Di's new palace of enchantment
Source: Agencies |
March 27, 2010, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
PRINCESS Diana's former home, Kensington Palace, was being rebranded "The Enchanted Palace" yesterday to lure tourists from other popular London sights, like Madame Tussauds waxworks and the Tower of London, where the Crown Jewels are displayed.
In this interactive age, it's not enough for a stately palace to offer royal art, staid banquet rooms, and roped-off thrones, so curators have opted for fashion, performance art, and a bit of Alice in Wonderland fantasy. The exhibit, meant to draw viewers into the lives of past palace residents, uses lighting, actors and musicians to set the mood. One man even plays a saw with a violin bow.
The tone is set by the Room of Royal Sorrows. No, it's not about Diana and her fractured fairytale marriage to Prince Charles -- it's a dramatization of the emotional torment of Queen Mary II as she tried in vain to produce an heir. It is set in her bedchamber, giving the display an unsettling reality. On the bed is a figure of the queen, dressed in blue.
"The first time you walk into the room, it has an aura of sadness, but also incredible beauty," said designer Marcus Wilmont, part of the team that decorated the room. "She tried really hard, but she had many miscarriages. She was a very loved queen, and we wanted to try to capture her spirit."
The somber tone is set by dozens of antique glass bottles known as "tear catchers." In times of mourning, tears were put in the bottles "to catch the sorrow" even though they would soon evaporate, Wilmont said.
Visitors are given a chance to leave a note stating the last time they cried.
Not every display is laced with tragedy. One of Diana's elegant ballgowns is on display, and Vivienne Westwood, one of Britain's most revered designers, came up with a fanciful dress designed to be worn by a rebellious princess.
The room where British kings met with advisors and foreign diplomats has also been redone, with a colorful new throne that visitors are encouraged to try out. A Room of Enlightenment features a bust of Isaac Newton topped by a Stephen Jones hat that includes a mock red apple, covered with rhinestones.
The exhibit also includes bittersweet Room of Royal Secrets and the Rooms of Lost Childhood, evoking loneliness.
In this interactive age, it's not enough for a stately palace to offer royal art, staid banquet rooms, and roped-off thrones, so curators have opted for fashion, performance art, and a bit of Alice in Wonderland fantasy. The exhibit, meant to draw viewers into the lives of past palace residents, uses lighting, actors and musicians to set the mood. One man even plays a saw with a violin bow.
The tone is set by the Room of Royal Sorrows. No, it's not about Diana and her fractured fairytale marriage to Prince Charles -- it's a dramatization of the emotional torment of Queen Mary II as she tried in vain to produce an heir. It is set in her bedchamber, giving the display an unsettling reality. On the bed is a figure of the queen, dressed in blue.
"The first time you walk into the room, it has an aura of sadness, but also incredible beauty," said designer Marcus Wilmont, part of the team that decorated the room. "She tried really hard, but she had many miscarriages. She was a very loved queen, and we wanted to try to capture her spirit."
The somber tone is set by dozens of antique glass bottles known as "tear catchers." In times of mourning, tears were put in the bottles "to catch the sorrow" even though they would soon evaporate, Wilmont said.
Visitors are given a chance to leave a note stating the last time they cried.
Not every display is laced with tragedy. One of Diana's elegant ballgowns is on display, and Vivienne Westwood, one of Britain's most revered designers, came up with a fanciful dress designed to be worn by a rebellious princess.
The room where British kings met with advisors and foreign diplomats has also been redone, with a colorful new throne that visitors are encouraged to try out. A Room of Enlightenment features a bust of Isaac Newton topped by a Stephen Jones hat that includes a mock red apple, covered with rhinestones.
The exhibit also includes bittersweet Room of Royal Secrets and the Rooms of Lost Childhood, evoking loneliness.
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