‘Victoria: Woman and Crown’ is a major new exhibition at London’s Kensington Palace, marking the 200th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s birth.

Based on new curatorial research, ‘Victoria: Woman and Crown’ offers different perspectives and a more nuanced look at the life of Victoria as a young woman, Queen and Empress, but also as a mother and wife. Our brief was to bring out the real person and allow visitors of all ages to find a personal connection and relevance in the story of Victoria’s life through Historic Royal Palaces’ world-class collections.

Rather than simply annotating collections with labels, we built environments around each object display to give a sense of Victoria’s life. Rich contextual imagery gives life to clothing and artworks, and a replica tent provides a world where objects relating to Victoria’s obsession with India are displayed. We also worked closely with composer Benjamin Tasse to create a distinct atmospheric mood for each area of the exhibition. Throughout the exhibition, ‘miniature stage sets inspired by Victorian peep shows offer a way into Victoria’s world.