WATCH: Queen Camilla Meets Her Biggest Fans at Museum

Added: 2026-05-14

[00:00:14]have a glass.

[00:00:18]>> What?

[00:00:24]Should I not flash it? I won't.

[00:00:44]>> I can't. It's in my bag.

[00:01:03]Yes.

[00:01:24]Yeah, we're doing all right.

[00:02:21]He avoided every reflection.

[00:02:41]Oh, sorry. I'm trying. Sorry. I'm trying to hold it open now.

[00:02:45]>> Sorry. Can I just do Can you close the box for me?

[00:02:48]>> Yeah.

[00:02:53]>> Open it for me.

[00:03:21]Good morning.

[00:03:35]I thought if I I mentioned one or two done various things mentioned everybody by name.

[00:03:40]>> This is Tim Bernette one of our senior trustes.

[00:03:44]>> Hello. How are you?

[00:03:45]>> I'm very well.

[00:03:50]>> So nice to come back again.

[00:03:52]>> You've been a great supporter.

[00:03:54]Susan may a book about the royal fans whose dress upstairs you Maritime Museum >> about two years.

[00:04:28]>> Two years to him as soon as he retired from the maritime museum. I said just what they wanted. That's right. Trustees are jacked me again.

[00:04:36]>> They brought you here.

[00:04:37]>> Yes. There they paid me a little here.

[00:04:39]They pay me nothing.

[00:04:41]The usual trajectory.

[00:04:44]>> I was I was once told >> you once told I'm the newest of the newbies. Yes.

[00:04:51]So, so where were you?

[00:04:53]>> Uh, well construction.

[00:05:12]Oh, you actually >> linked with a family named after father.

[00:05:22]>> Well, it's such a treat. Yes.

[00:05:35]>> The Alexander is that's what that room is being made. The room upstairs being Victor Gall.

[00:05:45]>> Then Linda Bird is the mayor of Greenwich coming towards the end of her nearly finishing >> June. Oh, Julie.

[00:05:55]>> They give you an extra temp.

[00:06:06]>> Please come in.

[00:06:20]>> Yes.

[00:06:43]I'll see you all later down.

[00:06:46]>> Oh, so we're going to see. So, this is the start.

[00:06:49]>> This is the start of Um, these are all fans with monograms and crowns for coronets on them. So, we know that they belong >> to uh royal passages, but they're all people we don't know who they are or were.

[00:07:04]>> Oh, you don't know who? No, I'm hoping that people will come to this exhibition saying we recognize >> please recognize something.

[00:07:12]>> Yeah.

[00:07:15]>> But they what I'm hoping to encourage here is people to look at some of this Absolutely exquisite >> particularly carving on the sticks.

[00:07:26]>> It's so beautiful, isn't it?

[00:07:29]>> The mother of pearl.

[00:07:31]>> Yes.

[00:07:33]>> And nobody knows who this belongs to.

[00:07:37]>> No, but that was said to have belonged to a niece of Franc.

[00:07:44]But depending on what how you read that initial, which I think is a G, could be He didn't have a niece.

[00:07:53]>> The right >> so >> my detective work went a bit cold there.

[00:07:58]But he did have a daughter called Gizel who perhaps it belonged.

[00:08:01]>> Oh, so it could be I not >> that um the gold one. I'm even sure I can read that monogram.

[00:08:12]>> That looks like a pen.

[00:08:18]>> They're very difficult. They were so they were so entwined.

[00:08:22]>> Yeah.

[00:08:23]>> Actually, I think your man that's not easy to read. You can make out.

[00:08:28]>> You can you can >> Well, you I think there's a picture of you holding one of the flags that we made.

[00:08:38]>> Exactly. I don't >> And perhaps I should show you some British royalty.

[00:08:45]Um, this one prototypes for her special unfortunately very hard to see. Whatever I've done with the light has I can't do it.

[00:08:59]>> Yes, it's a special light. This that took place in Buckingham Palace in 1842 when they came in medieval dress.

[00:09:09]>> Medieval. So the queen Victoria is in the middle. masquerading as Philippo who was married to Edward the third but this wasn't made till the 1880s so it's interesting by the empress that's doublesided so the Kaiser and sons were on the other Oh, >> one of our royal collection. Hello. Hello.

[00:10:27]Yes, we're not quite sure which here was used at the Windsor installation of the order of the garden 180. 5. It's very very faintly painted on. It's very fragile.

