David Starkey guest-curates a landmark exhibition on the enduring relationship between Britain’s royal families and the world’s most famous river

This great exhibition is kindly sponsored by Barclays

27 April–9 September 2012

David Starkey, guest-curator of this exceptional display at the National Maritime Museum, said: ‘This exhibition, which brings to life the extraordinary and varied history of the Thames as Britain’s royal river and London's “grandest street”, is a feast for the eyes and all the senses. It evokes the sights, sounds and even the smells of half a millennium of royal river pageantry and popular celebration. But, most importantly and originally, Royal River also shows how the grandest royal river pageants have always been used to celebrate the coronation and inauguration of Tudor and Stuart Queens. What more appropriate way of celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of The Queen, who will herself, at the climax of the celebrations, lead another grand royal river pageant?’

The oldest known copy of Handel’s Water Music, Bazalgette’s original contract drawings for the construction of the Thames embankment, Anne Boleyn’s personal music book, the magnificent stern carvings from the Royal Yacht Victoria and Albert III, a remarkable collection of paintings by Canaletto, and a stuffed swan – just some of the hundreds of diverse objects brought together by the National Maritime Museum to illustrate the royal history of London’s great river in a major new exhibition opening this spring.

The Thames is London’s ‘grandest street’. For hundreds of years it has been a unique site for royal, national and civic ceremony and celebration. Providing a larger stage than any street on land, the river has seen the pomp of spectacular coronations, the music and fireworks of extravagant processions, and the bustle of festive frost fairs, where rich and poor mingled on its frozen surface. Seen by today’s Londoners as a line that divides the city north from south, this great thoroughfare once connected royal palaces and pleasure gardens, and was itself a focus of entertainment and merrymaking. As the river shaped London, so London shaped the river: the Thames has been constantly changed and improved with the addition of new bridges, tunnels and embankments, a reflection of its life as a busy working river where tens of thousands made their living.

Royal River explores the many and varied uses of the Thames across 500 years of British history. A wealth of fascinating objects take visitors from Anne Boleyn’s coronation procession to Lord Nelson’s funeral, from the gilded magnificence of the Lord Mayor’s pageant to the noxious horror of the ‘Great Stink’, and from the great riverside seats of regal power to the floating palaces of the royal yachts. Among the paintings, manuscripts and beautiful artefacts chosen for the exhibition, highlights include the rarely seen uniforms, silver and barge decorations from the City’s many livery companies, an elaborate silver microscope made for George III and the 16th-century Pearl Sword, which to this day the monarch must touch upon entering the City of London.

The exhibition comprises nearly 400 objects, including 50 objects generously lent by Her Majesty The Queen from the Royal Collection and over 250 items on loan from museums, galleries and private collections across Europe and America, many of which have never been on public display before. It also draws on an array of objects from the National Maritime Museum’s own pre-eminent collections.

Royal River marks the 75th anniversary of the National Maritime Museum, which was opened by King George VI on 27 April 1937. The Museum’s opening was one of the new King’s first official public engagements. His speech from that day, in which he praised the ‘the qualities of Drake, Nelson and Franklin’ will be on display in the exhibition, alongside his Admiral of the Fleet uniform.

Marcus Agius, Chairman of Barclays said: ‘I am delighted Barclays is sponsoring Royal River: Power, Pageantry and the Thames at the National Maritime Museum. The Museum has always exhibited with distinction on the topic of Britain and the sea, showing the contemporary significance of maritime events and the stories of this island nation. Royal River will attract visitors from London and across the world to remind them about London’s greatest “thoroughfare” – the River Thames. The river has played a crucial role for trade and finance in London, of which Barclays has been a part for over 300 years. ‘

Lord Sterling, Chairman of the National Maritime Museum said: ‘2012 will be a remarkable year. In addition to the momentous occasion of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, Greenwich will become London’s new Royal Borough and a major venue for the 2012 Games. Royal River will be the first major exhibition in the Museum’s new Sammy Ofer Wing in 2012. It gives us great pleasure that this exhibition has been sponsored by a great British bank, Barclays. This year also marks the 75th anniversary of the opening of the National Maritime Museum. On 27 April 1937 the 11-year-old Princess Elizabeth attended the opening ceremony as a birthday treat, beginning an enduring royal association with the museum. This association has continued with His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh who over 63 years, first as a trustee and from 2000 as Patron, has given the Museum the great benefit of his constant and extraordinarily active support.’

Exhibition information for visitors:

Venue: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
Dates: 27 April 2012–9 September 2012
Opening times: every day, 10.00–17.00 (closed 25–26 December)
Visitor enquiries: 020 8312 6565
Admission: Full £11.00 / Concession £9.00 / Family ticket £24.50

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Notes to Editors:

• The National Maritime Museum holds the world’s largest maritime collection. It is housed in historic buildings forming part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. It incorporates the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, and 17th-century Queen’s House. The Museum works to illustrate for everyone the importance of the sea, ships, time and the stars and their relationship with people. The Museum welcomes over 1.5 million British and international visitors a year and is also a major centre of education and research. For more information visit www.nmm.ac.uk
• Barclays is a major global financial services provider engaged in retail banking, credit cards, corporate and investment banking and wealth management with an extensive international presence in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia. With over 300 years of history and expertise in banking, Barclays operates in over 50 countries and employs nearly 147,000 people. Barclays moves, lends, invests and protects money for 48 million customers and clients worldwide. For further information about Barclays, please visit www.barclays.com.
• One of Britain’s leading historians, David Starkey is well known for his television work which includes Elizabeth, Six Wives of Henry VIII, Monarchy, and Henry VIII: Mind of a Tyrant (all Channel 4); as well as his bestselling books including ‘Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII’, ‘Henry: Virtuous Prince’, his most recent ‘Crown and Country’, and ‘Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne’, which won 2001’s W. H. Smith Prize for biography and autobiography. David Starkey has guest-curated two previous exhibitions at the National Maritime Museum: ‘Henry VIII at Greenwich’ in 1991 and 2003’s ‘Elizabeth’; as well as ‘Making History’ (2007), at the Royal Academy and ‘Henry VIII: Man and Monarch’ (2009), at the British Library. Starkey is an Honorary Fellow of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the Society of Antiquaries of London and winner of the Norton Medlicott Medal for Services to History presented by the Historical Association. He was appointed CBE in 2007 and lives in London and Kent.
• Royal River: Power, Pageantry and the Thames is accompanied by a lavishly illustrated catalogue which explores the history of the Thames as a stage for Royal power, celebration and symbolism and provides a thematic overview of major events and key individuals from the Tudor age onwards. Dr David Starkey and other experts examine the history of the Thames, London’s greatest ‘street’, telling colourful and sometimes unexpected stories of Royal arrivals, coronations and marriages; the Lord Mayor’s Procession and London’s ancient livery companies; ship launches and bridge openings; frost fairs and boat races; and the solemn splendour of Lord Nelson’s funeral procession. Published by Scala in association with the National Maritime Museum, the book is available on site at the museum or at www.nmmshop.com and from all good bookshops.
• The Royal Collection, one of the world's greatest art collections, is held in trust by The Queen for her successors and the nation. The Collection is administered by the Royal Collection Trust, a registered charity. The aims of the Trust are the care and conservation of the Royal Collection and the promotion of public access and enjoyment through exhibitions, publications, loans and educational activities. For more information visit www.royalcollection.org.uk.

For further information or images, please contact:
Jenny Stewart or Sheryl Twigg
National Maritime Museum Press Office
Tel: 020 8312 6732 / 6790 | 07903 547 284 or Email: press@nmm.ac.uk