Two-hundred and fifty years ago, seventeen-year old Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, a small duchy in northern Germany, left her family and traveled for nine days across the rough North Sea to the eastern coast of England. She eventually arrived in London, where she met her future husband, King George III, on the eve of their wedding. They were married on 8 September 1761, and two weeks later, on 22 September 1761, Charlotte was crowned Queen of Great Britain and Ireland.
Celebrating Queen Charlotte’s Coronation combines works of art from the museum’s permanent collection, including paintings, works on paper, and decorative arts, with loans from private collections to highlight the Queen’s accomplishments as a devoted mother, a notable patron of the arts, and a loyal consort to the King. Royal portraits by Allan Ramsay, Sir Joshua Reynolds, and Sir William Beechey are featured in the exhibition, as are representative examples of works from the English manufactories—Wedgwood, Chelsea, Worcester, and others—patronized by the Queen.
