhibition which opened at The National Gallery this week. Alongside Scrub, a bay horse belonging to the Marquess of Rockingham (c1762), Stubbs: Portrait of a Horse also features other paintings and works on paper by the artist and visitors can compare the large-scale equine portrait with another of Stubbs’ masterpieces, Whistlejacket (c1762), which is on display nearby in Room 34. The exhibition can be seen in Room 1 until 31st May. Admission is free. For more, see www.nationalgallery.org.uk/.

• People are invited to visit the Banqueting House in Whitehall for a “sneak preview” following a major project to upgrade visitor facilities ahead of its formal reopening this summer. The 400-year-old building boasts a new passenger lift offering step-free access to the main hall, home, of Peter Paul Rubens’ masterpiece ceiling, for the first time while a new heating system has been installed along with a new sustainably sourced English Oak floor. The sneak previews will take place on 20th March, 3rd April, 1st May, 29th May and 26th June ahead of its reopening on 1st August. Admission charge applies. For more, see www.hrp.org.uk/banqueting-house/.

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