Royal School of Needlework
Encyclopedia
The Royal School of Needlework (RSN) is a hand embroidery
school in the United Kingdom
, founded in 1872.
It has an archive of over 30,000 image
s covering every period of British history. There are also over 5,000 textile pieces, including lace
, silk
work, whitework
, Jacobean embroidery
and many other forms of embroidery
and needlework
.
The Royal School of Needlework is a registered charity
and has always been under royal
patronage. The current patron is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
, Queen Victoria
's third daughter, the wife of Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein
. She received help from William Morris
and many of his friends in the Arts and Crafts movement
.
Its initial space was in a small apartment on Sloane Street
, employing 20 women. The school had grown to 150 students, moving in 1903 to Exhibition Road, near to the Victoria and Albert Museum
.
The school moved from Princes Gate in Kensington
to Hampton Court Palace in 1987 and now features fine views of the palace gardens.
The work of the school has been used in many important events, including a joint effort with Toye
in producing the velvet cushions on which the Royal Crowns were carried into Westminster Abbey
for the Coronation of King George VI. In 2011, the school created the lace
appliqué
s for the wedding dress of Kate Middleton
, now, Her Royal Highness, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.
Embroidery
Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins....
school in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, founded in 1872.
It has an archive of over 30,000 image
Image
An image is an artifact, for example a two-dimensional picture, that has a similar appearance to some subject—usually a physical object or a person.-Characteristics:...
s covering every period of British history. There are also over 5,000 textile pieces, including lace
Lace
Lace is an openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in the work, made by machine or by hand. The holes can be formed via removal of threads or cloth from a previously woven fabric, but more often open spaces are created as part of the lace fabric. Lace-making is an ancient craft. True lace was...
, silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
work, whitework
Whitework embroidery
Whitework embroidery refers to any embroidery technique in which the stitching is the same color as the foundation fabric ....
, Jacobean embroidery
Jacobean embroidery
Jacobean embroidery refers to embroidery styles that flourished in the reign of King James I of England in first quarter of the 17th century....
and many other forms of embroidery
Embroidery
Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins....
and needlework
Needlework
Needlework is a broad term for the handicrafts of decorative sewing and textile arts. Anything that uses a needle for construction can be called needlework...
.
The Royal School of Needlework is a registered charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
and has always been under royal
Royal family
A royal family is the extended family of a king or queen regnant. The term imperial family appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate to describe the relatives of a reigning...
patronage. The current patron is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
History
The school was founded in London in 1872 by Princess HelenaPrincess Helena of the United Kingdom
Princess Helena was a member of the British Royal Family, the third daughter and fifth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert....
, Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
's third daughter, the wife of Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein
Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein
Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein was a minor German prince who became a member of the British Royal Family through his marriage to Princess Helena of the United Kingdom , the fifth child and third daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of...
. She received help from William Morris
William Morris
William Morris 24 March 18343 October 1896 was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement...
and many of his friends in the Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
.
Its initial space was in a small apartment on Sloane Street
Sloane Street
Sloane Street is a major London street which runs north to south, from Knightsbridge to Sloane Square, crossing Pont Street about half way along, entirely in The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Sloane Street takes its name from Sir Hans Sloane, who purchased the surrounding area in 1712...
, employing 20 women. The school had grown to 150 students, moving in 1903 to Exhibition Road, near to the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
.
The school moved from Princes Gate in Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
to Hampton Court Palace in 1987 and now features fine views of the palace gardens.
The work of the school has been used in many important events, including a joint effort with Toye
Toye, Kenning and Spencer
Toye, Kenning & Spencer plc is a British jewellery and clothing manufacturer base in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, Covent Garden, London and Bedworth England. Founded in 1685, the company remains family run by members of the Toye family....
in producing the velvet cushions on which the Royal Crowns were carried into Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
for the Coronation of King George VI. In 2011, the school created the lace
Lace
Lace is an openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in the work, made by machine or by hand. The holes can be formed via removal of threads or cloth from a previously woven fabric, but more often open spaces are created as part of the lace fabric. Lace-making is an ancient craft. True lace was...
appliqué
Applique
In its broadest sense, an appliqué is a smaller ornament or device applied to another surface. In the context of ceramics, for example, an appliqué is a separate piece of clay added to the primary work, generally for the purpose of decoration...
s for the wedding dress of Kate Middleton
Wedding dress of Kate Middleton
The wedding dress of Kate Middleton was the bridal gown worn by Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, at her wedding to Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, on 29 April 2011. The dress was designed by English designer Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen....
, now, Her Royal Highness, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.
External links
- Official site
- Architectural history and description of the Exhibition Road building from the Survey of LondonSurvey of LondonThe Survey of London is a research project to produce a comprehensive architectural survey of the former County of London. It was founded in 1894 by Charles Robert Ashbee, an Arts-and-Crafts architect and social thinker, and was motivated by a desire to record and preserve London's ancient monuments...
.