Past exhibition

Love Letters

500 years of devotion, longing, sacrifice and passion.

Date: 24 January to 12 April 2026
Price: Free

About this image

Niday Picture Library / Alamy

Across time, people have sought connection in countless ways. From heartfelt declarations and calculated proposals to anonymous and desperate love songs.

Love Letters, a free exhibition at The National Archives in Kew, featured correspondence that spans over 500 years of devotion, longing, sacrifice, heartache, and passion.

Covering royalty and parliamentarians, literary icons and unknown scribes, Love Letters opened the envelope on the stories behind the documents and the consequences of their being, from eternal blessing to execution.

This revealing exhibition also featured declarations of love in other forms, including poems and drawings, official memorials and wills.

Encompassing forbidden relationships and family members separated by distance and circumstance, Love Letters offered a rare glimpse into personal emotions captured in a government collection – tender, intimate and deeply human.

Exhibition highlights

Image 1 of 5

An old handwritten letter with the remnants of a seal on one side. It is signed 'Leicester'. — The final letter from the Earl of Leicester to Queen Elizabeth I – he died a few days after writing it.

Image 2 of 5

Detail of an old letter with 'His last letter' written at the bottom. — Elizabeth I kept the letter by her bedside and added the inscription 'his last letter'.

Image 3 of 5

A handwritten letter, signed Alfred Bruce Douglas. — A passionate plea for clemency from Oscar Wilde’s lover, Lord Alfred Douglas.

Image 4 of 5

beige handwritten document — Jane Austen’s will, which gives fascinating insight into the iconic author’s familial relationships.

Image 5 of 5

A typed document with a royal crest at the top. There are a number of signatures at the bottom including from Edward VIII. — King Edward VIII’s signed Instrument of Abdication, a document that shocked the monarchy and the nation.

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

Exhibition opening times

Monday: CLOSED

Tuesday: 10:00–19:00

Wednesday: 10:00–17:00

Thursday: 10:00–19:00

Friday: 10:00–17:00

Saturday: 10:00–17:00

Sunday: 11:00–16:00

Last entry to this exhibition is one hour before it closes each day.

We recommend checking our full opening times and bank holiday closure dates when planning your visit.

Group visits

Groups of ten people or more must book in advance, at least seven days before your visit.

We unfortunately cannot accept group bookings in the first and last two weeks the exhibition run.

Find out more about booking group visits and our exclusive entry packages for groups.

Audio tour

For an extra intimate experience, visitors to Love Letters can listen to a free audio tour of the exhibition featuring further information on the exhibition themes and records on show.

To listen to the tour, either download the free Smartify app and search for 'The National Archives' or scan the QR codes at the exhibition entrance.

Accessibility

Everyone is welcome to visit this exhibition.

There is step-free level access throughout all areas
The exhibition has low lighting levels
It includes pictures, audio, information boards, televisions/screens and interactive exhibits at a suitable height for a wheelchair user
Large print guides are available

Find out more about accessibility in our exhibition space

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

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