On Wednesday 04 December, The Fan Museum welcomed HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, its Patron since 2008…
On this occasion HRH met with key staff and volunteers before proceeding to view the Museum’s current display of ‘treasures’, stopping to marvel at two particularly lavish fans bearing hallmarks of Russian Imperial Jewellers, Fabergé and Fredrick Kochli. Within the setting of the Museum’s storage facility, Founder/Director, Mrs H E Alexander MBE and curator Jacob Moss showed HRH a recently acquired sixteenth century flag fan, explaining the article’s interesting provenance and the Classical scenes which decorate its double sided ‘screen’.
HRH then moved on to the Orangery, painted entirely with trompe l’œil murals, to participate in a workshop led by fan making tutor Caroline Allington. Joining a group from the Royal Voluntary Service, of which she is President, HRH put the finishing touches to a specially designed Rothesay tartan cockade fan. Before departing the Museum, HRH spent time perusing the popular gift shop laden with unique fan-themed merchandise.
Photos: Philip Hartley/ Royal Voluntary Service