[00:10:41]It's beautiful blue silk. And then our very um dates from around 1600. So the earliest in the collection and cut to the lace.

[00:10:54]We've got one.

[00:11:01]accessories.

[00:11:27]I don't is one diamonds in there.

[00:11:46]>> Who would come? So um Stephanie who was um the poor unfortunate princess of Belgium who married.

[00:11:58]>> Oh so she sister-in-law Federico the Duchess of of York. So one of the most popular fans on earth.

[00:12:07]So all the instructions are on here.

[00:12:09]Apparently the card game is a bit like whis >> so I couldn't tell you how to but it was published in 179.

[00:12:19]>> Yes absolutely keep you up to give you the uh the >> I should make sure my special one.

[00:12:30]Oh yes.

[00:12:58]>> They were able to get Oh, don't have too many.

[00:13:03]>> But Sarah's just rather interesting.

[00:13:16]>> This is the wor I enjoyed being maker.

[00:13:34]>> Absolutely. We enjoyed it very much.

[00:13:37]Would you like to introduce the majesty to our pleasure to meet you?

[00:13:56]>> Lovely to see you. Very nice.

[00:14:01]>> Hello. It's very nice to be here as well.

[00:14:04]>> How are you?

[00:14:06]Lovely to see the learning.

[00:14:43]Good afternoon, your majesty.

[00:14:46]>> Your majesty of the worshipful company of fan makers to mark special royal occasions with presentation of the fans.

[00:14:54]In 1897, Queen Victoria accepted a fan in commemoration of her diamond jubilee, followed by Queen Alexander Alexandre in 1902 on the occasion of her coronation.

[00:15:08]Most recently, her highness the Duchess of Glosser accepted a fan from past Master Jonathan Buing the diamond jubilee of the late Queen Elizabeth.

[00:15:19]After your coronation in 2023, I commissioned a fan to be designed by Mr. Paul Benning, who is related to me by marriage and was then painting your official portrait and into which he has painted this fan.

[00:15:33]At Clarence House in February 2024, I had the privilege of clothing you as the then master as an honorary livingman of the company. It was truly a wonderful afternoon. Um we were thrilled that like today we were also honored by the presence of liverman her royal highness the duchess of I will now hand over to master the presentation of your majesty I have the honor to speak on behalf of worship company of fanmakers and it is a particular privilege to be received by you today as an honorary memberman of the worship company of fanmakers you'll be aware that the company traces it its origin to the late 17th century having received its royal charter in 1709.

[00:16:20]Today, while we remain proud custodians of a distinctive craft and and tradition, our purpose is also charitable to support education, heritage skills, and community projects.

[00:16:32]A fan is at once practical and ceremonial. It speaks of craftsmanship, patience, and artistry. Yet, it also is meant to be used and enjoyed. In that spirit, we offer this gift not merely as an object but as a contin as a symbol of continuity of traditions carefully handed on and of public service carried forward with dignity and warmth. Thank you for granting us this honor. May I respectfully ask you to accept this fan as a token of our loyal congratulations and the coronation and our best wishes to you and to his majesty the king for the years ahead. With your majesty's permission, I will now present the fan.

[00:17:12]Thank you very much. I can't wait to have a look at it.

[00:17:19]>> Oh, that's really Oh, that's really beautiful.

[00:17:22]>> It's lovely. Thank you very much. If I may ask poor Benny to >> If I may, I can I can explain a few things.

[00:17:28]>> Talk me through it.

[00:17:29]>> Yeah.

[00:17:31]Well, all these flowers represent. But when we were painting your portrait, >> I gathered that we were greatly fond of wild flowers.

[00:17:45]>> Weeds. Yes, we do.

[00:17:47]>> Flowering weeds. So I thought, well, it would be great to see if I could make some sort of a design from it. So I think your favorite flower is this delinium.

[00:17:57]>> Delim.

[00:17:58]I I I put a few of those in. Um and aliums and lavender and the flag and there's some symbolism involved too. So the flag iris, >> it's obvious you know what that would mean. Uh there's the monarch butterfly.

[00:18:12]>> Oh, I remember very important.

[00:18:16]>> Very and the dragonfly for George and the dragon.

[00:18:20]>> Yeah. Um there's there's oh and actually more importantly very subtly I don't know whether can make this out but these stars up in the sky here >> are your date birth birthday constellations >> I never have guessed that you're here to explain.

