History

As the Royal School of Needlework wasfounded in 1872 and is the international centre of excellence for the art of hand-embroidery, their archives are quite something.We asked them to delve into their depths to discover the school’s association with royal coronations

The Royal School of Needlework’s Collection and Archive features an incredible 60,000 unique and priceless items, highlighting the passion for embroidery throughout history. The collection includes several fascinating items from past coronations, which capture the precious moments of these historic occasions, Emma Doggart reveals.

Coronation of Edward VII in 1902

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1. Black & White magazine cover: In 2012, an employee of the Royal School of Needlework (RSN) found a special magazine cover for sale on ebay. It was the front cover of Black & White magazine from April 1902, featuring a drawing of the RSN workroom with RSN embroiderers working on coronation regalia. At the bottom it says: ‘The finishing touches to the King’s Coronation Robes: Embroidering the Royal Mantle.’ Although the RSN is a charity and cannot afford to spend money on items for the archive collection, the RSN chief executive did think that at £11 it was ok to add this!

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2. Little jar of memories: This was donated by a RSN Life Friend who had been given this little pot by her great aunt. It contains fragments of gold thread and velvets, plus a little handwritten note saying ‘Cuttings of the Coronation Robes of Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. Worked by Rosina Smith 1902’. Miss Smith, the great aunt of the RSN Life Friend, worked at the Royal School of Needlework.