The King's Gallery, Buckingham Palace

Overview

The King's Gallery, formerly The Queen's Gallery, is located adjacent to Buckingham Palace, on the site of what was once a private chapel for Queen Victoria. The chapel was destroyed in an air raid in 1940, and at the suggestion of Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh it was developed as an art gallery for the Royal Collection in 1962. In 1997, a project began to expand and modernise the gallery, the most significant addition to Buckingham Palace in 150 years. The Queen's Gallery was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in May 2002 as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations, and today it hosts a programme of changing exhibitions from the Royal Collection.


EXHIBITIONS

DRAWING THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE (01 November 2024 – 09 March 2025)

The Renaissance period saw a dramatic transformation in the way that artists worked, with a new-found appreciation for creativity pushing artistic boundaries. Drawing became central to this development, evolving from an essential tool of workshop practice to an exciting art form in its own right.

This exhibition brings together the widest range of drawings from this revolutionary artistic period ever to be shown in the UK. Exploring the diversity and accomplishment of drawing across Italy between 1450 and 1600, the exhibition will feature around 160 works by over 80 artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael and Titian alongside lesser-known artists, all drawn from the Royal Collection, which holds one of the world’s greatest collections of Italian Renaissance drawings.


THE EDWARDIANS: AGE OF ELEGANCE (11 April – 23 November 2025)

Explore the opulence and glamour of the Edwardian age – the period between the Victorian era and the First World War.

Visitors will learn about the lives and tastes of two of Britain’s most fashionable royal couples – King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, and King George V and Queen Mary – from their family lives and personal collecting to their glittering social circles and spectacular royal events.

More than 300 objects from the Royal Collection will be on display – almost half for the first time – including works by the most renowned contemporary artists of the period, including Carl Fabergé, Frederick Leighton, Edward Burne-Jones, Laurits Tuxen, John Singer Sargent and William Morris.



Opening Times
The King’s Gallery is open Thursday to Monday throughout the year, except during the installation of new exhibitions.
10:00 – 17:30 (last admission 16:15)
The Gallery is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, except from 10 July to 31 August when it is open 7 days a week.

Gallery Closures​​
The King's Gallery is part of a working royal palace so sometimes closures can happen at short notice.​




Images: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2024.