Exhibition

Happy & Glorious

Coronation Commissions from the Government Art Collection

Date: 2 May 2025 to 12 April 2026
Price: Free

See artwork commissioned for the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla in 2023, on public display for the first time.

This free exhibition displays work by eight leading artists, commissioned to offer their own take on the Coronation’s significance to them and their communities.

Working in paint, pencil, photography, appliqué and thread, each artist offered a fresh perspective of this momentous occasion. You can get a sneak peek at some of these below, or to find out more about the artists and their works, visit The Coronation Commissions page on the Government Art Collection website.

Alongside the art there is a rare chance to see two Coronation Rolls from The National Archives’ collection– the earliest surviving roll made for Edward II in 1308 and King Charles III’s Coronation Roll going on public display for the very first time.

Coronation Rolls mark the sovereign’s accession and their oath to govern according to the customs and laws of the realm, as well as recording details of the ceremony, guests and regalia.

Date: Tuesday to Sunday; See our opening times
Price: Free; No booking needed, except for groups
Location: Ground and First Floor; The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, TW9 4DU
Accessibility: See our accessibility guide

Exhibition highlights

Image 1 of 10

A visitor to the exhibition takes an up-close shot of a section of a painting of people in a crowd. The people are a range of different ethnicities, gender, ages, wearing different clothing. Some are depicted in colour and some in black and white. — See Dale Lewis’ work capturing the faces of people who travelled to Central London to witness the Coronation procession

Image 2 of 10

An unusual looking ship that is crafted from layered images on a red background. — See Flag, by Hew Locke, a work that explores the powerful allure of royal symbols and the weight of complex national histories.

Image 3 of 10

Two women stand in front of two large portrait embroideries with hand-stitched words in thread. — See King and Queen (recto and verso), by Cornelia Parker a pair of embroideries hand-sewn with dictionary definitions of King and Queen.

Image 4 of 10

A black and white scene of the Mall on the day of the Coronation, showing Union Jack flags. — Discover Joy Gerrard’s work blending media images with her own experience in the crowd outside Buckingham Palace.

Image 5 of 10

A girl seen from behind in a black dress stands in front of a wall with scattered photographs. — See a snapshot of Coronation celebrations across Wales from Mohamed Hassan, mixing the informal and the formal.

Image 6 of 10

Four brightly colourful works are framed on a wall, with a woman looking at them from an angle. — See Leslie Thompson’s imaginings of the Coronation’s possible audiences.

Image 7 of 10

A woman looks down into a document case featuring a long white scroll partially unrolled. — View Charles III’s Coronation Roll, on display for the very first time.

Image 8 of 10

A couple stand looking at four framed preparatory sketches showing scenes from the Coronation. — View preparatory sketches of some of the artists’ work to see different perspectives in the artistic process.

Image 9 of 10

A sketch in coloured pencil on paper of the Gold State Coach passing by, with the King and Queen. — Visit the exhibition to see artworks that offer a modern take on this ancient ceremony.

Image 10 of 10

A woman wearing a headscarf and traditional Indian dress stands in front of a Union Flag.. — See photographs by Sophie Gerrard that capture neighbourhood events across Birmingham on Coronation Day.

Plan your visit

What is The National Archives?

The National Archives is the official archive of the UK government, and England and Wales. We are the guardians of over 1,000 years of iconic national documents.

Everyone is welcome to visit our headquarters in Kew. We put on exhibitions, events and displays and offer reading rooms giving access to our collections there.

Find out more about who we are

Getting here

The National Archives is located by the River Thames in Kew, 30 minutes from Central London. We offer advice on travelling to us by car, bike, train or bus.

Read our advice on getting here

Group visits

If you're planning to bring a group of ten people or more, please contact whatson@nationalarchives.gov.uk before making arrangements.

Children and families

We provide a warm welcome to visitors of all ages, including children and family groups.

Free activity sheets (for ages 1+) are available from the Time Travel Club trolley in our entrance hall
Our café is child-friendly and there are picnic benches outside
Prams and buggies are welcome, and we have a buggy park
Baby changing facilities are located by our entrance hall, at the top of the main stairs, and in the library
Emergency supplies of nappies and wipes are available

Find out more about visiting with children

Eat and drink

We have a café and coffee bar provided by Maids of Honour, a historic local tea room and bakery. It has spacious indoor and outside seating and a soft play area.

On the menu is a variety of high-quality lunchtime meals, sandwiches, snacks, soft drinks, tea and coffee. Vegetarians, vegans and other dietary requirements are all catered to.

Find out more about our café

Visit us