09/01/2024
โ On January 9, 1806, one of the greatest state occasions of the era took place in England: the funeral of Horatio Nelson. The event lasted over five days and was attended by many people.
โ As per his request, the celebrated Naval commander's body was placed in a coffin made from the mast of a French ship, L'Orient, which was destroyed during his famous victory at the Battle of the Nile.
โ These images are of details of a printed calico fabric made to commemorate the funeral. The design features a series of images including the death of Nelson, Britannia in mourning, and the funeral procession on the Thames and toward St Paulโs.
โThe event was commemorated with many pieces of printed memorabilia. This piece of material was made into a cushion cover. Our team of curators and conservators is currently working on a wall hanging fabric with the same design as the one in the picture, which you will be able to see (very!) soon at the Queen's House once it reopens following its upcoming period of closure.
โ The Queen's House will be closed from January 15 2024, until March 2 2024, while we take out the Van de Veldes exhibition and install some exciting new works including this one. Keep an eye on our page as we'll take you behind the scenes over the next few weeks to see what we have in store* ๐
*And indeed coming out of store, and onto display.
** We'll get our coats.