When a call out back in March encouraged the public to share their photographs of Royal Visits to Northern Ireland, it sent many families into roof spaces and basements to dust off photo albums, resulting in 18 never seen before photographs being selected to complete Hillsborough Castle and Garden’s first ever exhibition.
Life Through A Royal Lens opens on Thursday 01 June as part of the Belfast Photo Festival, and will feature the amateur photography alongside the work of world-renowned photographers including Norman Parkinson, Annie Leibovitz and Cecil Beaton, who have all photographed members of the Royal Family over the years.
Photographs spanning the decades were submitted from those in Northern Ireland who have had a chance to catch either a glimpse of members of the Royal Family on their visits over the years, or who have spent time with them at official events and garden parties. The project team at Historic Royal Palaces – the charity which cares for Hillsborough Castle and Gardens – have selected 18 that will feature on a revolving digital display as part of the exhibition.
Images include some which were taken by members of the public who were invited to Royal Garden Parties held at Hillsborough Castle over the years, including TRH The Prince and Princess of Wales in 2016, Prince Harry in 2017 and HM King Charles in 2018. A photograph taken on 13 September 2022 shows the streets of Royal Hillsborough packed with people hoping to catch a glimpse of HM The King, as he made his first visit as Monarch to Northern Ireland. An image taken on the same day shows King Charles and Queen Camilla looking at the floral tributes left in honour of the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Hillsborough Castle, while another shows HM The King waving to the crowds at St Anne’s Cathedral, where a service of reflection was being held for his mother.
There are photographs with poignant memories from as far back as the 1960s, and others that take us right up to present day including that of Sarah’s, taken at the gates of Hillsborough Castle where her group of Rainbows had the chance to meet Their Majesties King Charles and Queen Camilla.
Sarah commented; “Following the Death of HM The Queen, a small group from First Hillsborough Rainbows and I attended the Northern Ireland as part of King Charles III’s tour. We met Their Majesties at the front of the Castle and they took time to look at the flowers left in condolence. It was beautiful to see all the vibrant colours of the flowers and tributes left for Queen Elizabeth. They took time to do a walkabout and speak to the large crowd that had gathered to show their sympathies.”
Other photographs include submissions that feature HRH Prince Edward in 2020 at a Lisburn foodbank; a photograph of HRH Princess Anne signing the visitor’s book at the Agricultural Research Institute in Hillsborough in 1982; one of HM King Charles, then Prince of Wales, meeting crowds at Belfast City Hospital in 1996; and an image of HM Queen Elizabeth II waving to crowds as she entered St. George’s Market in Belfast in 2014.
Life Through a Royal Lens is the first exhibition ever to be housed at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, and will see examples of the most iconic royal photographs juxtaposed with images providing a glimpse of the Royal Family off-duty. From the stiff formality of the Victorian era through the high glamour of Cecil Beaton’s photographs of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to the relaxed informality of the digital age, the exhibition will reveal how over nearly 200 years the medium of photography has created an unprecedented intimacy between Sovereign and subjects.
The exhibition has inspired a new one-day intensive Digital Photography for Beginners workshop led by local freelance artist and designer, Neil Hainsworth which will be held on the 24th June. Keen amateur photographers will be guided through the world of digital photography with Hillsborough Castle’s full 100 acres of gardens as their subject, learning the basics of composition and framing and tips and techniques to get that perfect shot.
Laura McCorry, Head of Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, said: “We are so grateful to all of our amateur photographers for sending us their cherished photographs of the Royal Family, some of which have been captured at a moment’s notice, and others which hold dear and treasured memories.
“These candid photographs really connect the Royal Family with the public in Northern Ireland. In each one there is a sense of occasion and excitement that they have been able to get so close to the Royals and enjoy their company during their visits to Northern Ireland. Our team has thoroughly enjoyed looking through them and reading their individual stories and look forward to seeing these images alongside the work of world-renowned photographers to truly bring life to the story of royal image making at the exhibition.”
Belfast Photo Festival director Michael Weir said: “Photography remains one of the most accessible artistic mediums, especially in a digital age, and this exhibition is a real demonstration of that fact. By inviting and showcasing public images alongside iconic works, the exhibition aligns closely with one of the main aims of Belfast Photo Festival – to instil and inspire public enjoyment and participation in photography.”
Life Through a Royal Lens opens Thursday 1st June 2023 at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens. For more information and booking, please visit hrp.org.uk/Hillsborough-castle. Tickets for the Digital Photography for Beginners Workshop on 24th June must be booked in advance and are available via hrp.org.uk/Hillsborough-castle/whats-on.