The Royal Collection Trust has announced that Windsor Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace, and The Queen’s Galleries in London and Edinburgh, as well as Royal Collection Trust shops, will reopen to the public on 23 July.
In line with Government guidance, a number of measures have been introduced to ensure that the Palaces, Galleries and shops can reopen safely an visitors can return with confidence. These include:
- The introduction of timed tickets at all sites in order to manage visitor numbers. All tickets must be booked in advance online.
- Markers and signs to help visitors maintain social distancing, with staff on hand to manage the flow of visitors in queuing areas and indoor spaces
- The introduction of one-way routes in some areas
- Hand sanitiser stations along the visitor routes
- Enhanced cleaning regimes
- Perspex screens at all till points, with payment by card only
- All front-of-house staff fully trained in COVID-secure procedures
With these measures in place, Royal Collection Trust has acquired the We’re Good To Go industry standard mark, recognised by VisitEngland and VisitScotland.
The Palaces, Galleries and shops will open from Thursdays to Mondays inclusive. The cafe at the Palace of Holyroodhouse will also be open, initially offering takeaway services only.
The State Rooms at Buckingham Palace, Frogmore House and Clarence House will not open to public this summer due to the operational challenges of social distancing.
EXHIBITION PROGRAMME AT THE QUEEN’S GALLERIES
At the Queen’s Gallery in Buckingham Palace, George IV: Art & Spectacle has been extended until 1 November 2020. The exhibition explores the life and collections of arguably the most magnificent and flamboyant of British monarchs.
This will be followed by new exhibition Masterpiece from Buckingham Palace from 11 December 2020 – February 2022, which brings together some of the most important paintings in the Royal Collection from the Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace.
Japan: Courts and Culture, which was originally due to open in June 2020, is now expected to open in Spring 2022.
The Queen’s Gallery at the Palace of Holyroodhouse will see Eastern Encounters: Four Centuries of Paintings and Manuscripts form the Indian Subcontinent on display from 23 July 2020 – 31 January 2021, presenting the Royal Collection’s exceptional holdings of South Asian paintings and manuscripts.
From 5 March – 5 September 2021, Victoria & Albert: Our Lives in Watercolour will explore Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s enthusiastic collecting and commissioning of watercolour paintings to record their public and private lives.
For more information please visit rct.uk.
