Do you think the Queen knows that she has da Vinci sketches and Van Dyck portraits? After all, her fortune (or rather, her nation’s fortune) is so grand, I doubt she could possibly be aware of all her pennies and possessions… but seriously- our adventure to Windsor proved to showcase one of the most spectacular art collections in the world… as impressive as the collections at the Met or British Museum…
Not that you’d expect anything less from a Queen… particularly as, when referencing van Dyck, every major family in England with any fortune and/or taste, hangs van Dyck on their walls… after all, he was Charles' court painter for at least a generation. Similarly, hanging Gainsborough and Reynolds is much like hanging… well… we don’t really have an equivalent in the US… except for the fact that they were so prolific in their artistry, that it’s almost like collecting stamps.
Regardless- her Majesty’s collection includes the original Holbein portrait on Henry VIII (the bust that EVERYONE knows) as well as walls of Gainsboroughs, Reynolds, and Rembrandts for good measure, plus the halls filled with suits of armor, coats of arms, and so many pistols and spears, you could be in a production of Macbeth.
And don’t forget her porcelain! I wonder what the logistics would be for using any of those beautiful dining sets… what does she use for state functions? What if she wanted to relive the glory days using the china of Queen Victoria, or King George’s goblets… could she just waltz through Windsor and borrow it for the evening, removing it from the bullet proof casing of course?
onwards to more castles
ej
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