[00:18:40]>> And then there's the lords and ladies which you'll know because you you're surrounded by them.

[00:18:46]>> Yes.

[00:18:48]My god.

[00:18:49]>> Yes.

[00:18:51]So, I'm hoping that we'll use that point.

[00:18:54]>> Thank you very very much. I certainly shall. It's so beautiful. I I should use it on very special occasions, especially when it gets hot. Thank you very much.

[00:19:04]Thank you everybody for presenting for this. I'm deeply honored to have it. And I think Paul's work is is beautiful.

[00:19:11]>> Thank you.

[00:19:12]>> Just like just like portrait.

[00:19:15]>> Luckily, I knew it was in St. P. He was doing it.

[00:19:20]though it's lovely treasure.

[00:19:22]>> May I may I also just mention that the fan itself is painted into the royal into the state portrait which some of the filmmakers may not have realized.

[00:19:32]>> Yeah, because it's I'm just holding it up slightly open like that. I haven't haven't opened it out.

[00:19:38]>> Exactly.

[00:19:39]>> That's very nice. I love that. Thank you very much indeed.

[00:19:44]>> Thank you.

[00:19:44]>> Thank you.

[00:20:06]THERE we are. Can >> I just say a few words and then invite you to unveil it.

[00:20:14]>> Your majesty, your royal highness, Can I say a few words of welcome to you on behalf of the Fan Museum Trust?

[00:20:24]We are very much aware of your interests in fans.

[00:20:28]>> Both of your interests in fans as members of the livery company, as enthusiastic collectors, and of course as long-standing friends in your case of Ela Alexander, our founder.

[00:20:43]We are celebrating two events today.

[00:20:46]We're celebrating the opening of the new exhibition, Monarchy, an exhibition of royal fans, and we're very privileged to have received fans from the livery company for which we're very grateful.

[00:21:02]And indeed, your majesty, from your own personal collection, including the very beautiful keled fan, which you'll see in the catalog, which we'll be presenting to you, I think, at page 48.

[00:21:16]beautiful fans and uh we're also privileged to have received fans from the royal collection including that iconic photograph of Queen Victoria as the Empress of India and the fan which by some account she was supposed to be holding either at the time of her death or very shortly before her death. So we are very very privileged to be hosting this exhibition which I am very confident will be a very popular exhibition for some months. But the other celebration today is to celebrate the designating of two of the rooms in this museum.

[00:22:01]The Alexander room and the Victor Adda room. Victor Ada as most of you will know was the father of 11 and through his generosity the van museum was in part collected.

[00:22:19]The museum is really a tribute to three people to Victor Adam to dear Elen who's with us today which is just wonderful and her husband Dicki.

[00:22:31]Dicki and Elen purchased these two derelict houses and transformed them into the beautiful space that they are today. Dicki in fact commission the murals in the orandry where we are today. But it's really Ela's drive and inspiration which we're recognizing today. Dear Elen, I hope you know how fond we all are of you. Without you, none of this would ever have happened. And it's an extraordinary tribute to your drive and perseverance and knowledge and financial support that this museum is what it is today. We are truly grateful. You said when you and Dicki set up the fan museum, you wanted it to resemble a house of a distinguished cultured family in the 18th or 19th century. And you said it's not going to be like other museums. And uh those words I think are indelibly on the consciousness of all the trustees. This museum will continue after sadly you leave us. it will continue as you wanted it to be. A museum like no other museum. So we are very very grateful to you for all that you've done. And now just before I invite her majesty to unveil the plaque which will go in due course just inside the front door I have a book and a catalog to give both to your majesty and to her royal highness.

[00:24:12]That is the memoir. Ela thought you might already have a copy of it if you haven't. It's a wonderful memoir of Ela's life from her earliest days in Alexandria. And that's a catalog of today's exhibition.

[00:24:27]Your highness, can I give you also >> the book and the catalog >> and uh I hope that it's done in such a way it won't before I unveil this back.

[00:24:56]say um what a real pleasure it is to be back at this wonderful place again. I, as you know, I've visited it on several occasions and it's just always a treat to come back and to see Elaine again, who was the reason I came here in the first place. So, I'm delighted to have seen this exhibition and to have contributed uh a couple of my three of my fans here, a few little spaces left at Clarite.

[00:25:24]I should look forward to getting it back again. But I hope everybody enjoys it as much as I have today. So, thank you very much.