A sneak preview of Treasures of the Royal Courts at the V&A

The Victoria & Albert Museum is currently displaying Treasures of the Royal Courts: Tudors, Stuarts and the Russian Tsars. The major exhibition tells the story of diplomacy between the British Monarchy and the Russian Tsars through more than 150 magnificent objects.

Documenting the majesty of the courts of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, Ivan the Terrible and the early Romanovs, the impressive collection features royal portraits, costume and jewellery, as well as armour and heraldry and everything in between.

The fabulous world of kings, queens, merchants and courtiers from 1509 to 1685 is revealed in a glittering array of items including a rarely shown painting of Elizabeth I, Shakespeare’s First Folio, a suit of armour tailor-made for Henry VIII and the legendary ruby-studded Drake Star. At the heart of the exhibition is the beautiful English and French silver given to the Tsars by the British royal family, on exclusive loan from the Moscow Kremlin Museums in celebration of 500 years of Anglo-Russian exchange.

A jaw-dropping testament to the splendour and opulence of an era, this is an exhibition not to be missed.

The editorial unit

Photos: Arnaud Stephenson

Treasures of the Royal Courts: Tudors, Stuarts and the Russian Tsars is at the Victoria & Albert Museum until 14^th July 2013, for further information visit here.