Buckingham Palace's Grand Art Transformation
Buckingham Palace Rehang Doubles Art Display, Featuring Zoffany's Long-Unseen Masterpiece and King Charles Portrait
Key Points
Zoffany’s The Tribuna of the Uffizi, commissioned by Queen Charlotte, had not been displayed in the Gallery since 1841 due to her dislike of its crowded composition, and is now returning to public view as part of the rehang.
The Picture Gallery is part of John Nash’s transformation of Buckingham House into Buckingham Palace; the first arrangement was hung by the time Queen Victoria acceded in 1837, with displays evolving over time as ideas about art presentation changed.
Jonathan Yeo’s portrait of King Charles is the first official portrait of Charles as sovereign, commissioned in 2020 to celebrate his 50 years with The Drapers’ Company and gifted to the Royal Collection in 2022.
A Rolls-Royce Phantom IV used by the royal family will be on display in the Grand Entrance Portico, and handwritten letters from children to the King will be shown in the Family Pavilion as part of the updated display.
The rehang expands the collection to five Rembrandt paintings and includes Rubens’s Self Portrait, pairing works with Anthony van Dyck to broaden the gallery’s Display breadth.
Buckingham Palace's Picture Gallery has been transformed in what the Royal Collection Trust calls a "once-in-a-generation" redisplay, nearly doubling its paintings from 63 to 120 ahead of this summer's public opening. The overhaul took 875 hours to complete and replaced the room's coral-pink velvet wall coverings with emerald-green silk hangings, giving one of Britain's most storied art spaces a dramatic new look, according to Radio News Hub.
The State Rooms at Buckingham Palace open to visitors from July 9 to September 28. This year's display is among the most significant changes to the Gallery in living memory, Interior Daily reported.
875 Hours of Work to Hang 120 Masterpieces
Curators spent 875 hours re-hanging the Gallery, more than doubling its previous display of 63 paintings. The new arrangement features five Rembrandt paintings, Rubens's Self Portrait, works by Caravaggio, and pieces by Thomas Gainsborough. Works by Rubens and Anthony van Dyck are paired side by side, broadening the Gallery's range and showing connections between the two artists, according to Newsy Today.
Updated lighting was also installed across the Gallery to show the works more clearly. The new emerald-green silk wall hangings replace the old coral-pink velvet that had lined the room for years, Radio News Hub reported. The result is a fresher, richer setting that curators say better suits the scale and quality of the paintings on show.
A Painting Unseen in the Gallery Since 1841 Returns
One of the most striking additions is Johan Zoffany's The Tribuna of the Uffizi. The large, crowded painting was commissioned by Queen Charlotte in the eighteenth century. It had not been shown in the Gallery since 1841, reportedly because Queen Charlotte disliked its busy composition. After more than 180 years away, it is now back on public view, London Now reported.
The Picture Gallery itself dates to John Nash's conversion of Buckingham House into a royal palace. The first arrangement was in place by the time Queen Victoria came to the throne in 1837. Curators drew on historic sources to design this latest rehang, continuing a tradition of updating displays after a change of reign, according to Head Topics.
King Charles's Official Portrait Goes on Public Display
Just off the Gallery, in the Silk Tapestry Room, visitors can see Jonathan Yeo's official portrait of King Charles III. It is the first official portrait of Charles as sovereign. The work was commissioned in 2020 to mark his 50 years with The Drapers' Company and was gifted to the Royal Collection in 2022, Interior Daily reported.
The portrait adds a contemporary focal point alongside the historic masterworks in the Gallery. It sits in an adjoining room used for state visits and receptions, giving the public a rare close look at a newly significant work of royal art.
Rolls-Royce, Children's Letters, and Broader Public Access
The summer display goes beyond paintings. A Rolls-Royce Phantom IV used by the royal family will be shown in the Grand Entrance Portico. Handwritten letters from children to the King will also be on display in the Family Pavilion, making the visit more varied and accessible for all ages, according to London Now.
All 19 State Rooms will be open across the summer season. The Royal Collection Trust says the goal is to share as much of the collection as possible with the public. This year's rehang is the clearest sign yet of that ambition, with twice as many paintings on the walls as visitors saw just a year ago, Head Topics reported.
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