Queen Camilla has been presented with the fan she is shown holding in her official Coronation portrait, declaring it so beautiful that she would 'save it for special occasions.'
The fan was commissioned for the occasion by the Worshipful Company of Fan Makers, of which Queen Camilla is patron. Although she was depicted holding it, she had never previously seen it, having posed for artist Paul Benney holding one of her own fans before the new one was painted in.
The Queen was presented with the Coronation fan at the Fan Museum in Greenwich, south east London, on Thursday. 'Oh that's really beautiful, that's lovely, thank you very much,' she said.
Mr Benney explained the intricate detail he had painted into the fan, including the Queen's favourite wild flowers, delphiniums, alliums and lavender, the monarch butterfly and even her own star constellation. The Queen told him: 'It's so beautiful, I shall save it for special occasions.'
The official Coronation portraits of both the King and the Queen were unveiled at the National Gallery on May 6 last year, the second anniversary of the Coronation. The Queen said of hers at the time: 'I just love it', while the King praised the 'wonderful composition' of his, by artist Peter Kuhfeld.
One year on, the Queen, who is an Honorary Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Fan Makers, met Mr Benney, as she officially opened the Fan Museum's Monarchy exhibition, which features fans dating from the 18th century to the present day. 'Lovely to see you again,' she told him on arrival. 'I can't wait to see the fan.'
The Queen lent two fans to the exhibition from her own private collection, one made to mark her own wedding in April 2005 and another that belonged to her great-grandmother Alice Keppel, famed for being the mistress of Edward VII, which is made of jay feathers. After unveiling a plaque, she addressed a small group of charity trustees and members of the Worshipful Company of Fan Makers. 'It's a pleasure to be back at this wonderful place again,' she said.
'As you know, I've visited on several occasions, and it's just always a treat to come back. I'm delighted to have seen this exhibition, and to have contributed a couple of my fans,' she added. She joked: 'There are a few little spaces left at Clarence House so I shall look forward to having them back again.'
The Coronation fan was designed by Mr Benney but made by Frederick Gay, France's Master Fan Maker, as there are no commercial fan makers left in the UK. The Queen was presented with it by the Master of the Guild Dinesh Naidu, watched on by the Duchess of Gloucester, who is Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Fan Makers.
Earlier, the Queen and the Duchess toured the exhibition, marvelling over fans including one thought to have been held by Queen Victoria when she died. The Duchess pointed to a wooden fan in one of the displays and told the Queen: 'That's the sort of material that would have been good in Samoa.' The Queen replied: 'Yes, it would have held up.'
She was photographed apparently giggling behind a fan during a welcome ceremony held during 2024's state visit to the island. The Fan Museum is one of the few museums dedicated to the history, culture and craft of hand fans.
The Queen was met on arrival by Matthew Burrow, Deputy Lieutenant of Greenwich, Tim Barnes, chair of trustees of The Fan Museum and trustee Ian Block. She chatted at length to a documentary maker who is making a series about endangered heritage crafts, including the production of fans and sporans. 'It's something that should be covered because a lot of people just don't know about it,' she said. 'My husband has got a lot of sporans.'
The Queen also enjoyed a private chat with Helene Alexander, the founder of the museum, telling her she was delighted to be able to visit. 'Any excuse to come back!'
