Essential Information
| Type | Exhibitions |
|---|---|
| Date and Times | 28 May - 31 Oct 2021 |
| Prices | Adult £10 | Child £5 | Under 25/Student £6.50 |
| Location |
National Maritime Museum
|
On sale from 21 April
Early access for Members
Come face-to-face with the kings and queens who have shaped British history for over 500 years. Tudors to Windsors: British Royal Portraits, will include over 150 of the finest portraits from across five royal dynasties.
Discover how royal portraiture has developed over the last five centuries, from Henry VII to Elizabeth II.
Tickets go on sale from 21 April. Become a member to receive exclusive early access.
Tudors to Windsors at the National Maritime Museum will feature works by some of the most important artists to have worked in Britain, from court painters Sir Peter Lely and Sir Godfrey Kneller to photographers Cecil Beaton and Annie Leibovitz and artists such as Andy Warhol.
This major exhibition brings together works from the National Portrait Gallery, Royal Museums Greenwich and private collections in a truly landmark collaboration.
#TudorsToWindsors
A royal invitation
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The power of portraits
The British royal family has been a source of fascination for hundreds of years.
For much of that time, most ordinary people would never have seen their king or queen in person. For them, the monarch was only seen in paintings that hung in great houses or civic buildings, as public sculpture or, more often, on the coins in their pockets.
It was only from the 16th century, that reliable likenesses of kings and queens were produced by painters and sculptors skilled in the new art of portraiture.
Monarchs then had the power to shape and authorise how they were shown. Depending on their personality, the political need and the fashion of the day, the royal portrait could reflect anything from graceful elegance or maternal charm to raw power and extraordinary splendour.
The most successful royal portraits provide insight into the monarch’s character as well as their appearance.
Queen Victoria, Sir George Hayter (© National Portrait Gallery, London)
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A royal day out in Greenwich
Greenwich is steeped in royal history.
It was the birthplace of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, is the home of the Royal Observatory founded by Charles II, and at its heart sits the stunning Queen’s House commissioned by Anne of Denmark, consort to James I of England.
Visit Royal Museums Greenwich and discover how royal portraits have been used by successive monarchs to shape the image of monarchy we have today.
Find more exhibitions and events
Organised in partnership with
Supported by Kathryn Uhde
(Main image: Elizabeth II by Dorothy Wilding, hand coloured by Beatrice Johnson, 1952 © National Portrait Gallery, London)
Choose your tickets
Tudors to Windsors
- 500 years of royal history
- Guaranteed entry time
- More space to explore
| Adult | £10 |
|---|---|
| Child | £5 |
Member tickets
- Free entry
- Priority booking
- Membership card number required
| Members go free |
| Advance booking essential |
Become a Member
- Unlimited entry all year
- Royal Observatory
- Cutty Sark
- Planetarium Shows
- Special exhibitions
| Direct Debit | One-off |
|---|---|
| Individual: £50 | Individual: £60 |
| Family: from £65 | Family: from £75 |