NEED TO KNOW
- Kate Middleton chose a selection of objects for display at the V&A East Storehouse
- The Princess of Wales, 43, toured the innovative new offshoot of the museum in London in June
- One of the items included in her display may have been inspired by an interest of her daughter, Princess Charlotte
Kate Middleton just added a new skill to her royal résumé: museum curator.
The Princess of Wales, 43, created her own selection of artifacts from one of her favorite places. Princess Kate — who studied art history at the University of St. Andrews, where she fell in love with Prince William — used some of her art expertise to pick out some objects following her visit to the V&A East Storehouse in June. A “mini-display” called Makers and Creators is on view as part of the center’s extensive free self-guided experience until early 2026.
Kate made her selection in conjunction with the museum’s curatorial team, picking objects from across the V&A’s collections. Her choices make up one of more than 100 changing displays and attempt to capture how unique objects can come together to “create a collective whole that helps us to explore our social and cultural experiences, and the role we play in the wider tapestry of life,” the V&A says.
A standout piece in Kate’s display is Oliver Messel’s costume for the Fairy of the Woodland Glades worn by Diana Vere in The Royal Ballet’s 1960 production of The Sleeping Beauty. It’s possible that Princess Kate and Prince William’s 10-year-old daughter, Princess Charlotte, inspired the choice, as the young royal has a known love of dance.
Kate and Charlotte have had mother-daughter outings to see professional ballet performances.
“She looked so excited to be there and sat very still, watching the show,” an onlooker told PEOPLE in 2018 about the pair seeing The Nutcracker. “They were the only ones in the audience. It was very sweet.”
Among other items that Princess Kate has picked out for her mini display is a watercolor of a forest glade by the famous British children’s author Beatrix Potter. She also chose a childhood photograph album belonging to her father, Rupert Potter. Beatrix Potter, who has been reported to be distantly related to the Princess of Wales, spent much of her life in the Lake District, an area beloved by Kate and her family too.
Perhaps fittingly, the Princess of Wales picked a hand-quilted bedcover made in Wales around 1830-1840.
There was also a Morris & Co furnishing screen designed by William Morris’s assistant J.H.Dearle in the mid-1880s. That reflects something that director Tristram Hunt told PEOPLE after the visit on June 10. The Princess, who is the V&A Royal Patron, “was really interested and knowledgeable, particularly around textiles, around some of the woven silk material from William Morris, looking at some of the wallpapers.”
The new facility provides visitors with a window on the national collection of objects from creative disciplines from fashion to theater and streetwear and sculpture.
When she visited, Kate was shown why certain objects are collected, and how they are stored, conserved and displayed. Through the V&A’s innovative Order an Object service, anyone can book to access any object at V&A East Storehouse, for free — and Kate met some of the new collections access team, and viewed some of the objects, including some of those featured in the final display.
That day, museum director Hunt told PEOPLE, “She’s got both great passion and interest in material culture, so for her I think it was also a really enjoyable visit.”
He added, “She had a super energy. She was very energetic and focused. We last saw her about two years ago,” he added. “She retains this great passion and interest in creativity and making and design. It was wonderful to be able to host her.”
Hunt also explained how Kate seemed particularly interested in the photography section. “She was really passionate,” he said. “She was strangely knowledgeable about the camera types! She really liked the idea of getting behind the scenes of the museum and understanding that.”
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Princess Kate has been patron of the Victoria and Albert Museum since 2018. In 2023, she helped open the Young V&A, a vibrant museum tailored to children ages 0 to 14, complete with three hands-on galleries: Play, Imagine and Design.
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