News

Throughout the world, one in six of us live with a disability and while some are visible, many are not. The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is a simple tool for people to signal, discreetly that they have a disability or condition that may not be immediately apparent – and that they may need a helping hand, more time or understanding during their visit. All our front-of house staff have been trained to recognise the Sunflower lanyard or card and provide assistance when needed.

Marie Taglioni is often regarded as the most famous and talented ballerina of the 19th century. Among her fans, she counted the Empress of Russia and Princess Victoria, the future queen (see Kensington's starstruck princess). As part of our  permanent exhibition ‘Victoria: A Royal Childhood’, rare surviving objects from Taglioni’s personal collection have recently gone on display at Kensington. On loan from the Victoria and Albert Museum, they include Taglioni’s ballet slippers, which are made of fine black satin. The simplicity of their design, with none of the stiff toe support of modern versions, makes it possible to appreciate Taglioni’s exceptional skill in dancing en pointe— on the tips of her toes — a technique that so enchanted Princess Victoria. These special objects will be on display until April 2027.

After three years in the design and making, a spectacular new carpet has recently been installed in the Throne Room at Hillsborough Castle, transforming both the room and the lives of those who created the carpet.

The carpet was made in collaboration with Turquoise Mountain, the charity founded in 2006 by King Charles III, which works to revive historic crafts and create jobs and skills, helping to sustain both communities and traditions. It was woven in northern Afghanistan, where a special loom had to be constructed in a new building – at 15 x 6 metres this is the largest carpet Turquoise Mountain have ever made.

Production took more than a year, starting with the harvesting of wool from 160 Ghazni sheep. Then, 38 weavers worked on the carpet, with ten weavers working side by side at any one time, creating about 4cm of carpet a day.

The commission provided vital income for the families of those involved and supported around 100 people across the process, from wool spinners and dyers to washers and finishers.

Although the carpet is traditional in its historic Persian medallion design, it includes many elements inspired by Hillsborough Castle and its gardens – pears nod to the walled garden, while pineapples reference the lost pineapple house.

Continuing a long tradition of carpets commissioned by royal patrons, our carpet features the Royal Arms in the centre of the medallion, reflecting the heraldic banner in the Throne Room.

We are grateful to The Drapers’ Company for supporting the creation of the carpet and for their ongoing support of the schools’ programme at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens.

Elizabeth I’s extraordinary story – the daughter of Anne Boleyn, who was betrayed and executed by her own father, Henry VIII and yet survived to become England’s first sovereign queen – inspired poets and artists to celebrate her prosperous reign.

Her life is encapsulated in this gold signet ring, now on display at Hampton Court, which Elizabeth frequently visited about the time it was fashioned by an unknown goldsmith.

Its minute engraving shows a phoenix rising from the ashes of a fire towards the sun, that unique mythical bird that dies in flames, only to be reborn again. In the 1570s the obscure poet Ulpian Fulwell started a craze at court to compare Elizabeth and her mother, Anne, to the indestructible phoenix.

Even Shakespeare wrote a more memorable poem in her later years, called the ‘Phoenix and the Turtle’ (dove) and the artist Nicholas Hilliard famously portrayed the Queen wearing a phoenix jewel.

The newly acquired ring is something of a puzzle, as it was handed in by a metal detectorist to be saved for the nation under the Treasure Act. Despite its small size, it was probably owned by a gentleman supporter of Elizabeth, who either lost or hid it in the royal hunting ground of Ampthill in Bedfordshire. Elizabeth herself visited this royal castle at least once, under the stewardship of her loyal cousin, Henry Carey.

We are grateful to the Meakins Family for generously supporting this purchase and to the Portable Antiquities office at the British Museum for their expert assistance.