Behind the Scenes Tours: Royal Celebrations and Palace Decoration

Royal Celebrations and Palace DecorationVisit Braintree Museum and the Warner Textile Archive to see enchanting silk textiles made for princesses, and captivate the imagination through exploring the history behind palace decoration, and the glittering designs produced for royal coronations. Warner & Sons were experts in manufacturing mesmerising silk textiles, and this reputation led them to become the leading supplier to the royal household throughout the twentieth century.Get insight into the history of the patterns chosen in the public and private spaces of royal residences and the planning process of designs for royal celebrations.The first recorded royal order was from Queen Victoria in 1887, and from this date onwards the connection to royal furnishing textiles and patterns for special events grew. Patterns still present in Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Balmoral were manufactured repeatedly by Warner & Sons as bespoke commissions.Queen Elizabeth II was a prolific customer, often replacing existing designs supplied decades before, with the same fabric years later. King Charles III has inherited these sumptuous interiors and can often be seen greeting important guests in rooms still displaying designs first introduced to the palaces by his great-great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria which were produced by Warner & Sons.Tour Information:
Timings: 10.30am - 1pm
All visits begin at Braintree Museum and involve a short walk through town to the Warner Textile Archive.
When you arrive at Braintree Museum you will be met in our gift shop by your tour guide who will deliver your guided introductory tour, which lasts around 20 minutes, and show you where your refreshments will be served.Free time is included to explore the Warner & Sons Gallery and Braintree Museum at your leisure. You will then make your way to the Warner Textile Archive for your visit which will last approximately one hour.There is no parking on-site. There are a variety of pay and display car parks in Braintree town centre.
We are a short walk from both Braintree bus station and railway station.
Braintree Museum and the Warner Textile Archive are both accessible for wheelchairs.