Opened on 14 March 2024, Untold Lives: A Palace at Work is a new temporary exhibition opening in the Pigott Gallery at Kensington Palace. It runs until 27 October.

Untold Lives provides an opportunity to see the palaces from an entirely new perspective, appreciating the work and dedication by the many people who have ensured the monarchs and their palaces’ preservation over the centuries.

It tells the stories of the forgotten individuals who have worked behind the scenes at the Palaces in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, from cooks to wet nurses, and rat-killers to Lords in Waiting. The exhibition will present a nuanced view of life working at the palaces, exploring both the loyalty and commitment of staff and monarchs as well as the hierarchies and inequalities inherent within it.

It also explores the global origins of some of the people who were at court, looking at what shaped their individual identities, including their nationality, religion, and ethnicity. Fascinating objects are also to be featured within the exhibition, including an intricately hand-worked lace dress worn by Queen Charlotte, as well as items revealing intimate royal care such as a silver chamber pot and a velvet covered.

This exciting and intriguing new exhibition is available as a unique standalone private tour or in conjunction with one of our event spaces.