Kensington Palace will open an exhibition exploring Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897 to coincide with HM The Queen’s own Jubilee celebrations later this year.  Victoria was the first monarch to have reigned for sixty years and this remarkable achievement was marked with festivities and commemorative events as diverse as Victoria's subjects. The Jubilee was a momentous occasion, celebrated the length and breadth of the British Empire with procession held in London on 22 June 1897.  The exhibition, opening on the anniversary of Queen Victoria’s birthday on 24 May, will explore the celebrations in 1897 from the point of view of those who celebrated it, from dukes and duchesses to newspaper sellers. 

Items going on display include specially selected objects which demonstrate the wealth of different celebrations that marked this unique event including personal objects belonging to Queen Victoria and various souvenirs produced especially for the occasion including brooches, greetings cards, jugs, bunting, slippers and even a commemorative ginger beer bottle.

The exuberant, playful exhibition design, will reference Victorian design aesthetic, capture the festive mood of the celebrations and offer an engaging, immersive opportunity to explore this great event in Victoria's life, as well as making connections with the London celebrations in 2012 both for the Jubilee and the Olympics.  Themes that will be running through the exhibition include; London in the 1890s, the Victorian home, international visitors to London, the grand procession and feasting and celebration.

Alexandra Kim, Curator at Historic Royal Palaces, said: “Jubilee - A view from the crowd will be a fascinating, immersive exhibition filled with intriguing objects produced for Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.  These objects really help to demonstrate the sheer scale of the celebrations in 1897 which saw the manufacture of thousands of specially produced Jubilee souvenirs to mark the festivities which ranged from Victoria's spectacular procession through London on 22 June 1897 to local feasts, sporting events and fireworks.”