King's Gallery, Edinburgh facts for kids
The King's Gallery, once called the Queen's Gallery, is a special art gallery located in Edinburgh, Scotland. It's part of the famous Palace of Holyroodhouse, which is a royal residence. This gallery first opened its doors in 2002, thanks to Queen Elizabeth II. It shows amazing artworks from the Royal Collection, which is a huge collection of art owned by the British Royal Family. You can visit the gallery every day to see these beautiful pieces. The building itself is quite old and has a special historical status.
History of the Gallery
The King's Gallery is mostly inside a beautiful old building. It was built between 1846 and 1850. Back then, it was a church called Holyrood Free Church. It belonged to a group called the Free Church of Scotland. Later, it became part of the United Free Church of Scotland. The church stopped being used for worship in 1915. After that, it was used as a storeroom for many years.
The gallery also includes another building next to the church. This building used to be a school for the Free Church. Both the church and the school were paid for by Elizabeth Gordon, Duchess of Gordon. She was a big supporter of the Free Church. In the 1920s, the old school building was changed into homes for the palace's chauffeurs (drivers).
In 2002, both buildings were transformed into the King's Gallery. This project was designed by Benjamin Tindall Architects. The main part of the gallery is on the first floor. It's a large room with a beautiful wooden roof.
In 2019, a former politician named George Kerevan suggested an idea. He claimed that if Scotland became an independent country, the gallery building might be taken down. His idea was to create a large "Freedom square" between Holyrood Palace and the Scottish Parliament Building.
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What You Can See: Exhibitions
The King's Gallery always has new and exciting exhibitions. These shows change throughout the year. All the artworks come from the Royal Collection. Here are some of the past exhibitions:
- 2022: Masterpieces from Buckingham Palace
* This exhibition featured amazing paintings. It included works by famous artists like Sir Anthony van Dyck, Rembrandt, and Peter Paul Rubens.
- 2021: Royal Watercolours
* This show displayed beautiful watercolour paintings. These were from the personal collections of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
- 2019/2020: Drawings by Leonardo da Vinci
* This was a very special exhibition. It brought together the largest collection of drawings by Leonardo da Vinci ever seen in Scotland.
- 2019: Russian Art
* This exhibition explored Russian art. It included photographs, interesting objects, and paintings from Russia.
See also
- King's Gallery at Buckingham Palace
