What has Shakespeare done for the royal family - and what has the royal family done for Shakespeare?

A watercolour of a crowded street scene. At the centre, Bolingbroke is mounted on a white horse, wearing a gold doublet and clutching his feathered hat to his chest; he looks up to acknowledge the figures waving at him from balconies and windows. Surrounding Bolingbroke are festively-dressed citizens. On the left, a woman wears a flower garland and carries a basket of flowers. Several men have removed their hats in salutation, mimicking Bolingbroke’s gesture. A boy in blue and orange gestures expansively in welcome at the bottom centre of the frame. On the right, a bearded man points at Bolingbroke, his face turned towards his wife, who clutches his arm. A woman offers a rose to Bolingbroke. A forest of spears and halberd in the background implies that Bolingbroke rides at the head of an army. On both sides and in the background, windows are filled with spectators; on the left, a child holds a green banner labelled ‘God save Kyng Henry'. Flags and garlands hang from the buildings.

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Section One: Staging history

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A miniature portrait in a blue and gold oval frame, with a ring attached so that it can be attached to a chain or worn as a pendant. The subject is George IV as a young man in seventeenth-century costume: he is in three-quarter profile, facing to the right. He has curly powdered hair and wears a cream doublet with a high starched collar; a miniature portrait, possibly of two women, is on a blue ribbon around his neck, and a pink cloak is draped across his shoulders, with the star of the Order of the Garter embroidered on the shoulder.

Section Two: Acting royal

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A large section of a tree trunk, varnished and polished to show the natural grain. The surface is scratched, and the initials "C. C." and "W. B." are visible carved into the surface.

Section Three: Martyrs and relics

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This exhibition draws together objects from the Royal Collection, the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Folger Shakespeare Library and others, to explore the story of royal interest in Shakespeare from 1714-1945. It shows how Shakespeare has been used by royal individuals for personal, political, and performative reasons.

When we think of the connections between Shakespeare and the royal family, we tend to recall various depictions in art and film of Elizabeth I going to the Globe—sometimes in disguise—and being bowled over by her favourite playwright’s latest work.

Yet Elizabeth never actually went to the Globe, and she had limited interest in the stage. In fact, the most important connections between Shakespeare and the royals developed after Shakespeare’s lifetime. No other writer has ever determined royal history, or provided a model for royal behaviour and education, in the way Shakespeare has done for the British royal family.

The Act of Settlement of 1701 forbade any Catholic succeeding to the English throne. So, when Queen Anne died in 1714, the crown passed to the son of her deceased first cousin once removed, whose primary qualification was his Protestant faith. George I spoke no English but established the Hanoverian dynasty. Over the century to come, both the Hanoverians and Shakespeare became central parts of British cultural life.

The exhibition is divided into three sections and eight 'rooms' exploring the histories of specific works. Look out for Guided Tour icons to explore images up close; 3D models of historic performance spaces, and short videos exploring objects in more detail.

Timeline

Timeline

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An etching and engraving of a scene in the court of Henry VIII. Henry, recognisable with the broad shoulders, plumed hat, and ermine-lined coat from the famous Holbein portrait, leads Anne Boleyn by the hand toward the throne. She is fashionably dressed, and followed by a dwarf who holds the train of her gown. On the right, the throne is under a decorated canopy, at the foot of the stairs sits Cardinal Wolsey, with his legs crossed, and one hand raised to his face as if in thought. Two more courtiers - a lady sitting in a decorated alcove, and a man addressing her - are visible in the background.