Tudors to Windsors: British Royal Portraits

Is this you? You are beyond eager for the third season of The Crown. You watched The Favourite and pitied, but fell in love with Queen Anne. You immerse yourself in all things Prince Harry, Meghan and baby Archie. And like one of my mates, you actually queued with the masses to get a glimpse of our favourite royal couple. Chances are you are born for Bendigo Art Gallery’s latest exhibition, Tudors to Windsors: British Royal Portraits.

On show till July 14, 2019, the majestic collection features over 200 treasures from London’s revered National Portrait Gallery, many of which have never before been seen outside the U.K. Scour through centuries of British Royal history, from the illustrious reigns of King Henry VII to Queen Elizabeth II. In a broader context, the exhibition highlights major events in British and world history, in where the portraits serve as a vehicle to demonstrate wider societal changes.

Walk through five dynasties – the Tudors, the Stuarts, the Georgians, the Victorians and the Windsors – at your own pace. Among the standout artworks is the historical painted portrait of Queen Elizabeth I known as ‘The Ditchley portrait’ and the modern portrait of Prince William (Duke of Cambridge) and Prince Harry (Duke of Sussex) by Nicola Jane “Nicky” Philipps. Also be entranced by the contemplative moment captured by famed photographer Annie Leibovtiz in her portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. My personal favourites include the portrait of Jane Seymour – King Henry VIII’s third wife, not the actor – the stunning portrait of the aforementioned Queen Anne (the last Stuart ruler) and the serene coronation portrait of Queen Charlotte (consort of King George III).

Centuries of royals can be daunting and if names and dates aren’t your forte, five large-scale family trees are there to help you piece everything together. Who was Lady Jane Grey and why did she rule for nine days? How did England and Scotland unite under one crown? How did the Hanover-born (present-day Germany) King George I come to rule Great Britain? Rest assured, all these questions can be answered. Listen carefully and undoubtedly you will overhear a local profess their tenuous connection or claim to the Crown.

Beyond the exhibit, wander through the stunning Bendigo Art Gallery precinct. Once you have finished the exhibition, dine like royalty at the gallery cafe and peruse the permanent collection. For history buffs, Tudors to Windsors: British Royal Portraits will bring all the encyclopaedias, historical biographies and David Attenborough docos to life.

Milk Bar gives Tudors to Windsors the Royal Asset it so rightly and justly deserves.

Tudors to Windsors: British Royal Portraits
Till Sunday, 14 July 2019
Bendigo Art Gallery, 42 View Street, Bendigo
bendigoregion.com.au/bendigo-art-gallery/exhibitions/tudors-to-windsors-british-royal-portraits